Dhātu Sutta — The Two Nibbāna Elements
[222] Indeed, this discourse was spoken by the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One. Thus have I heard:
“Bhikkhus, there are these two Nibbāna elements. What are the two?
- The Nibbāna element with residue remaining (sa-upādisesa-nibbānadhātu)
- The Nibbāna element with no residue remaining (anupādisesa-nibbānadhātu)
1. The Nibbāna element with residue (sa-upādisesa)
And what is the Nibbāna element with residue, bhikkhus?
Here a bhikkhu, in this Dhamma-Vinaya, is an Arahant, one whose taints are destroyed; he has lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached his own goal, ended the fetters of becoming, and is liberated by right understanding.
Yet, he still experiences agreeable and disagreeable sense-objects, still feels pleasure and pain — because the five faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body) have not yet disintegrated.
Bhikkhus, the ending of lust, the ending of hatred, the ending of delusion in that bhikkhu — this is called the Nibbāna element with residue.
2. The Nibbāna element without residue (anupādisesa)
And what is the Nibbāna element without residue, bhikkhus?
Here a bhikkhu, an Arahant, whose taints are destroyed … liberated by right understanding — all feelings that arise in this very body become cool when they no longer delight in any defilement such as craving.
Bhikkhus, this is called the Nibbāna element without residue.
The Verses
The two Nibbāna elements — these have been declared by the Tathāgata, the One with Eyes, unshaken, free from craving and views.
One Nibbāna element exists here and now, called “with residue,” because the fuel of becoming is ended.
The other is the Nibbāna element where all becoming ceases, the utter fading away of all existence — called “without residue,” which exists in the future.
Those who understand this unconditioned principle, whose minds are freed through ending the craving that leads to becoming — they delight in Nibbāna, the ending of all defilements.
Firm, unshakable, having realized the essential Dhamma, they abandon all forms of existence.
Thus the Blessed One spoke. So have I heard.
Short Pāli Glossary (concise · intensive)
- dhātu — element; fundamental mode of reality.
- nibbānadhātu — the Nibbāna element; the mode of complete cooling.
- sa-upādisesa — “with residue”; Nibbāna realized while the five aggregates still operate.
- anupādisesa — “without residue”; Nibbāna at final passing away of an Arahant.
- upādi — residue; the remaining aggregates that still produce feeling while alive.
- kilesa — defilements: greed, hatred, delusion.
- āsava — taints; deep currents that sustain saṃsāra.
- saṃyojana — fetters binding one to rebirth.
- bhava — becoming; existential continuation in saṃsāra.
- paññāvimutti / cetovimutti — liberation through wisdom / through mind.