Grammatical Analysis
Ākiñcañña: [nt.] Nothingness; voidness; the state of having nothing. Derived from a (not) + kiñcana (anything, something, a trifle, a defilement).
Orthodox Definition
Ākiñcañña has two distinct doctrinal applications:
- The Meditative Attainment: It most commonly refers to the Ākiñcaññāyatana (The Base of Nothingness), which is the third of the four formless absorptions (arūpajhāna). To achieve this, the meditator transcends the perception of infinite consciousness and focuses entirely on its absence, thinking, “There is nothing, there is nothing” (Natthi kiñci).
- The Ethical/Spiritual State: In early texts, kiñcana (something) is used as a metaphor for the three defilements: greed, hatred, and delusion. Therefore, Ākiñcañña (having absolutely nothing) is an epithet for the Arahat or Nibbāna itself. The true “man of nothing” is the one who has dropped all mental baggage and clings to nothing in the universe.
Textual References
- Sutta: Ariyapariyesanā Sutta (MN 26) – The Buddha’s early teacher, Āḷāra Kālāma, taught the Base of Nothingness. The Buddha mastered it, but rejected it as the ultimate goal because it led only to a long rebirth, not to final cessation.
- Abhidhamma: Vibhaṅga (Jhānavibhaṅga) – The technical breakdown of the mind states occurring during this formless absorption.
- Commentary: Visuddhimagga (Chapter X) – Precise meditation instructions on how to take the “absence” of the previous consciousness as an object.