Grammatical Analysis
Ākiñcaññāyatana: [nt.] the base of nothingness; the sphere of voidness. Formed by akiñcana (having nothing, nothingness) + āyatana (base).
Orthodox Definition
Ākiñcaññāyatana is the third of the four immaterial absorptions (arūpajhāna). This is the specific attainment that the Buddha’s first teacher, Āḷāra Kālāma, had mastered and mistook for ultimate liberation.
To achieve it, the meditator emerges from the second formless state (Infinite Consciousness) and reflects that the presence of any consciousness as an object is a disturbance. They withdraw attention from the consciousness itself and instead lock onto its complete absence, focusing on the sheer non-existence of the previous state. The mind absorbs into this void, repeating “there is nothing, there is nothing” (natthi kiñci).
This state is profoundly peaceful, as it takes “nothingness” as its concept. Rebirth here results in a lifespan of 60,000 aeons.
Textual References
- Sutta: Ariyapariyesanā Sutta (MN 26) – The Buddha detailing his study under Āḷāra Kālāma, quickly mastering this sphere of nothingness, and leaving because it did not lead to Nibbāna.
- Abhidhamma: Vibhaṅga (Defining the boundaries of nothingness).
- Commentary: Visuddhimagga (Chapter X) – Providing the simile of a man looking at an empty gathering hall; he focuses not on the people who left, but purely on their absence.