Grammatical Analysis
Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana: [nt.] the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Formed by neva (neither) + saññā (perception) + na (nor) + asaññā (non-perception) + āyatana (base).
Orthodox Definition
Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana is the fourth immaterial absorption (arūpajhāna) and the absolute limit of worldly, conditioned mental development. It was the highest attainment of the Buddha’s second teacher, Uddaka Rāmaputta.
In this state, the mind takes the previous state (the Base of Nothingness) as its object. The mental factors here are so incredibly subtle and refined that perception (saññā) can barely be said to exist, yet it is not completely extinct either.
The Visuddhimagga compares it to a bowl smeared with oil; there is enough oil to make the bowl shiny, but not enough to pour out. Because the mind is operating at the absolute minimum threshold of conscious activity, it is a state of near-total suspension. Rebirth in this plane carries a lifespan of 84,000 aeons—the longest possible duration in saṃsāra.
Textual References
- Sutta: Ariyapariyesanā Sutta (MN 26) – The Buddha’s mastery of this ultimate worldly state, and his subsequent rejection of it to seek the unconditioned.
- Abhidhamma: Vibhaṅga (The peak of the Arūpāvacara realms).
- Commentary: Visuddhimagga (Chapter X) – Detailed analysis proving that feeling, volition, and consciousness are also in a state of “neither-nor” here, not just perception.