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of all beings, just so, O great king, Nibbāna, when realized, allays the distress of all defilements for all beings. This, O great king, is the fourth quality of food that has entered Nibbāna. Furthermore, O great king, food removes the weakness of hunger for all beings, just so, O great king, Nibbāna, when realized, removes the weakness of all suffering and hunger for all beings. This, O great king, is the fifth quality of food that has entered Nibbāna. These, O great king, are the five qualities of food that have entered Nibbāna." "Venerable Nāgasena, 'ten qualities of space have entered Nibbāna' What you say, "Ten qualities of space have entered Nibbāna," what are these ten qualities of space that have entered Nibbāna? Just as, O great king, space is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, does not arise, is hard to overcome, cannot be stolen, is unattached, is traversed by birds, is unobstructed, is endless. Even so, O great king, Nibbāna is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, does not arise, is hard to overcome, cannot be stolen, is unattached, is traversed by noble ones, is unobstructed, is endless. These, O great king, are the ten qualities of space that have entered Nibbāna. Venerable Nāgasena, what you say, "Three qualities of a jewel have entered Nibbāna," what are these three qualities of a jewel that have entered Nibbāna? Just as, O great king, a jewel grants wishes, even so, O great king, Nibbāna grants wishes. This, O great king, is the first quality of a jewel that has entered Nibbāna. Furthermore, O great king, a jewel causes joy, even so, O great king, Nibbāna causes joy. This, O great king, is the second quality of a jewel that has entered Nibbāna. Furthermore, O great king, a jewel causes illumination, even so, O great king, Nibbāna causes illumination. This, O great king, is the third quality of a jewel that has entered Nibbāna. These, O great king, are the three qualities of a jewel that have entered Nibbāna. Venerable Nāgasena, what you say, "Three qualities of red sandalwood have entered Nibbāna," what are these three qualities of red sandalwood that have entered Nibbāna? Just as, O great king, red sandalwood is rare, even so, O great king, Nibbāna is rare. This, O great king, is the first quality of red sandalwood that has entered Nibbāna. Furthermore, O great king, red sandalwood has an incomparable fragrance, even so, O great king, Nibbāna has an incomparable fragrance. This, O great king, is the red This is the second quality Of red sandalwood That has entered Nibbāna. And again, O great king, Red sandalwood is praised by good people, Even so, O great king, Nibbāna is praised by noble good people. This, O great king, Is the third quality of red sandalwood That has entered Nibbāna. These, O great king, Are the three qualities of red sandalwood That have entered Nibbāna. “Venerable Nāgasena, When you say, ‘Three qualities of the cream of ghee Have entered Nibbāna,’ Which are these three qualities Of the cream of ghee That have entered Nibbāna?” “Just as, O great king, The cream of ghee is endowed with color, Even so, O great king, Nibbāna is endowed with the color of qualities. This, O great king, Is the first quality of the cream of ghee That has entered Nibbāna. And again, O great king, The cream of ghee is endowed with fragrance, Even so, O great king, Nibbāna is endowed with the fragrance of virtue. This, O great king, Is the second quality of the cream of ghee That has entered Nibbāna. And again, O great king, The cream of ghee is endowed with taste, Even so, O great king, Nibbāna is endowed with taste. This, O great king, Is the third quality of the cream of ghee That has entered Nibbāna. These, O great king, Are the three qualities of the cream of ghee That have entered Nibbāna.” “Venerable Nāgasena, When you say, ‘Five qualities of a mountain peak Have entered Nibbāna,’ Which are these five qualities Of a mountain peak That have entered Nibbāna?” “Just as, O great king, A mountain peak is exceedingly high, Even so, O great king, Nibbāna is exceedingly high. This, O great king, Is the first quality of a mountain peak That has entered Nibbāna. And again, O great king, A mountain peak is unmoving, Even so, O great king, Nibbāna is unmoving. This, O great king, Is the second quality of a mountain peak That has entered Nibbāna. And again, O great king, A mountain peak is difficult to ascend, Even so, O great king, Nibbāna is difficult for all defilements to ascend. This, O great king, The third quality of a mountain peak has entered into Nibbāna. And again, great king, a mountain peak is where no seeds grow, even so, great king, Nibbāna is where no defilements grow. This, great king, is the fourth quality of a mountain peak that has entered into Nibbāna. And again, great king, a mountain peak is free from attachment and aversion, even so, great king, Nibbāna is free from attachment and aversion. This, great king, is the fifth quality of a mountain peak that has entered into Nibbāna. These, great king, are the five qualities of a mountain peak that have entered into Nibbāna. "Good, Venerable Nāgasena, I accept it thus." The Tenth Question: On the Form and Nature of Nibbāna. 11. The Question on the Realization of Nibbāna "Venerable Nāgasena, you say that 'Nibbāna is not past, not future, not present, not arisen, not unarisen, not to be brought into being.' Here, Venerable Nāgasena, whoever practices rightly realizes Nibbāna; does he realize something already arisen, or does he realize it having brought it into being?" "Whoever, great king, practices rightly realizes Nibbāna, he does not realize something already arisen, nor does he realize it having brought it into being. But rather, great king, there is that Nibbāna-element, which he, practicing rightly, realizes." "Venerable Nāgasena, do not explain this question as concealed; explain it openly, clearly, with desire, with enthusiasm. Pour out all that you have learned right here. Here, this populace is confused, full of doubt, plunged into uncertainty. Break this inner dart of defilement!" "There is, great king, that Nibbāna-element, peaceful, blissful, sublime. That, one who practices rightly, by the instruction of the Conqueror, contemplating formations, realizes with wisdom. Just as, great king, a pupil, by the instruction of the teacher, realizes knowledge with wisdom, even so, great king, one who practices rightly, by the instruction of the Conqueror, realizes Nibbāna with wisdom." realizes. “How then is Nibbāna to be seen? It is to be seen as without suffering, without danger, without fear, safe, peaceful, happy, pleasant, excellent, pure, cool. “Just as, great king, a man being burned by a great pile of wood, by a blazing, burning fire, would, with effort, free himself from it, and enter a place without fire, and there experience supreme happiness; even so, great king, one who practices rightly, by wise attention, realizes Nibbāna, supreme happiness, where the three kinds of fire-torment are gone. Just as, great king, fire is to be seen as the three kinds of fire; just as the man in the fire is to be seen as one who practices rightly; just as the place without fire is to be seen as Nibbāna. “Or again, great king, just as a man, having entered a heap of putrid carcasses of snakes, dogs, humans, birds, and wild animals, with intestines entangled in the putrid mass, would, with effort, free himself from it, and enter a place without carcasses, and there experience supreme happiness; even so, great king, one who practices rightly, by wise attention, realizes Nibbāna, supreme happiness, where the defilement-carcasses are gone. Just as, great king, the carcass is to be seen as the five sense-pleasures; just as the man in the carcass is to be seen as one who practices rightly; just as the place without carcasses is to be seen as Nibbāna. “Or again, great king, just as a man, frightened, terrified, trembling, with a confused and bewildered mind, would, with effort, free himself from it, and enter a strong, firm, unmoving, fearless place, and there experience supreme happiness; even so, great king, one who practices rightly, by wise attention, realizes Nibbāna, supreme happiness, where fear and terror are gone. Just as, great king, fear is to be seen as the fear that arises again and again due to birth, old age, sickness, and death; just as the frightened man is to be seen as one who practices rightly; just as the fearless place is to be seen as Nibbāna. “Or again, great king, just as a man A man fallen into a place of dirty, defiled mud and mire, by effort, having removed that mud and mire, having gone to a pure, clean place, there he would obtain supreme happiness. Just so, O great king, he who practices rightly, by wise attention, having removed the defilement-mud and mire, realizes the supreme happiness of Nibbāna. Just as, O great king, the mire, so gain, honor, and fame should be seen; just as the man fallen into the mire, so the one practicing rightly should be seen; just as the pure, clean place, so Nibbāna should be seen. But how does one practicing rightly realize that Nibbāna? He who, O great king, practices rightly, he contemplates the arising of formations. Contemplating their arising, he sees birth there, he sees aging, he sees sickness, he sees death, he sees no happiness or pleasure there, neither at the beginning, nor in the middle, nor at the end. He sees nothing there worth clinging to. Just as, O great king, a man, in a day-heated, burning, hot, glowing iron ball, sees no part worth clinging to, neither at the beginning, nor in the middle, nor at the end, just so, O great king, he who contemplates the arising of formations, contemplating their arising, he sees birth there, he sees aging, he sees sickness, he sees death, he sees no happiness or pleasure there, neither at the beginning, nor in the middle, nor at the end.