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viññāṇañcāyatanato

viññāṇañcāyatana

nt abl sg of viññāṇañcāyatana (noun)

1. dimension of infinite consciousness

Built from

• vi — prefix · apart, asunder
  The spatial sense of separation becomes discriminative consciousness; related to Latin dis-, Greek dia-.
• ñā — root · know, recognize
  Refers to the discriminating knowledge that fragments experience into parts.
• ṇa — ending · agent noun
  Forms the noun viññāṇa, 'that which knows'.
• ñcāyatana — stem · abode, realm
  Contraction of ñ + cāyatana in sandhi. Yatana from √tan 'stretch, dwell', so literally 'dwelling-place' or 'sphere'.

Analysis. viññāṇa (consciousness) + ñcāyatana (abode, realm); the four immaterial āyatanas or spheres of meditative attainment, this being the fourth and highest, where consciousness itself becomes the object of meditation.

Etymology. viññāṇa: vi (apart, asunder) + √ñā (know), so 'consciousness' as discriminating knowledge that sorts experience into distinct parts; ñcāyatana is sandhi for yatana, from √tan (stretch, extend, dwell), literally 'stretched-out place' or 'sphere of dwelling'; cognate with Latin tendere (stretch), English tend. The four āyatanas are states reached in deep meditation where the gross body falls away and only mind remains.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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