Definition:
The Eight Liberations are taken from the Maha-parinibbana Sutta, which is a sutta (sutra) from the Tripitaka. They describe eight stages of meditation to liberate one from all clinging. The Eight Liberations are:
- Having form, one perceives form.
- Being unaware of one's own form, one perceives external forms.
- Perceiving beauty, one does not attach to it.
- Transcending perceptions of matter, one abides in infinite space.
- Transcending infinite space, one abides in infinite consciousness.
- Transcending infinite consciousness, one abides in nothingness.
- Transcending nothingness, one abides in neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
- Transcending neither-perception-nor-non-perception, one abides in the cessation of perception and sensation.
