air, sky, atmosphere; space. On the concept see Cpd. 5, 16, 226. On a fanciful etym. of ākāsa (fr. ā + kassati of kṛṣ) at Dhs-a.325 see Dhs trsl. 178. DN.i.55 (˚ṃ indriyāni sankamanti the sense-faculties pass into space); DN.iii.224, DN.iii.253, DN.iii.262, DN.iii.265; SN.iii.207; SN.iv.218 SN.v.49, SN.v.264; Ja.i.253; Ja.ii.353; Ja.iii.52, Ja.iii.188; Ja.iv.154; Ja.vi.126; Snp.944, Snp.1065; Mnd.428; Pv.ii.1#18; Snp-a.110, Snp-a.152; Pv-a.93; Sdhp.42, Sdhp.464. -ākāsena gacchati to go through the air Pv-a.75 (āgacch˚), Pv-a.103, Pv-a.105, Pv-a.162; ˚ena carati id. Ja.ii.103; ˚e gacchati id. Pv-a.65 (cando)
■ Formula “ananto ākāso” freq.; e.g. at DN.i.183; AN.ii.184; AN.iv.40, AN.iv.410 sq.; AN.v.345.
-anta “the end of the sky”, the sky, the air (on ˚anta see anta1 4) Ja.vi.89. -ānañca (or ānañca) the infinity ef space, in cpd. ˚āyatana the sphere or plane of the infinity of space, the “space-infinity-plane”, the sphere of unbounded space. The consciousness of this sphere forms the first one of the 4 (or 6) higher attainments or recognitions of the mind, standing beyond the fourth jhāna viz. 1 ākās˚, 2 viññāṇ’ānañc-āyatana 3 ākiñcaññ˚ 4 n’eva saññānâsaññ˚, 5 nirodha, 6 phala
■ DN.i.34 DN.i.183; DN.ii.70, DN.ii.112, DN.ii.156; DN.iii.224, DN.iii.262 sq.; MN.i.41, MN.i.159; MN.iii.27, MN.iii.44; SN.v.119; Pts.i.36; Dhs.205, Dhs.501, Dhs.579, Dhs.1418 Ne.26, Ne.39; Vism.326, Vism.340, Vism.453; DN-a.i.120 (see Nd ii.under ākāsa; Dhs.265 sq.; Dhs trsl. 71). As classed with jhāna see also Cnd.672 (sādhu-vihārin). -kasiṇa one of the kasiṇ’āyatanas (see under kasiṇa) DN.iii.268; AN.i.41. -gaṅgā Name of the celestial river Ja.i.95; Ja.iii.344. -gamana going through the air (as a trick