SN48:9 Analysis (1)
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1"Bhikkhus, there are these five faculties. What five? The faculty of faith … the faculty of wisdom.
"And what, bhikkhus, is the faculty of faith? Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple is a person of faith, one who places faith in the enlightenment of the Tathāgata thus: sn.v.197 ‘The Blessed One is an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’
2"And what, bhikkhus, is the faculty of energy? Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple dwells with energy aroused for the abandoning of unwholesome states and the acquisition of wholesome states; he is strong, firm in exertion, not shirking the responsibility of cultivating wholesome states. This is called the faculty of energy.
3"And what, bhikkhus, is the faculty of mindfulness? Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple is mindful, possessing supreme mindfulness and discretion, one who remembers and recollects what was done and said long ago. This is called the faculty of mindfulness. [n.193] Here the satindriya is explained with sati meaning memory rather than mindful awareness; see n. 63. Spk: Discretion (nepakkha) is a term for wisdom. But why is wisdom mentioned in the explanation of mindfulness? To show the strength of mindfulness; for here strong mindfulness is intended, and that is strong only when associated with wisdom, not when dissociated from it. Thus that is said to show mindfulness associated with wisdom.
4"And what, bhikkhus, is the faculty of concentration? Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple gains concentration, gains one-pointedness of mind, having made release the object.
[n.194] Vossaggārammaṇaṁ karitvā. It is not clear whether the absolutive should be taken in apposition to the noble disciple or the concentration, but I understand it in the latter sense. Spk glosses: "having made Nibbāna the object."
At AN1.348-377 it is said that few beings gain the concentration that makes release its object, compared to the greater number who do not gain it. Not much else is said in the Nikāyas about vossaggārammaṇa samādhi, but the expression occurs in Paṭis, and this text and its commentary shed light on how the Pali exegetical tradition interprets it. Paṭis II 96–97 uses the expression in explicating the phrase, "(one) develops serenity preceded by insight" (vipassanāpubbaṅgamaṁ samathaṁ bhāveti): "Insight has the sense of contemplation as impermanent, as suffering, as nonself. Concentration is nondistraction, one-pointedness of mind having as object release of the phenomena produced therein (tattha jātānaṃ dhammānañ ca vossaggārammaṇatā cittassa ekaggatā avikkhepo samādhi). Thus first comes insight, afterwards serenity."
On this Paṭis-a III 586–87 comments: "The phenomena produced therein: the phenomena of mind and mental factors produced by that insight. Having as object release: here release is Nibbāna, for Nibbāna is called release because it is the releasing of the conditioned, its relinquishment. Insight and the phenomena associated with it have Nibbāna as object, Nibbāna as support, because they are established on Nibbāna as their support in the sense of slanting towards it by way of inclination. … Concentration is nondistraction distinguished into access and absorption (upacārappanābhedo avikkhepo), consisting in the one-pointedness of mind aroused by being established on Nibbāna, with that as cause by taking as object release of the phenomena produced therein. Concentration partaking of penetration (nibbedhabhāgiyo samādhi), aroused subsequent to insight, is described."
This is called the faculty of concentration.
5"And what, bhikkhus, is the faculty of wisdom? Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple is wise; he possesses wisdom directed to arising and passing away, which is noble and penetrative, leading to the complete destruction of suffering. [n.195] Spk resolves udayatthagāmiyā as udayañ ca atthañ ca gacchantiyā and glosses it with udayabbayapariggahikaya ("discerning rise and fall"). This is clearly identical with the wisdom that observes the origination (samudaya) and passing away (atthagama) of the five aggregates, as described in the stock formula at SN12.21, 22:5, etc. This is called the faculty of wisdom.
"These, bhikkhus, are the five faculties." [n.196] Spk: In this sutta the faculties of faith, mindfulness, and wisdom are preliminary (pubbabhāga, i.e., forerunners of the supramundane path); the faculty of energy is mixed (preliminary and supramundane); the faculty of concentration is exclusively supramundane.
1"Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni pañca? Saddhindriyaṁ … pe … paññindriyaṁ.
Katamañca, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako saddho hoti, saddahati tathāgatassa bodhiṁ: ‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti – idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, saddhindriyaṁ.
2Katamañca, bhikkhave, vīriyindriyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako āraddhavīriyo vihārati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu – idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, vīriyindriyaṁ.
3Katamañca, bhikkhave, satindriyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako satimā hoti paramena satinepakkena samannāgato cirakatampi cirabhāsitampi saritā anussaritā – idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, satindriyaṁ.
4Katamañca, bhikkhave, samādhindriyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako vossaggārammaṇaṁ karitvā labhati samādhiṁ, labhati cittassa ekaggataṁ – idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samādhindriyaṁ.
5Katamañca, bhikkhave, paññindriyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako paññavā hoti udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya, sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā – idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, paññindriyaṁ.
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyānī"ti.
Navamaṁ.
