Samyutta Nikaya - Bojjhanga Samyutta I

Samyutta Nikaya - Bojjhanga Samyutta I


SN 46.1
Himavanta Sutta
The Himalayas
(On the Factors for Awakening)
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro BhikkhuPTS: S v 63
CDB ii 1567



Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.



Copyright © 1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 1997
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
reprinted, and redistributed in any medium. It is the author's wish,
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"Monks, it is in dependence on the Himalayas, the king of mountains, that
serpents (nagas) grow in body and gain in strength. Having grown in body and
gained strength there, they descend to the small lakes. Having descended to the
small lakes, they descend to the large lakes... the small rivers... the large
rivers... to the great ocean. There they attain greatness & prosperity in terms
of the body.
"In the same way, it is in dependence on virtue, established on virtue, having
developed & pursued the seven factors of Awakening, that a monk attains to
greatness & prosperity in terms of mental qualities. And how is it that a monk —
in dependence on virtue, established on virtue, having developed & pursued the
seven factors for Awakening — attains to greatness & prosperity in terms of
mental qualities?
"There is the case where a monk develops mindfulness as a factor for Awakening
dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation,
resulting in relinquishment. He develops analysis of qualities as a factor for
Awakening...persistence as a factor for Awakening...rapture as a factor for
Awakening...serenity as a factor for Awakening...concentration as a factor for
Awakening...equanimity as a factor for Awakening dependent on seclusion,
dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment.
This is how a monk — in dependence on virtue, established on virtue, having
developed & pursued the seven factors for Awakening — attains to greatness &
prosperity in terms of mental qualities."


SN 46.6

§ 92. Once the Blessed One was staying at Sāketa, in the Añjana Forest Game Refuge. Then Kuṇḍaliya the wanderer came to where the Blessed One was staying and on arrival greeted him courteously and, after engaging in pleasant conversation, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, 'Master Gotama, I like to frequent gatherings in parks. It is my habit at midday, after my morning meal, to go from park to park, from garden to garden. There I encounter various contemplatives & brahmans discoursing on the rewards of defending their own tenets in debate, and the rewards of condemning those of others. Now in the experience of what reward does Master Gotama dwell?'

'The Tathāgata dwells experiencing the reward of the fruits of clear knowing & release.'

'But what are the qualities that, when developed & pursued, lead to the culmination of clear knowing & release?'

'The seven factors for Awakening...'

'And what are the qualities that... lead to the culmination of the seven factors for Awakening?'

'The four frames of reference...'

'And what are the qualities that... lead to the culmination of the four frames of reference?'

'The three courses of right conduct...'

'And what are the qualities that... lead to the culmination of the three courses of right conduct?'

'Restraint of the senses... And how does restraint of the senses, when developed & pursued, lead to the culmination of the three courses of right conduct? There is the case where a monk, on seeing a pleasant form with the eye, doesn't hanker after it, doesn't delight in it, doesn't give rise to passion for it. Unmoved in body & unmoved in mind, he is inwardly well composed & well released. On seeing an unpleasant form with the eye, he is not upset, his mind is not unsettled, his feelings are not wounded, his mind does not become resentful. Unmoved in body & unmoved in mind, he is inwardly well composed & well released.

On hearing a pleasant... unpleasant sound with the ear... On smelling a pleasant... unpleasant smell with the nose... On tasting a pleasant... unpleasant taste with the tongue... On feeling a pleasant... unpleasant tactile sensation with the body...

On cognizing a pleasant idea with the intellect, he doesn't hanker after it, doesn't delight in it, doesn't give rise to passion for it. Unmoved in body & unmoved in mind, he is inwardly well composed & well released. On cognizing an unpleasant idea with the intellect, he is not upset, his mind is not unsettled, his feelings are not wounded, his mind does not become resentful. Unmoved in body & unmoved in mind, he is inwardly well composed & well released. This, Kuṇḍaliya, is how restraint of the senses, when developed & pursued, leads to the culmination of the three courses of right conduct.

And how are the three courses of right conduct developed & pursued so as to lead to the culmination of the four frames of reference? There is the case where a monk abandons wrong conduct in terms of his deeds and develops right conduct in terms of his deeds; abandons wrong conduct in terms of his speech and develops right conduct in terms of his speech; abandons wrong conduct in terms of his thoughts and develops right conduct in terms of his thoughts. This, Kuṇḍaliya, is how the three courses of right conduct, when developed & pursued, lead to the culmination of the four frames of reference.

And how are the four frames of reference developed & pursued so that the seven factors for Awakening come to completion?

{[1] On whatever occasion the monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world, on that occasion his mindfulness is steady & without lapse. When his mindfulness is steady & without lapse, then mindfulness as a factor for Awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

[2] Remaining mindful in this way, he examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment. When he remains mindful in this way, examining, analyzing, & coming to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

[3] In one who examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, unflagging persistence is aroused. When unflagging persistence is aroused in one who examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then persistence as a factor for Awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

[4] In one whose persistence is aroused, a rapture not-of-the-flesh arises. When a rapture not-of-the-flesh arises in one whose persistence is aroused, then rapture as a factor for Awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

[5] For one who is enraptured, the body grows calm and the mind grows calm. When the body & mind of an enraptured monk grow calm, then serenity as a factor for Awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

[6] For one who is at ease — his body calmed — the mind becomes concentrated. When the mind of one who is at ease — his body calmed — becomes concentrated, then concentration as a factor for Awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

[7] He oversees the mind thus concentrated with equanimity. When he oversees the mind thus concentrated with equanimity, equanimity as a factor for Awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

[Similarly with the other three frames of reference: feelings, mind, & mental qualities.]}

This, Kuṇḍaliya, is how the four frames of reference, when developed & pursued, lead to the culmination of the seven factors for Awakening.

And how are the seven factors for Awakening developed & pursued so as to lead to the culmination of clear knowing & release? There is the case where a monk develops mindfulness as a factor for Awakening dependent on seclusion... dispassion... cessation, resulting in letting go. He develops analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening... persistence as a factor for Awakening... rapture as a factor for Awakening... serenity as a factor for Awakening... concentration as a factor for Awakening... equanimity as a factor for Awakening dependent on seclusion... dispassion... cessation, resulting in letting go. This, Kuṇḍaliya, is how the seven factors for Awakening, when developed & pursued, lead to the culmination of clear knowing & release.'

When this had been said, Kuṇḍaliya the wanderer said to the Blessed One: 'Magnificent, Master Gotama, magnificent! In many ways has Master Gotama made the Dhamma clear — just as if one were to place upright what has been overturned, to reveal what has been hidden, to point out the way to one who is lost, or to set out a lamp in the darkness so that those with eyes might see forms. I go to Master Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma, & to the Community of monks. May Master Gotama regard me as a lay follower gone for refuge from this day forth as long as life shall last.'


SN 46.14
Gilana Sutta
Ill

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying in Rajagaha in the
Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Sanctuary. And on that occasion Ven. Maha Kassapa
was staying in the Pepper Tree Cave, diseased, in pain, severely ill. Then the
Blessed One, in the late afternoon, left his seclusion and went to where Ven.
Maha Kassapa was staying. On arrival, he sat down on a prepared seat and said to
Ven. Maha Kassapa, "I hope you are getting better, Kassapa. I hope you are
comfortable. I hope that your pains are lessening and not increasing. I hope
that there are signs of their lessening, and not of their increasing."
"I am not getting better, lord. I am not comfortable. My extreme pains are
increasing, not lessening. There are signs of their increasing, and not of their
lessening."
"Kassapa, these seven factors for Awakening rightly taught by me, when developed
and pursued, lead to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to Unbinding. Which
seven?
"Mindfulness as a factor for Awakening rightly taught by me, when developed and
pursued, leads to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to Unbinding.
"Analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening, rightly taught by me, when
developed and pursued, leads to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to
Unbinding.
"Persistence as a factor for Awakening...
"Rapture as a factor for Awakening...
"Serenity as a factor for Awakening...
"Concentration as a factor for Awakening...
"Equanimity as a factor for Awakening rightly taught by me, when developed and
pursued, leads to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to Unbinding.
"Kassapa, these are the seven factors for Awakening rightly taught by me that —
when developed and pursued — lead to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to
Unbinding."
"They are indeed factors for Awakening, O Blessed One. They are indeed factors
for Awakening, O One Well-Gone."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, Ven. Maha Kassapa delighted in the
Blessed One's words. And Ven. Maha Kassapa recovered from his disease. That was
how Ven. Maha Kassapa's disease was abandoned.


SN 46.16
Gilana Sutta
Ill

Thus have I heard:
On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Rajagaha in the bamboo grove in
the squirrels' feeding ground. At that time, he was afflicted with a disease,
was suffering therefrom, and was gravely ill.
Then the Venerable Maha Cunda1 'arising from his solitude at eventide'2
approached the Blessed One, saluted him, and sat down beside him.
To the Venerable Maha Cunda thus seated, the Blessed One said:
"O Cunda, let the factors of enlightenment occur to your mind."
"These seven factors of enlightenment, bhante (Ven. Sir), are well expounded and
are cultivated and fully developed by the Blessed One. They conduce to perfect
understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana. What are the seven?
i. "Mindfulness, the factor of enlightenment, bhante, is well expounded by the
Blessed One, and is cultivated and fully developed by the Blessed One. It
conduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.
ii. "Investigation of the Dhamma, the factor of enlightenment, bhante, is well
expounded by the Blessed One and is cultivated and fully developed by the
Blessed One. It conduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and to
Nibbana.
iii. "Persevering effort, the factor of enlightenment, bhante, is well expounded
by the Blessed One and is cultivated and fully developed by the Blessed One. It
conduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.
iv. "Rapture, the factor of enlightenment, bhante, is well expounded by the
Blessed One and is cultivated and fully developed by the Blessed One. It
conduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.
v. "Calm, the factor of enlightenment, bhante, is well expounded by the Blessed
One and is cultivated and fully developed by the Blessed One. It conduces to
perfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.
vi. "Concentration, the factor of enlightenment, bhante, is well expounded by
the Blessed One and is cultivated and fully developed by the Blessed One. It
conduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.
vii. "Equanimity, the factor of enlightenment, bhante, is well expounded by the
Blessed One, and is cultivated and fully developed by the Blessed One. It
conduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.These
seven factors of enlightenment, bhante, are well expounded and cultivated and
fully developed by the Blessed One. They conduce to perfect understanding, to
full realization and to Nibbana."
"Most assuredly Cunda, they are factors of enlightenment. Most assuredly, Cunda,
they are factors of enlightenment."
Thus said the Venerable Maha Cunda, and the Master approved of it. Then the
Blessed One recovered from his affliction, and thus disappeared his affliction.



Notes
1. Younger brother of the Venerable Sariputta. [Is this an error? According to
Nyanaponika in Great Disciples of the Buddha (Somerville, Massachusetts: Wisdom
Publications, 1997), p. 33, Cunda's monastic name was Samanuddesa, to
distinguish him from the elder Ven. Mahacunda. — ATI ed.]
2. 'Sayanha samayam patisallana vutthito,' not found in the original Samyutta
text.