Samyutta Nikaya - Indriya Samyutta

Samyutta Nikaya - Indriya Samyutta

SN 48.10
Indriya-vibhanga Sutta
Analysis of the Mental Faculties
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro BhikkhuPTS: S v 197
CDB ii 1671



Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.



Copyright © 1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
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"Monks, there are these five faculties. Which five? The faculty of conviction,
the faculty of persistence, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of
concentration, the faculty of discernment.
"Now what is the faculty of conviction? There is the case where a monk, a
disciple of the noble ones, has conviction, is convinced of the Tathagata's
Awakening: 'Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened,
consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the
world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of
divine & human beings, awakened, blessed.' This is called the faculty of
conviction.
"And what is the faculty of persistence? There is the case where a monk, a
disciple of the noble ones, keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning
unskillful mental qualities and taking on skillful mental qualities. He is
steadfast, solid in his effort, not shirking his duties with regard to skillful
mental qualities. He generates desire, endeavors, arouses persistence, upholds &
exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities
that have not yet arisen... for the sake of the abandoning of evil, unskillful
qualities that have arisen... for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities
that have not yet arisen... [and] for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase,
plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen.
This is called the faculty of persistence.
"And what is the faculty of mindfulness? There is the case where a monk, a
disciple of the noble ones, is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to
call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. He remains focused on
the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed &
distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings in & of
themselves... the mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves —
ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the
world. This is called the faculty of mindfulness.
"And what is the faculty of concentration? There is the case where a monk, a
disciple of the noble ones, making it his object to let go, attains
concentration, attains singleness of mind. Quite withdrawn from sensuality,
withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities, he enters & remains in the first
jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought
& evaluation. With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters &
remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification
of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance. With
the fading of rapture, he remains in equanimity, is mindful & alert, and senses
pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the
Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasurable abiding.' With
the abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation
& distress — he enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity &
mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This is called the faculty of
concentration.
"And what is the faculty of discernment? There is the case where a monk, a
disciple of the noble ones, is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising &
passing away — noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress. He
discerns, as it has come to be: 'This is stress... This is the origination of
stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the path of practice
leading to the cessation of stress.' This is called the faculty of discernment.
"These are the five faculties."



See also: AN 8.30.


SN 48.38
Vibhanga Sutta
An Analysis
(of the Feeling Faculties)

"Monks, there are these five faculties. Which five? The pleasure-faculty, the
pain-faculty, the happiness-faculty, the distress-faculty, the
equanimity-faculty.
"And what is the pleasure-faculty? Any physical pleasure, physical comfort born
of body-contact to be experienced as pleasure & comfort. That is called the
pleasure-faculty.
"And what is the pain-faculty? Any physical pain, physical discomfort born of
body-contact to be experienced as pain & discomfort. That is called the
pain-faculty.
"And what is the happiness-faculty? Any mental pleasure, mental comfort born of
intellect-contact to be experienced as pleasure & comfort. That is called the
happiness-faculty.
"And what is the distress-faculty? Any mental pain, mental discomfort born of
intellect-contact to be experienced as pain & discomfort. That is called the
distress-faculty.
"And what is the equanimity-faculty? Anything, physical or mental, to be
experienced as neither comfort nor discomfort. That is called the
equanimity-faculty.
"With regard to this, the pleasure-faculty & happiness-faculty are to be seen as
a feeling of pleasure. The pain-faculty & distress-faculty are to be seen as a
feeling of pain. The equanimity-faculty is to be seen as a feeling of neither
pleasure nor pain. Thus, by this exposition, the five are three; and the three,
five."


SN 48.39
Katthopama Sutta
The Fire-stick

"Monks, there are these five faculties. Which five? The pleasure-faculty, the
pain-faculty, the happiness-faculty, the distress-faculty, the
equanimity-faculty.
"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as pleasure, the pleasure-faculty
arises. Being eased, one discerns, 'I am eased.' With the cessation of that very
contact to be experienced as pleasure, one discerns, 'What was experienced as
coming from that — the pleasure-faculty arising in dependence on a contact to be
experienced as pleasure — ceases & grows still.'
"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as pain, the pain-faculty arises.
Being pained, one discerns, 'I am pained.' With the cessation of that very
contact to be experienced as pain, one discerns, 'What was experienced as coming
from that — the pain-faculty arising in dependence on a contact to be
experienced as pain — ceases & grows still.'
"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as happiness, the
happiness-faculty arises. Being happy, one discerns, 'I am happy.' With the
cessation of that very contact to be experienced as happiness, one discerns,
'What was experienced as coming from that — the happiness-faculty arising in
dependence on a contact to be experienced as happiness — ceases & grows still.'
"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as distress, the distress-faculty
arises. Being distressed, one discerns, 'I am distressed.' With the cessation of
that very contact to be experienced as distress, one discerns, 'What was
experienced as coming from that — the distress-faculty arising in dependence on
a contact to be experienced as distress — ceases & grows still.'
"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as equanimity, the
equanimity-faculty arises. Being equanimous, one discerns, 'I am equanimous.'
With the cessation of that very contact to be experienced as equanimity, one
discerns, 'What was experienced as coming from that — the equanimity-faculty
arising in dependence on a contact to be experienced as equanimity — ceases &
grows still.'
"Just as when, from the conjunction & combining of two fire sticks, heat is
generated & fire produced, while from the separation & laying down of those fire
sticks the heat coming from them ceases & grows still; in the same way, in
dependence on a contact to be experienced as pleasure, the pleasure-faculty
arises...
"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as pain, the pain-faculty
arises...
"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as happiness, the
happiness-faculty arises...
"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as distress, the distress-faculty
arises...
"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as equanimity, the
equanimity-faculty arises. Being equanimous, one discerns, 'I am equanimous.'
With the cessation of that very contact to be experienced as equanimity, one
discerns, 'What was experienced as coming from that — the equanimity-faculty
arising in dependence on a contact to be experienced as equanimity — ceases &
grows still.'"


SN 48.41
Jara Sutta
Old Age

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in
the Eastern Monastery, the palace of Migara's mother. Now on that occasion the
Blessed One, on emerging from seclusion in the late afternoon, sat warming his
back in the western sun. Then Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One and, on
arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, massaged the Blessed One's limbs
with his hand and said, "It's amazing, lord. It's astounding, how the Blessed
One's complexion is no longer so clear & bright; his limbs are flabby &
wrinkled; his back, bent forward; there's a discernible change in his faculties
— the faculty of the eye, the faculty of the ear, the faculty of the nose, the
faculty of the tongue, the faculty of the body."
"That's the way it is, Ananda. When young, one is subject to aging; when
healthy, subject to illness; when alive, subject to death. The complexion is no
longer so clear & bright; the limbs are flabby & wrinkled; the back, bent
forward; there's a discernible change in the faculties — the faculty of the eye,
the faculty of the ear, the faculty of the nose, the faculty of the tongue, the
faculty of the body."
That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-gone, the
Teacher, said further:
I spit on you, old age —
old age that makes for ugliness.
The bodily image, so charming,
is trampled by old age.
Even those who live to a hundred
are headed — all — to an end in death,
which spares no one,
which tramples all.



See also: DN 16; SN 3.25; Thig 5.8.


SN 48.44
Pubbakotthaka Sutta
Eastern Gatehouse

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying in Savatthi, at
the Eastern Gatehouse. There he addressed Ven. Sariputta: "Sariputta, do you
take it on conviction that the faculty of conviction, when developed & pursued,
gains a footing in the Deathless, has the Deathless as its goal & consummation?
Do you take it on conviction that the faculty of persistence... mindfulness...
concentration... discernment, when developed & pursued, gains a footing in the
Deathless, has the Deathless as its goal & consummation?"
"Lord, it's not that I take it on conviction in the Blessed One that the faculty
of conviction... persistence... mindfulness... concentration... discernment,
when developed & pursued, gains a footing in the Deathless, has the Deathless as
its goal & consummation. Those who have not known, seen, penetrated, realized,
or attained it by means of discernment would have to take it on conviction in
others that the faculty of conviction... persistence... mindfulness...
concentration... discernment, when developed & pursued, gains a footing in the
Deathless, has the Deathless as its goal & consummation; whereas those who have
known, seen, penetrated, realized, & attained it by means of discernment would
have no doubt or uncertainty that the faculty of conviction... persistence...
mindfulness... concentration... discernment, when developed & pursued, gains a
footing in the Deathless, has the Deathless as its goal & consummation. And as
for me, I have known, seen, penetrated, realized, & attained it by means of
discernment. I have no doubt or uncertainty that the faculty of conviction...
persistence... mindfulness... concentration... discernment, when developed &
pursued, gains a footing in the Deathless, has the Deathless as its goal &
consummation."
"Excellent, Sariputta. Excellent. Those who have not known, seen, penetrated,
realized, or attained it by means of discernment would have to take it on
conviction in others that the faculty of conviction... persistence...
mindfulness... concentration... discernment, when developed & pursued, gains a
footing in the Deathless, has the Deathless as its goal & consummation; whereas
those who have known, seen, penetrated, realized, & attained it by means of
discernment would have no doubt or uncertainty that the faculty of conviction...
persistence... mindfulness... concentration... discernment, when developed &
pursued, gains a footing in the Deathless, has the Deathless as its goal &
consummation."


SN 48.53
Sekha Sutta
The Learner

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying in Kosambi, at
Ghosita's Park. There he addressed the monks, "Monks, is there a manner of
reckoning whereby a monk who is a learner, standing at the level of a learner,
can discern that 'I am a learner,' and whereby a monk who is an adept,1 standing
at the level of an adept, can discern that 'I am an adept'?"
"For us, lord, the teachings have the Blessed One as their root, their guide, &
their arbitrator. It would be good if the Blessed One himself would explicate
the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the monks
will remember it."
"In that case, monks, listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, "There is a manner of reckoning whereby a monk who is a
learner, standing at the level of a learner, can discern that 'I am a learner,'
and whereby a monk who is an adept, standing at the level of an adept, can
discern that 'I am an adept.'
"And what is the manner of reckoning whereby a monk who is a learner, standing
at the level of a learner, can discern that 'I am a learner'? There is the case
where a monk is a learner. He discerns, as it actually is, that 'This is
stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of
stress... This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.' This
is a manner of reckoning whereby a monk who is a learner, standing at the level
of a learner, can discern that 'I am a learner.'
"Furthermore, the monk who is a learner reflects, 'Is there outside of this
[doctrine & discipline] any priest or contemplative who teaches the true,
genuine, & accurate Dhamma like the Blessed One?' And he discerns, 'No, there is
no priest or contemplative outside of this doctrine & discipline who teaches the
true, genuine, & accurate Dhamma like the Blessed One.' This too is a manner of
reckoning whereby a monk who is a learner, standing at the level of a learner,
can discern that 'I am a learner.'
"Furthermore, the monk who is a learner discerns the five faculties: the faculty
of conviction... persistence... mindfulness... concentration... discernment. He
sees clear through with discernment their destiny, excellence, rewards, &
consummation, but he does not touch them with his body. This too is a manner of
reckoning whereby a monk who is a learner, standing at the level of a learner,
can discern that 'I am a learner.'
"And what is the manner of reckoning whereby a monk who is an adept, standing at
the level of an adept, can discern that 'I am an adept'? There is the case where
a monk who is an adept discerns the five faculties: the faculty of conviction...
persistence... mindfulness... concentration... discernment. He touches with his
body and sees clear through with discernment what their destiny, excellence,
rewards, & consummation are. This is a manner of reckoning whereby a monk who is
an adept, standing at the level of an adept, can discern that 'I am an adept.'
"Furthermore, the monk who is an adept discerns the six sense faculties: the
faculty of the eye... ear... nose... tongue... body... intellect. He discerns,
'These six sense faculties will disband entirely, everywhere, & in every way
without remainder, and no other set of six sense faculties will arise anywhere
or in any way.' This too is a manner of reckoning whereby a monk who is an
adept, standing at the level of an adept, can discern that 'I am an adept.'"



Note
1. I.e., an arahant.


SN 48.56
Patitthita Sutta
Established

"Monks, when one quality is established in a monk, the five faculties are
developed & developed well. Which one quality? Heedfulness.
"And what is heedfulness? There is the case where a monk guards his mind with
regard to [mental] fermentations and mental qualities accompanied by
fermentations. When his mind is guarded with regard to fermentations and mental
qualities accompanied by fermentations, the faculty of conviction goes to the
culmination of its development. The faculty of persistence... mindfulness...
concentration... discernment goes to the culmination of its development.
"This is how when one quality is established in a monk, the five faculties are
developed & developed well."



See also: SN 3.17; SN 6.15; SN 35.97; SN 55.40.