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SN 35.154PTS SN 4.1401 min read

Endowed With Faculties

Indriyasampannasutta

One is accomplished in the sense faculties by being freed from attachment to them.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.154Linked Discourses 35.154
  • 0.215. Navapurāṇavagga15. The Old and the New

0.3IndriyasampannasuttaEndowed With Faculties

1.1Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha … and asked him,1.2“‘indriyasampanno, indriyasampanno’ti, bhante, vuccati.“Sir, they speak of someone who is ‘accomplished in the faculties’.11.3Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, indriyasampanno hotī”ti?How is someone accomplished in the faculties defined?”

2.1“Cakkhundriye ce, bhikkhu, udayabbayānupassī viharanto cakkhundriye nibbindati …pe…“Mendicant, if someone meditates observing rise and fall in the eye faculty, they grow disillusioned with the eye faculty.

2.2jivhindriye ce, bhikkhu, udayabbayānupassī viharanto jivhindriye nibbindati …pe…If they meditate observing rise and fall in the ear faculty … nose faculty … tongue faculty … body faculty …2.3manindriye ce, bhikkhu, udayabbayānupassī viharanto manindriye nibbindati.mind faculty, they grow disillusioned with the mind faculty.

2.4Nibbindaṁ virajjati …pe… vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.Being disillusioned, desire fades away. … When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

2.5‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’

2.6Ettāvatā kho, bhikkhu, indriyasampanno hotī”ti.This is how someone who is accomplished in the faculties is defined.”

2.7Navamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. In SN 48.19, “accomplished in the faculties” is defined as someone who has mastered the five spiritual faculties.

    ↩ sn35.154:1.2