SN 45.8PTS SN 5.82 min read

Analysis

Vibhaṅgasutta

The Buddha presents the eightfold path together with a detailed analysis of each factor. It should be assumed that these explanations apply wherever the eightfold path is taught.

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

0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.8Linked Discourses 45.8
0.21. Avijjāvagga1. Ignorance

0.3VibhaṅgasuttaAnalysis

1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Ariyaṁ vo, bhikkhave, aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ desessāmi vibhajissāmi.“Mendicants, I will teach and analyze for you the noble eightfold path.¹1.3Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

1.4“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.“Yes, sir,” they replied.1.5Bhagavā etadavoca:The Buddha said this:

2.1“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo?“And what is the noble eightfold path?2.2Seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.It is right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

3.1PTS 5.9Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi?And what is right view?²3.2Yaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe ñāṇaṁ, dukkhasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, dukkhanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ—Knowing about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.³3.3ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi.This is called right view.

4.1Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo?And what is right purpose?⁴4.2Yo kho, bhikkhave, nekkhammasaṅkappo, abyāpādasaṅkappo, avihiṁsāsaṅkappo—The purpose of renunciation, good will, and harmlessness.⁵4.3ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo.This is called right purpose.

5.1Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāvācā?And what is right speech?⁶5.2Yā kho, bhikkhave, musāvādā veramaṇī, pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇī, pharusāya vācāya veramaṇī, samphappalāpā veramaṇī—Refraining from speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical.5.3ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāvācā.This is called right speech.

6.1Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammākammanto?And what is right action?6.2Yā kho, bhikkhave, pāṇātipātā veramaṇī, adinnādānā veramaṇī, abrahmacariyā veramaṇī—Refraining from killing living creatures, stealing, and unchastity.⁷6.3ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammākammanto.This is called right action.

7.1Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo?And what is right livelihood?7.2Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako micchāājīvaṁ pahāya sammāājīvena jīvitaṁ kappeti—It’s when a noble disciple gives up wrong livelihood and earns a living by right livelihood.⁸7.3ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāājīvo.This is called right livelihood.

8.1Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāvāyāmo?And what is right effort?⁹8.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati,It’s when a mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise.8.3uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti …pe…They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up.8.4anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti …pe…They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise.8.5uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati—They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are fully developed.¹⁰8.6ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāvāyāmo.This is called right effort.

9.1PTS 5.10Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāsati?And what is right mindfulness?¹¹9.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.9.3vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;They meditate observing an aspect of feelings—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.9.4citte cittānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;They meditate observing an aspect of the mind—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.9.5dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ—They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.9.6ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsati.This is called right mindfulness.

10.1Katamo ca, bhikkhave, sammāsamādhi?And what is right immersion?¹²10.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.It’s when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected.¹³10.3Vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected.¹⁴10.4Pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno, sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti, yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.And with the fading away of rapture, they enter and remain in the third absorption, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, experiencing for themselves the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’¹⁵10.5Sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati—With the giving up of pleasure and pain and the disappearance of former happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.¹⁶10.6ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāsamādhī”ti.This is called right immersion.”

10.7Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

See note on SN 12.2:1.2 for a discussion of “analysis” discourses.
The same definitions are found at DN 22:21.1 and MN 141:24.1.
↩ sn45.8:1.2
“View” (diṭṭhi, Sanskrit dṛṣṭi) is “seeing” and hence a term for “understanding” (Aitareya Upaniṣad 3.2). In Buddhism, it means a particular way of seeing or perspective, a theory or view through which one makes sense of the world. By itself it is neutral, although “views” in plural sometimes stands for the thicket of wrong views.
↩ sn45.8:3.1
The fourth noble truth is the path, while the first path factor is the noble truths. These two teachings are different perspectives on the same dhamma.
Ignorance is described in the opposite way (MN 9:64.1–66.7, SN 12.2:14.2).
↩ sn45.8:3.2
Saṅkappa is normally a synonym of vitakka in the suttas, hence it may be rendered “thought” (SN 14.8:3.3, MN 60:24.2). It is, however, not just verbalized thought, but the direction in which one applies the mind, hence “intention” (MN 41:14.3), “resolve”, or “purpose”. It has a directionality to it: in Rig Veda 10.164.5 it is the “evil intent” wished upon those who we hate, whereas in Atharva Veda 3.25.2 it is a quality of the arrow of love. For this reason, I usually render it as “purpose”. This factor is the emotional counterpart of right view, ensuring that the path is motivated by love and compassion.
↩ sn45.8:4.1
Abyāpāda is “non-ill-will” or simply “good will”.
↩ sn45.8:4.2
The factors of speech and action are defined in detail under the gradual training at MN 27:13.4, and under the ten pathways of skillful deeds at MN 41:12.4.
↩ sn45.8:5.1
The first three of the five precepts.
We would expect “sexual misconduct”, which is the betrayal of trust or otherwise causing harm in a sexual relationship (MN 141:27.2). However, the text has abrahmacariyā (“unchastity”), which normally applies to renunciates only (MN 96:13.1, AN 3.121:1.5). Bodhi (Connected Discourses) emends under the assumption that the SN reading is probably a scribal error introduced after the time of the commentary, which is silent. The parallel at SA 784 has 婬 (“fornication”) which literally supports abrahmacariyā, but apparently can be used for both versions. “Sexual misconduct” and “unchastity” both work here; it is just a matter of the audience. Since there is no strong reason to emend, I translate according to the text.
↩ sn45.8:6.2
Wrong livelihood is defined at MN 117:29.2 and AN 5.177:1.3, and in detail for renunciates at DN 2:56.1.
↩ sn45.8:7.2
Expanded to a full saṁyutta at SN 49.
↩ sn45.8:8.1
The phrase bhāvanāya pāripūriyā could be literally rendered as either “for the development and fulfillment” or “for the fulfillment by development”. The commentary explains as the latter (pāripūriyāti bhāvanāya paripūraṇatthaṁ). I opt for the more idiomatic rendering, “fully developed”.
↩ sn45.8:8.5
Detailed especially in SN 47 and MN 10.
↩ sn45.8:9.1
“Immersion” (samādhi) is treated in SN 53 and throughout the Suttas, eg. SN 12.23:2.15, MN 44:12.2 and notes. The primary sense is the mind “collected” or “immersed” inside itself, with a secondary connotation of radiant illumination.
Before the Buddha, we find samādhi and related terms in the sense of gathering kindling for the fire. The past participle samāhita occurs in the sense “collected, contained”, as the essence of waters are “contained” in the Sun (Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 5.1.2.7). Certain Upaniṣadic usages presage the Buddhist sense, though expressed in a mystical form designed to be as obscure as possible. A realized sage, being “collected”, sees only the self in the self and is free from evil, having become one with Divinity (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.24). For such a one, the whole world is “contained” in the space within the heart—earth and sky, fire and wind, sun and moon, all beings and all desires (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.1.3–5). The hidden Self, finer than the finest, larger than the largest, may only be discerned by one who is peaceful and “collected” (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.24).
↩ sn45.8:10.1
Jhāna is a state of “elevated consciousness” (adhicitta), so all the terms have an elevated sense.
The plural form indicates that “sensual pleasures” includes sense experience, which the meditator can turn away from since they no longer have any desire for it.
The “unskillful qualities” are the five hindrances.
The “rapture and bliss born of seclusion” is the happiness of abandoning the hindrances and freedom from sense impingement.
“Placing the mind and keeping it connected” (vitakka, vicāra) uses terms that mean “thought” in coarse consciousness, but which in “elevated consciousness” refer to the subtle function of applying the mind to the meditation.
↩ sn45.8:10.2
Each jhāna begins as the least refined aspect of the previous jhāna ends. This is not consciously directed, but describes the natural process of settling. The meditator is now fully confident and no longer needs to apply their mind: it is simply still and fully unified.
↩ sn45.8:10.3
The emotional response to bliss matures from the subtle thrill of rapture to the poise of equanimity. Mindfulness is present in all states of deep meditation, but with equanimity it becomes prominent.
↩ sn45.8:10.4
The emotional poise of equanimity leads to the feeling of pleasure settling into the more subtle neutral feeling. Pain and sadness have been abandoned long before, but are emphasized here as they are subtle counterpart of pleasure.
↩ sn45.8:10.5