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SN 47.18PTS SN 5.1672 min read

Divinity

Brahmasutta

Just after the Buddha’s awakening, Brahmā Sahampati supports the Buddha’s reflection that the four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the way to convergence.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 47.18Linked Discourses 47.18
  • 0.22. Nālandavagga2. At Nāḷandā

0.3BrahmasuttaDivinity

1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhe paṭhamābhisambuddho.At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River.1

1.2Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:Then as he was in private retreat this thought came to his mind,1.3“ekāyanvāyaṁ maggo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ—cattāro satipaṭṭhānā.“The four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.2

2.1Katame cattāro?What four?2.2Kāye vā bhikkhu kāyānupassī vihareyya ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;A mendicant would meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.32.3vedanāsu vā bhikkhu …pe…Or they’d meditate observing an aspect of feelings …2.4citte vā bhikkhu …pe…or mind …2.5dhammesu vā bhikkhu dhammānupassī vihareyya ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.or principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.2.6Ekāyanvāyaṁ maggo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ—cattāro satipaṭṭhānā”ti.The four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.”

3.1PTS 5.168Atha kho brahmā sahampati bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva kho brahmaloke antarahito bhagavato purato pāturahosi.Then the divinity Sahampati knew the Buddha’s train of thought. As easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared in front of the Buddha.43.2Atha kho brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:He arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and said:

3.3“evametaṁ, bhagavā, evametaṁ, sugata.“That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One!3.4Ekāyanvāyaṁ, bhante, maggo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ—cattāro satipaṭṭhānā.Sir, the four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.

4.1Katame cattāro?What four?4.2Kāye vā, bhante, bhikkhu kāyānupassī vihareyya ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;A mendicant would meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.4.3vedanāsu vā, bhante, bhikkhu …pe…Or they’d meditate observing an aspect of feelings …4.4citte vā, bhante, bhikkhu …pe…or mind …4.5dhammesu vā, bhante, bhikkhu dhammānupassī vihareyya ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.or principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.4.6Ekāyanvāyaṁ, bhante, maggo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ—cattāro satipaṭṭhānā”ti.The four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.”

5.1Idamavoca brahmā sahampati.That is what the divinity Sahampati said.5.2Idaṁ vatvā athāparaṁ etadavoca:Then he went on to say:

6.1“Ekāyanaṁ jātikhayantadassī,“The compassionate one, <j>who sees the ending of rebirth,6.2Maggaṁ pajānāti hitānukampī;understands the path to convergence.6.3Etena maggena tariṁsu pubbe,By this path people crossed over before,6.4Tarissanti ye ca taranti oghan”ti.will cross, and are crossing.”

6.5Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This discourse is a good example of how the Satipaṭṭhānasutta (MN 10, DN 22) was constructed. The famous opening phrase is found here, where it is associated with Brahmā. It turns out that ekāyana is in fact a term found prominently in Brahmanical texts, used in the context of renunciation and contemplation to mean “convergence”, just as in Pali. In the Satipaṭṭhānasutta this connection is lost, as there is no Brahmanical context. Commentators subsequently struggled to explain the word, offering a range of possibilities, to which ancient Chinese translators and modern authors added more. The current sutta allows us to restore the Brahmanical context and determine the correct meaning. This further suggests that this is the original context, where the word had a contextual meaning, and it was later excerpted for the opening of the Satipaṭṭhānasutta.

    This same discourse is presented as a first-person recollection of the Buddha at SN 47.43.

    ↩ sn47.18:1.1

  2. The phrase ekāyano maggo (“path to convergence”) is used in only one other context in Pali, where it means to “come together with” (MN 12:37.5). Here the Buddha’s phrase is echoed by Brahmā, which suggests it was a Brahmanical term. Yajñavalkya—in a core passage full of details shared with the suttas—uses it for a place where things unite or converge (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.4.11; in the same sense also at Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.5.2; Mahābhārata 14.19.1–2). Thus satipaṭṭhāna leads to everything “coming together as one”. In other words, as seventh factor of the noble eightfold path, it leads to samādhi, the eighth factor (SN 45.1:3.9; see also MN 44:12.3). Ekāyana is also a name for a certain Sanskrit scripture (in a list of texts at Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.1.2, 7.1.4, 7.2.1, 7.7.1; Puruṣottamasaṁhitā 1.10; Praśnasaṁhitā 2.38). Now, the latter text discusses the ekāyana as nivṛtti, “renunciation”, which is, in fact, introduced to the Vedic system by Yajñavalkya in the above-cited passage. Thus as a scripture it probably originally referred to that very passage exemplifying the Upaniṣadic teachings, which are otherwise omitted from the Chāndogya list.

    ↩ sn47.18:1.3

  3. This is phrased in optative because the Buddha is contemplating what would happen were he to teach and start his dispensation. Similarly, idha (“here”) is absent since it is not a present situation.

    ↩ sn47.18:2.2

  4. Sahampati’s appearance here underscores the centrality of mindfulness and serves as divine endorsement (see SN 6.1:5.1 and note).

    ↩ sn47.18:3.1