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SN 47.40PTS SN 5.1831 min read

Analysis

Vibhaṅgasutta

The Buddha teaches the simple passage on the four kinds of mindfulness meditation and an advanced analysis, which involves contemplating them as impermanent.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 47.40Linked Discourses 47.40
  • 0.24. Ananussutavagga4. Not Learned From Anyone Else

0.3VibhaṅgasuttaAnalysis

1.1“Satipaṭṭhānañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi satipaṭṭhānabhāvanañca satipaṭṭhānabhāvanāgāminiñca paṭipadaṁ.“Mendicants, I will teach you mindfulness meditation, the development of mindfulness meditation, and the practice that leads to the development of mindfulness meditation.11.2Taṁ suṇātha.Listen …

1.3Katamañca, bhikkhave, satipaṭṭhānaṁ?And what is mindfulness meditation?1.4Idha, 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.1.5vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati …pe…They meditate observing an aspect of feelings …1.6citte cittānupassī viharati …pe…mind …1.7dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.1.8Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, satipaṭṭhānaṁ.This is called mindfulness meditation.

2.1Katamā ca, bhikkhave, satipaṭṭhānabhāvanā?And what is the development of mindfulness meditation?22.2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu samudayadhammānupassī kāyasmiṁ viharati, vayadhammānupassī kāyasmiṁ viharati, samudayavayadhammānupassī kāyasmiṁ viharati, ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.It’s when a mendicant, with respect to the body, meditates observing the liability to originate, to vanish, and to originate and vanish—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.32.3Samudayadhammānupassī vedanāsu viharati …pe…With respect to feelings …2.4samudayadhammānupassī citte viharati …pe…mind …2.5samudayadhammānupassī dhammesu viharati, vayadhammānupassī dhammesu viharati, samudayavayadhammānupassī dhammesu viharati, ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.principles, they meditate observing the liability to originate, to vanish, and to originate and vanish—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.2.6Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, satipaṭṭhānabhāvanā.This is called the development of mindfulness meditation.

3.1Katamā ca, bhikkhave, satipaṭṭhānabhāvanāgāminī paṭipadā?And what is the practice that leads to the development of mindfulness meditation?3.2Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ—It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:3.3sammādiṭṭhi, sammāsaṅkappo, sammāvācā, sammākammanto, sammāājīvo, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati, sammāsamādhi.right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.3.4Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, satipaṭṭhānabhāvanāgāminī paṭipadā”ti.This is called the practice that leads to the development of mindfulness meditation.”

3.5Dasamaṁ.

3.6Ananussutavaggo catuttho.

4.0Tassuddānaṁ

4.1PTS 5.184Ananussutaṁ virāgo,4.2viraddho bhāvanā sati;4.3Aññā chandaṁ pariññāya,4.4bhāvanā vibhaṅgena cāti.

Translator’s notes

  1. Compare the structure of SN 51.19.

    ↩ sn47.40:1.1

  2. The term “development” shows that this takes the basic practice further.

    ↩ sn47.40:2.1

  3. This teaching on origination and vanishing is also found in DN 22:2.12, MN 10:5.2, and SN 52.1:3.1. It is explained in the Samudayasutta at SN 47.42.

    The phrase samudayadhamma (“liable to originate”) is found elsewhere as the realization of stream-entry (SN 56.11:11.2), and as a noble one’s discernment of the five aggregates (SN 22.126:2.1). Since both these speak of noble realization, it is reasonable to assume the current passage does too. The suffix -dhamma indicates that this is not merely observing rise and fall, but is understanding the nature of things as dependently originated.

    Grammatically, samudayadhamma would normally be read as an adjective, but here it seems necessary to construe it as a noun (“liability to originate”), a construction also used at SN 23.21. Bodhi also construes it as a noun: “nature of origination”.

    ↩ sn47.40:2.2