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SN 47.43PTS SN 5.1852 min read

The Path

Maggasutta

The Buddha tells the mendicants how, just after his awakening, Brahmā Sahampati supported 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 47.43Linked Discourses 47.43
  • 0.25. Amatavagga5. Freedom From Death

0.3MaggasuttaThe Path

1.1PTS 5.185Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.1

1.2Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:1.3“ekamidāhaṁ, bhikkhave, samayaṁ uruvelāyaṁ viharāmi najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhe paṭhamābhisambuddho.“Mendicants, this one time, when I was first awakened, I was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River.1.4Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:As I was in private retreat this thought came to mind:1.5‘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.

2.1Katame 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.2.3vedanāsu vā bhikkhu vedanānupassī vihareyya …pe…Or they’d meditate observing an aspect of feelings …2.4citte vā bhikkhu cittānupassī vihareyya …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 5.186Atha kho, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati mama cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—brahmaloke antarahito mama purato pāturahosi.And then the divinity Sahampati, knowing my train of thought, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared in front of me.3.2Atha kho, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yenāhaṁ tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā maṁ etadavoca:He arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms toward me, 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 …pe…Or they’d meditate observing an aspect of feelings …4.4citte vā …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, bhikkhave, 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 over, and are crossing over.’”

6.5Tatiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This is a first-person account of the same events recounted in third person at SN 47.18.

    ↩ sn47.43:1.1