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SN 48.51PTS SN 5.2271 min read

At Sālā

Sālasutta

Just as the lion is the king of beasts, wisdom is the chief of qualities that lead to awakening.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 48.51Linked Discourses 48.51
  • 0.26. Sūkarakhatavagga6. The Boar’s Cave

0.3SālasuttaAt Sālā

1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu viharati sālāya brāhmaṇagāme.At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans near the brahmin village of Sālā.1.3Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:1.4“seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ye keci tiracchānagatā pāṇā, sīho migarājā tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati, yadidaṁ—thāmena javena sūrena;“Mendicants, the lion, king of beasts, is said to be the best of animals in terms of strength, speed, and courage.1.5evameva kho, bhikkhave, ye keci bodhipakkhiyā dhammā, paññindriyaṁ tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati, yadidaṁ—bodhāya.In the same way, the faculty of wisdom is said to be the best of the qualities on the side of awakening; that is, for becoming awakened.1

2.1PTS 5.228Katame ca, bhikkhave, bodhipakkhiyā dhammā?And what are the qualities on the side of awakening?2.2Saddhindriyaṁ, bhikkhave, bodhipakkhiyo dhammo, taṁ bodhāya saṁvattati;The faculties of faith,2.3vīriyindriyaṁ bodhipakkhiyo dhammo, taṁ bodhāya saṁvattati;energy,2.4satindriyaṁ bodhipakkhiyo dhammo, taṁ bodhāya saṁvattati;mindfulness,2.5samādhindriyaṁ bodhipakkhiyo dhammo, taṁ bodhāya saṁvattati;immersion,2.6paññindriyaṁ bodhipakkhiyo dhammo, taṁ bodhāya saṁvattati.and wisdom are qualities on the side of awakening, in that they lead to becoming awakened.2.7Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ye keci tiracchānagatā pāṇā, sīho migarājā tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati, yadidaṁ—thāmena javena sūrena;The lion, king of beasts, is said to be the best of animals in terms of strength, speed, and courage.2.8evameva kho, bhikkhave, ye keci bodhipakkhiyā dhammā, paññindriyaṁ tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati, yadidaṁ—bodhāyā”ti.In the same way, the faculty of wisdom is said to be the best of the qualities on the side of awakening; that is, for becoming awakened.”

2.9Paṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. The five faculties are “qualities on the side of awakening” (bodhipakkhiyā dhammā) because they lead to awakening (SN 48.51:2.6). This term is used repeatedly in this Saṁyutta in this sense. Outside of this context, it is used occasionally in the general sense of meditative development, without further specification (AN 5.56:3.1). In three instances it is extended to “seven” such qualities (DN 27:30.5, Iti 82:3.1, Iti 97:4.2), which the commentary identifies with the seven sets of dhammas totaling 37 (rather than the seven awakening factors alone). We also find the synonymous phrase sambodhipakkhika at AN 9.1. At Thag 16.9:9.2 we find qualities that are “skillful, on the side of awakening” (kusalā bodhipakkhikā), cementing the connection with the expressions “on the side of the skillful” or “on the side of the unskillful” (SN 46.31:1.1, MN 117:36.1, AN 1.56:1.1). The qualities “on the side of awakening” oppose those “on the side of Māra” (Thag 4.4:1.2).

    ↩ sn48.51:1.5