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SN 52.3PTS SN 5.2971 min read

On the Bank of the Sutanu

Sutanusutta

When some mendicants ask Anuruddha how he attained such higher knowledge, he replies it is from developing the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 52.3Linked Discourses 52.3
  • 0.21. Rahogatavagga1. In Private

0.3SutanusuttaOn the Bank of the Sutanu

1.1PTS 5.298Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā anuruddho sāvatthiyaṁ viharati sutanutīre.At one time Venerable Anuruddha was staying near Sāvatthī on the bank of the Sutanu.11.2Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yenāyasmā anuruddho tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā anuruddhena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu.Then several mendicants went up to Venerable Anuruddha, and exchanged greetings with him.1.3Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ anuruddhaṁ etadavocuṁ:When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side, and said to him:

1.4“katamesaṁ āyasmā anuruddho dhammānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā mahābhiññataṁ patto”ti?“What things has Venerable Anuruddha developed and cultivated to attain great direct knowledge?”

2.1“Catunnaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, satipaṭṭhānānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā mahābhiññataṁ patto.“Reverends, I attained great direct knowledge by developing and cultivating the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.2.2Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ?What four?2.3Idhāhaṁ, āvuso, kāye kāyānupassī viharāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;I meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.2.4vedanāsu …pe…I meditate observing an aspect of feelings …2.5citte …pe…mind …2.6dhammesu dhammānupassī viharāmi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ—principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.2.7imesaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā mahābhiññataṁ patto.I attained great direct knowledge by developing and cultivating these four kinds of mindfulness meditation.

2.8Imesañca panāhaṁ, āvuso, catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā hīnaṁ dhammaṁ hīnato abbhaññāsiṁ, majjhimaṁ dhammaṁ majjhimato abbhaññāsiṁ, paṇītaṁ dhammaṁ paṇītato abbhaññāsin”ti.And it was by developing and cultivating these four kinds of mindfulness meditation that I directly knew the lower principle as lower, the middle principle as middle, and the higher principle as higher.”2

2.9Tatiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. The Sutanu (“slender”) river is mentioned only here. Anuruddha is often depicted in these out-of-the-way settings.

    ↩ sn52.3:1.1

  2. The exact sense of “lower”, “middle”, and “higher” dhammas here is unclear. Given the context of Anuruddha’s psychic powers, I follow Bodhi’s suggestion that we interpret in line with AN 3.76, understanding dhamma as the “principle” governing the relationship between mental quality and states of rebirth (SN 12.20:2.3). The commentary, alternatively, cites the Abhidhamma Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Ds 1.1:40.1), which has the three as one of its triads in the sense of good, mundane wholesome, and transcendent mental phenomena. This analysis, however, does not really reflect Sutta usage, which typically speaks of simply lower and higher dhammas (SN 46.2:10.2). Moreover, we would expect a plural in that case.

    ↩ sn52.3:2.8