Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
46. Bojjhanga Saṃyutta
6. Bojj'Anga-Sākacca Vagga

Sutta 52

Pariyāya Suttaṃ

Curriculum

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

[1][pts] I Hear Tell:

Once upon a time, The Lucky man,
Savatthi-town revisiting.

There then a number of beggars,
earlier having taken bowl and robes,
set out for Sāvatthī-town
in quest of handouts.

Then these beggars thought:

"It is too early now
to wander Sāvatthi for handouts.

How about if we approach the park
of the wanderers holding other positions
and draw near?"

And there then these beggars approached the park
of the wanders holding other positions
and drew near.

Having drawn near
they exchanged greetings and salutations
with those wanderers holding other positions.

Having exchanged greetings and salutations,
they took seats to one side.

Seated to one side then,
those wanderers holding other positions
said this to these beggars:

"The shaman Gotama, friends,
teaches his students Dhamma thus:

'Come you, beggars!

Let go of the five diversions,
corruptions of the heart,
makers of debilitated wisdom,
and take up just this seven dimensions of awakening.'

But then, friends, we too
teach our students Dhamma thus:

'Come you, beggars!

Let go of the five diversions,
corruptions of the heart,
makers of debilitated wisdom,
and take up just this seven dimensions of awakening.'

Here now friends,
what is the distinction,
what is the difference?

What makes for divergence
between shaman Gotama and ourselves,
that is to say between
Dhamma teaching and Dhamma teaching,
doctrine and doctrine?"

Then those beggars,
neither approved of nor disparaged
what was said by the wanderers holding other positions,
but neither approving nor disparaging
they rose from their seats saying:

"We will learn what the Lucky Man has to say
about this that was said."

■

There then these beggars,
after wandering Sāvatthi for handouts,
after eating,
returning from their begging-rounds,
approached the Lucky Man and drew near.

Having drawn near the Lucky Man,
they took seats to one side.

Seated to one side then,
these beggars said this to the Lucky Man:

"This morning, Bhante,
having previously taken bowl and robes,
we set out for Sāvatthī-town
in quest of handouts.

Then we thought:

'It is too early now
to wander Sāvatthi for handouts.

How about if we approach the park
of the wanderers holding other positions
and draw near?'

And there then we approached the park
of the wanders holding other positions
and drew near.

Having drawn near
we exchanged greetings and salutations
with those wanderers holding other positions.

Having exchanged greetings and salutations,
we took seats to one side.

Seated to one side then,
those wanderers holding other positions
said this to us:

'The shaman Gotama, friends,
teaches his students Dhamma thus:

"Come you, beggars!

Let go of the five diversions,
corruptions of the heart,
makers of debilitated wisdom,
and take up just this seven dimensions of awakening."

But then, friends, we too
teach our students Dhamma thus:

"Come you, beggars!

Let go of the five diversions,
corruptions of the heart,
makers of debilitated wisdom,
and take up just this seven dimensions of awakening."

Here now friends,
what is the distinction,
what is the difference?

What makes for the diversity,
between shaman Gotama and ourselves,
that is to say between
Dhamma teaching and Dhamma teaching,
doctrine and doctrine?'

Then, we neither approved of nor disparaged
what was said by the wanderers holding other positions,
but neither approving nor disparaging
we rose from our seats saying:

'We will learn what the Lucky Man has to say
about this that was said.'"

■

"Thus spoken to, beggars,
by wanderers holding other positions
you should respond this way:

'But is there, friends,
a curriculum whereby
the five diversions become ten,
the seven dimensions of awakening fourteen?'

Put to the wanders holding other positions, beggars,
they will not be able to explain this,
and furthermore will undergo their undoing.

How come?

such as such as this, beggars,
is beyond their scope.

Nor do I see, beggars, any world
with gods,
with Devils
with Brahmas,
with those shamans and brahmanss
with devas^[1] and humans
wherein is born anyone
whose answer to this question
could please the heart
except the Getter-of-the-Getting,
or a student of the Getter-of-the-Getting,
or one who has heard it.

Five Become Ten

And what, beggars, is that curriculum
which explains how the five diversions
become ten?

Kāma-c-chando

Whatsoever inwardly directed desire for sense-pleasure there is beggars,
that is a diversion.

Whatsoever outwardly directed desire for sense-pleasure there is,
that is a diversion.

In this way the statement:
'Sense-pleasure-desire is a diversion'
can be explained as being twofold.

Vyāpādo

Whatsoever inwardly directed deviance there is beggars,
that is a diversion.

Whatsoever outwardly directed deviance there is,
that is a diversion.

In this way the statement:
'Deviance is a diversion'
can be explained as being twofold.

Thīna-Middha

Whatsoever lazy ways there are beggars,
those are a diversion.

Whatsoever inertia there is,
that is a diversion.

In this way the statement:
'Lazy-inertia is a diversion'
can be explained as being twofold.

Uddhacca-Kukkucca

Whatsoever anxieties there are beggars,
those are a diversion.

Whatsoever agitation there is,
that is a diversion.

In this way the statement:
'Anxious agitation is a diversion'
can be explained as being twofold.

Vicikicchā

Whatsoever inwardly directed vacillation there is beggars,
that is a diversion.

Whatsoever outwardly directed vacillation there is,
that is a diversion.

In this way the statement:
'Vacillation is a diversion'
can be explained as being twofold.

This, beggars, is that curriculum
which curriculum explains
how the five diversions
become ten.

Seven Become Fourteen

And what, beggars, is that curriculum which explains
how the seven dimensions of awakening
become fourteen?

Sati

Whatsoever inwardly directed mind there is beggars,
that is the mind dimension of self-awakening.

Whatsoever outwardly directed mind there is,
that is the mind dimension of self-awakening.

In this way the statement:
'The mind dimensions of self-awakening'
can be explained as being twofold.

Dhamma-Vicaya-Sambojjh'aṇgo

Whatsoever inwardly directed wisdom,
re-investigation,
thorough re-examination,
thorough remembrance,
is met with
that is the Dhamma-re-examination dimension of self-awakening.

Whatsoever outwardly directed wisdom,
re-investigation,
thorough re-examination,
thorough remembrance,
is met with
that is the Dhamma-re-examination dimension of self-awakening.

In this way the statement:
'The Dhamma-re-examination dimensions of self-awakening'
can be explained as being twofold.

Viriya-Sambojjh'aṇgo

Whatsoever is bodily energy
that is the energy dimension of self-awakening.

Whatsoever is mental energy
that is the energy dimension of self-awakening.

In this way the statement:
'The energy dimensions of self-awakening'
can be explained as being twofold.

Pīti-Sambojjh'aṇgo

Whatsoever is enthusiasm with thinking, with re-examination,
that is the enthusiasm dimension of self-awakening.

Whatsoever is enthusiasm without thinking, without re-examination,
that is the enthusiasm dimension of self-awakening.

In this way the statement:
'The enthusiasm dimensions of self-awakening'
can be explained as being twofold.

Passaddhi-Sambojjh'aṇgo

Whatsoever is bodily impassivity
that is the impassivity dimension of self-awakening.

Whatsoever is mental impassivity
that is the impassivity dimension of self-awakening.

In this way the statement:
'The impassivity dimensions of self-awakening'
can be explained as being twofold.

Samādhi-Sambojjh'aṇgo

Whatsoever is serenity with thinking, with re-examination,
that is the serenity dimension of self-awakening.

Whatsoever is serenity without thinking, without re-examination,
that is the serenity dimension of self-awakening.

In this way the statement:
'The serenity dimensions of self-awakening'
can be explained as being twofold.

Upekhā-Sambojjh'aṇgo

Whatsoever inwardly directed detachment there is beggars,
that is the detachment dimension of self-awakening.

Whatsoever outwardly directed detachment there is,
that is the detachment dimension of self-awakening.

In this way the statement:
'The detachment dimensions of self-awakening'
can be explained as being twofold.

This, beggars, is that curriculum
which curriculum explains
how the seven dimensions of self-awakening
become fourteen.

This, beggars, is that curriculum
which curriculum explains
how the five diversions
become ten,
how the seven dimensions of self-awakening
become fourteen."