Saɱyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
46. Bojjhanga Saɱyutta
1. Pabbata Vagga

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
46. Kindred Sayings on the Limbs of Wisdom
1. The Mountain

Sutta 3

Sīla Suttaɱ

Virtue^[1]

Translated by F. L. Woodward

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[55]

[1][olds][bodh][than] THUS have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.

Then the Exalted One addressed the monks,
saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One said:

"Monks, whatsoever monks are possessed of virtue,
possessed of concentration,
possessed of insight,
of release,
of release by knowledge and insight -
the very sight of such brings much profit, I declare.

The very hearing about^[2] such monks brings much profit, I declare.

To visit such,
to sit beside^[3] them,
to remember such,^[4]
to follow such in giving up the world^[5]
brings great profit, I declare.

What is the cause of that?

On hearing the teaching of such monks
one dwells aloof in two forms of aloofness, to wit:
of body and of mind.

Such an one, so dwelling aloof,
remembers that Norm-teaching
and turns it over in his mind.

When a monk, so dwelling aloof,
remembers and turns over in his mind
the teaching of the Norm,
it is then that the limb of wisdom which is mindfulness is established^[6] in that monk.

When he cultivates the limb of wisdom which is mindfulness,
then it is that the monk's culture of it comes to perfection.

Thus he, dwelling mindful,
with full recognition^[7]
investigates and applies insight^[8] to that teaching of the Norm
and comes to close scrutiny of it.

Now, monks, at such time as a monk,
dwelling thus mindful,
with full recognition
investigates and applies insight
to that [56] teaching of the Norm,
then it is that the limb of wisdom which is Norm-investigation
is established in that monk.

It is when he cultivates the limb of wisdom which is Norm-in-vestigation that,
as he comes to close scrutiny of it,
by his culture of it,
it comes to perfection.

As with full recognition
he investigates and applies insight
to that Norm-teaching,
then unshaken energy^[9] is established in him.

Now, monks, at such time as unshaken energy
is established in a monk
who with full recognition
is investigating,
applying insight
and coming to close scrutiny of that Norm-teaching,
then it is that the limb of wisdom which is energy
is established in him.

When he cultivates this limb of wisdom,
at such time,
by culture of it,
does it come to perfection in that monk.

In him who has energy established
there arises zest,
which is free from carnal taint.^[10]

Now, monks, when zest free from carnal taint arises in a monk
who has energy established,
then it is that the limb of wisdom which is zest
is established in him.

When he cultivates this limb of wisdom,
at such time,
by culture of it,
does it come to perfection in him.

Of one who is zestful
body is tranquil
and mind is tranquil.

Now, monks, when a monk who is zestful
has body and mind tranquillized,
then it is that the limb of wisdom which is tranquillity
is established in him.

When he cultivates this,
at such time,
by his culture of it,
it comes to perfection in him.

Happy is he whose body is tranquillized.

Of him that is happy
the mind is concentrated.

Now, monks, when the mind is concentrated
in a monk whose body is tranquillized,
at such time the limb of wisdom which is concentration
is established in that monk.

When he cultivates this limb of wisdom,
by his culture of it
does it come to perfection.

He is now thorough overseer
of his mind thus calmed.

Now, monks, when he becomes a careful looker-on
of his mind thus calmed,
then it is that the limb of wisdom which is [57] equanimity
is established in a monk.

When he cultivates it,
at such time
by his culture of it
does it come to perfection.

Now, monks, when the seven limbs of wisdom are thus cultivated,
thus made much of,
seven fruits,
seven advantages^[11] may be looked for.

What seven?

In this very life, beforehand,
he establishes realization^[12]:
and if he do not so beforehand,^[13]
in this very life,
at any rate he establishes realization at the time of his death.

And if in this very life, beforehand,
he do not establish realization,
nor do so at the time of death,
then, through having worn down the five fetters of the lower sort,
he wins release midway.^[14]

But if he do not establish perfect insight, beforehand,
in this very life,
nor yet at the time of death,
and if he, by wearing down the five fetters of the lower sort,
win not release midway, -
then at any rate,
after having worn down the five fetters of the lower sort,
he wins release by reduction of his (allotted) time.^[15]

But if he do not establish perfect insight, beforehand,
in this very life,
nor yet at the time of death,
and if he, by wearing down the five fetters of the lower sort,
win not release midway, -
nor wins release by reduction of his (allotted) time,
at any rate, by having worn down the five fetters of the lower sort,
he wins release without much trouble.^[16]

Again, if he do not establish perfect insight, beforehand,
in this very life,
nor yet at the time of death,
and if he, by wearing down the five fetters of the lower sort,
win not release midway, -
nor wins release by reduction of his (allotted) time,
nor wins release without much trouble,
at any rate, by having [58] worn down the five fetters of the lower sort,
then he wins release with some trouble.^[17]

Again, if he do not establish perfect insight, beforehand,
in this very life,
nor yet at the time of death,
and if he, by wearing down the five fetters of the lower sort,
win not release midway, -
nor wins release by reduction of his (allotted) time,
nor wins release without much trouble,
nor wins release with some trouble,
at any rate, by having worn down the five fetters of the lower sort,
then he is 'one who goes upstream,'^[18] and he goes to the Pure Abodes.^[19]

Thus, monks, when the seven limbs of wisdom are thus cultivated,
these seven fruits,
these seven advantages
may be looked for.

 

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^[1] For this section see Vibh. 227; Vibh.A. 310.

^[2] According to Comy. 'not listening to, but having good report of such and such.'

^[3] Comy. 'questioning them about the Norm.'

^[4] Cf. Pugg. iii, 13, iv, 23; Itiv., p. 106, anussaraṇaɱ.

^[5] Anupabbajjaɱ. Comy. mentions the Elders MahāKassapa, Chandagutta, Suriyagutta, Assagutta, Yonakadhammarakkhita, Tissa (younger brother of Dharmasoka) and Mahinda.

^[6] Āraddho.

^[7] Paññāya is to be taken as gerund, not as a noun.

^[8] Pavicarati. Comy. tattha ñāṇaɱ carāpeti.

^[9] Asallīnaɱ. Cf. D. ii, 157; S. iv, 125.

^[10] Cf. S. iv, 219; K.S. iv, 147. Nirāmisa pīti.

^[11] Text infra, 237.

^[12] Aññaɱ = gnosis, realization of arahantship.

^[13] Text paṭihacca; probably influenced by upahacca following. This should be (as v.ll.) paṭikacca which is equal to pubbe yeva or paṭhamaɱ yeva. Cf. UdA. 347. Comy reads paṭigacca, explaining 'before his time of death has reached him' he knows for certain. Again at text 204-5. (Paṭihacca would mean 'knocking against'[?]).

^[14] Antarā-parinibbāyī (infra, text 201). He is a non-returner and completes his course of existence in Brahma-loka, where time is beyond our conception or computation, before half his life there is finished.

^[15] Upahācca-parinibbāyī. Cf. Pts. of Contr., p. 158. Comy. 'He spends another five hundred kalpas(!) and so attains arahantship.'

^[16] Cf. PuggA. (p. 199 of J.P.T.S., 1914); Expos. 207. Asaṅkhāra, lit. without sankhārā, activities or aggregates (? without a residue of karma); but according to Comy. appayogena, without effort (cf. Dialog. iii, 227); but it would seem to be more like an-upādi-sesa-nibbāna. So also with regard to the following term.

^[17] Sa-sankhārā (where Comy. takes it to be sappayogena).

^[18] Uddhaɱ-soto.

^[19] Akaniṭṭha-(bralmalokaɱ)gāmī. Cf. Pts. of Contr. 78, n. 2. 'Stream' is 'natural desire' or 'the round of rebirth' or 'path-stream.'