“Here a meditator is skilled neither in concentration nor in maintenance regarding concentration.
“Here a meditator is skilled both in concentration and in maintenance regarding concentration.
“Therein, bhikkhus, the meditator who is skilled both in concentration and in maintenance regarding concentration [265] is the chief, the best, the foremost, the supreme, the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.
“Just as, bhikkhus, from a cow comes milk … and from ghee comes cream-of-ghee, which is reckoned the best of all these, so too the meditator who is skilled both in concentration and in maintenance regarding concentration … is the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.”
3 Emergence in relation to Concentration
(The same, but for “skilled in maintenance” read “skilled in emergence. ”)301
4 Pliancy in relation to Concentration
(The same, but read “skilled in pliancy.”)302 [266]
5 The Object in relation to Concentration
(The same, but read “skilled in the object.”)303
6 The Range in relation to Concentration
(The same, but read “skilled in the range.”)304 [267]
7 Resolution in relation to Concentration
(The same, but read “skilled in resolution.”)305
8 Thoroughness in relation to Concentration
(The same, but read “a thorough worker regarding concentration.”)306 [268]
9 Persistence in relation to Concentration
(The same, but read “a persistent worker regarding concentration.”)307
10 Suitability in relation to Concentration
(The same, but read “one who does what is suitable regarding concentration. ”)308 [269]
11 Maintenance in relation to Attainment
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of meditators. What four?
“Here, bhikkhus, a meditator is skilled in attainment regarding concentration but not skilled in maintenance regarding concentration.
“Here a meditator is skilled in maintenance regarding concentration but not skilled in attainment regarding concentration.
“Here a meditator is skilled neither in attainment nor in maintenance regarding concentration.
“Here a meditator is skilled both in attainment and in maintenance regarding concentration.
“Therein, bhikkhus, the meditator who is skilled both in attainment and in maintenance regarding concentration is the chief, the best, the foremost, the highest, the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.
“Just as, bhikkhus, from a cow comes milk … and from ghee comes cream-of-ghee, which is reckoned the best of all these, so too the meditator who is skilled both in attainment and in maintenance regarding concentration … is the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.”
12 Emergence in relation to Attainment
(The same, but for “skilled in maintenance regarding concentration” read “skilled in emergence regarding concentration.”) [270]
13 Pliancy in relation to Attainment
(The same, but read “skilled in pliancy.”)
14 The Object in relation to Attainment
(The same, but read “skilled in the object.”)
15 The Range in relation to Attainment
(The same, but read “skilled in the range.”) [271]
16 Resolution in relation to Attainment
(The same, but read “skilled in resolution.”)
17 Thoroughness in relation to Attainment
(The same, but read “a thorough worker regarding concentration.”)
18 Persistence in relation to Attainment
(The same, but read “a persistent worker regarding concentration.”)
19 Suitability in relation to Attainment
(The same, but read “one who does what is suitable regarding concentration.” ) [272]
20 Emergence in relation to Maintenance
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of meditators. What four?
“Here, bhikkhus, a meditator is skilled in maintenance regarding concentration but not skilled in emergence regarding concentration.
“Here a meditator is skilled in emergence regarding concentration but not skilled in maintenance regarding concentration.
“Here a meditator is skilled neither in maintenance nor in emergence regarding concentration.
“Here a meditator is skilled both in maintenance and in emergence regarding concentration.
“Therein, bhikkhus, the meditator who is skilled both in maintenance and in emergence regarding concentration is the chief … the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.” [273]
21-27 Pliancy in relation to Maintenance, Etc.
(These seven suttas are modelled on the preceding one, but “emergence” is replaced by the seven terms from “pliancy” through “one who does what is suitable,” as in §§13-19.)
28 Pliancy in relation to Emergence
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of meditators. What four?
“Here, bhikkhus, a meditator is skilled in emergence but not in pliancy … [274] … skilled in pliancy but not in emergence … skilled neither in emergence nor in pliancy … skilled both in emergence and in pliancy regarding concentration.
“Therein, bhikkhus, the meditator who is skilled both in emergence and in pliancy regarding concentration is the chief … the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.”
29-34 The Object in relation to Emergence, Etc.
(These six suttas are modelled on the preceding one, but “pliancy” is replaced by the six terms from “the object” through “one who does what is suitable.”) [275]
35 The Object in relation to Pliancy
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of meditators. What four?
“Here, bhikkhus, a meditator is skilled in pliancy but not in the object … skilled in the object but not in pliancy … skilled neither in pliancy nor in the object … skilled both in pliancy and in the object regarding concentration.
“Therein, bhikkhus, the meditator who is skilled both in pliancy and in the object regarding concentration is the chief … the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.”
36-40 The Range in relation to Pliancy, Etc.
(These five suttas are modelled on the preceding one, but “the object” is replaced by the five terms from “the range” through “one who does what is suitable.”)
41 The Range in relation to the Object
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of meditators. What four?
“Here, bhikkhus, a meditator is skilled in the object but not in the range … skilled in the range but not in the object … skilled neither in the object nor in the range … skilled both in the object and in the range regarding concentration.
“Therein, bhikkhus, the meditator who is skilled both in the object and in the range regarding concentration is the chief … the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.” [276]
42-45 Resolution in relation to the Object, Etc.
(These four suttas are modelled on the preceding one, but “the range” is replaced by the four terms from “resolution” through “one who does what is suitable.”)
46 Resolution in relation to the Range
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of meditators. What four?
“Here, bhikkhus, a meditator is skilled in the range but not in resolution … skilled in resolution but not in the range … skilled neither in the range nor in resolution … skilled both in the range and in resolution regarding concentration.
“Therein, bhikkhus, the meditator who is skilled both in the range and in resolution regarding concentration is the chief … the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.”
47-49 Thoroughness in relation to the Range, Etc.
(These three suttas are modelled on the preceding one, but “res
olution” is replaced by the three terms: “a thorough worker,” “a persistent worker,” and “one who does what is suitable.”)
50 Thoroughness in relation to Resolution
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of meditators. What four?
“Here, bhikkhus, a meditator is skilled in resolution [277] but not a thorough worker… a thorough worker but not skilled in resolution … neither skilled in resolution nor a thorough worker … both skilled in resolution and a thorough worker regarding concentration.
“Therein, bhikkhus, the meditator who is both skilled in resolution and a thorough worker regarding concentration is the chief … the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.”
51-52 Thoroughness in relation to the Range, Etc.
(These two suttas are modelled on the preceding one, but “a thorough worker” is replaced by the two terms: “a persistent worker” and “one who does what is suitable.”)
53 Persistence in relation to Thoroughness
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of meditators. What four?
“Here, bhikkhus, a meditator is a thorough worker but not a persistent worker… a persistent worker but not a thorough worker … neither a thorough worker nor a persistent worker … both a thorough worker and a persistent worker regarding concentration.
“Therein, bhikkhus, the meditator who is both a thorough worker and a persistent worker regarding concentration is the chief … the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.”
54 Suitability in relation to Thoroughness
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of meditators. What four?
“Here, bhikkhus, a meditator is a thorough worker but not one who does what is suitable regarding concentration….”
55 Suitability in relation to Persistence
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of meditators. What four?
“Here, bhikkhus, a meditator is a persistent worker but not one who does what is suitable … one who does what is suitable but not a persistent worker … neither a persistent worker nor one who does what is suitable … [278] both a persistent worker and one who does what is suitable regarding concentration.
“Therein, bhikkhus, the meditator who is both a persistent worker and one who does what is suitable regarding concentration is the chief, the best, the foremost, the highest, the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.
“Just as, bhikkhus, from a cow comes milk, from milk comes cream, from cream comes butter, from butter comes ghee, and from ghee comes cream-of-ghee, which is reckoned the best of all these, so too the meditator who is both a persistent worker and one who does what is suitable regarding concentration is the chief, the best, the foremost, the highest, the most excellent of these four kinds of meditators.”
The Book of the Aggregates is finished.
Notes
22. Khandhasaṃyutta
1 The name means “Nakula’s father.” His wife is called Nakulamātā, “Nakula’s mother,” though the texts never disclose the identity of Nakula. The Buddha pronounced him and his wife the most trusting (etadaggaṃ vissāsakānaṃ ) of his lay disciples (AN I 26). According to Spk, they had been the Blessed One’s parents in five hundred past lives and his close relations in many more past lives. For additional references see DPPN 2:3 and Hecker, “Shorter Lives of the Disciples,” in Nyanaponika and Hecker, Great Disciples of the Buddha, pp. 375-78.
2 All three eds. of SN, and both eds. of Spk, read aniccadassāvī , “not always a seer,” but the SS reading adhiccadassāvī , “a chance seer,” may be more original; CPD also prefers the latter. Spk: “Because of my affliction I am unable to come whenever I want; I get to see (him) only sometimes, not constantly.”Manobhāvanīyā, used in apposition to bhikkhū, has often been misinterpreted by translators to mean “with developed mind.” However, the expression is a gerundive meaning literally “who should be brought to mind,” i.e., who are worthy of esteem. Spk: “Those great elders such as Sāriputta and Moggallāna are called ‘worthy of esteem’ (‘to be brought to mind’) because the mind (citta) grows in wholesome qualities whenever they are seen.”
3 Be and Se read the second descriptive term as aṇḍabhūto, lit. “egg-become,” and Spk endorses this with its explanation: “Aṇḍabhūto: become weak (dubbala) like an egg. For just as one cannot play with an egg by throwing it around or hitting it—since it breaks apart at once—so this body has ‘become like an egg’ because it breaks apart even if one stumbles on a thorn or a stump.” Despite the texts and Spk, Ee addhabhūto may be preferable; see 35:29 and IV, n. 14.
4 On the commentarial etymology of puthujjana, see II, n. 153. Spk gives a long analysis of this passage; for a translation of the parallel at Ps I 20-25, see Bodhi, Discourse on the Root of Existence, pp. 33-38. The commentaries distinguish between the “uninstructed worldling” (assutavā puthujjana) and the “good worldling” (kalyāṇa puthujjana). While both are worldlings in the technical sense that they have not reached the path of stream-entry, the former has neither theoretical knowledge of the Dhamma nor training in the practice, while the latter has both and is striving to reach the path.
5 Text here enumerates the twenty types of identity view (sakkāyadiṭṭhi), obtained by positing a self in the four given ways in relation to the five aggregates that constitute personal identity (sakkāya; see 22:105). Identity view is one of the three fetters to be eradicated by the attainment of the path of stream-entry.Spk: He regards form as self (rūpaṃ attato samanupassati), by regarding form and the self as indistinguishable, just as the flame of an oil lamp and its colour are indistinguishable. He regards self as possessing form (rūpavantaṃ attānaṃ), when he takes the formless (i.e., the mind or mental factors) as a self that possesses form, in the way a tree possesses a shadow; form as in self (attani rūpaṃ), when he takes the formless (mind) as a self within which form is situated, as the scent is in a flower; self as in form (rūpasmiṃ attānaṃ), when he takes the formless (mind) as a self situated in form, as a jewel is in a casket. He is obsessed by the notions, “I am form, form is mine”: he swallows these ideas with craving and views, takes his stand upon them, and grasps hold of them.
Spk states that the identification of each aggregate individually with the self is the annihilationist view (ucchedadiṭṭhi ), while the other views are variants of eternalism (sassatadiṭṭhi ); thus there are five types of annihilationism and fifteen of eternalism. To my mind this is unacceptable, for eternalist views can clearly be formulated by taking the individual mental aggregates as the self. It also seems to me questionable that a view of self must implicitly posit one (or more) of the aggregates as self; for a view of self to have any meaning or content, it need only posit a relationship between a supposed self and the aggregates, but it need not identify one of the aggregates as self. According to the Buddha, all such positions collapse under analysis. See the “considerations of self” section of the Mahānidāna Sutta (DN II 66-68), translated with commentary in Bodhi, The Great Discourse on Causation, pp. 53-55, 92-98.
6 Spk: Even for the Buddhas the body is afflicted, but the mind is afflicted when it is accompanied by lust, hatred, and delusion.
7 This is a common formula describing a disciple whose minimal attainment is stream-entry (sotāpatti). The path of stream-entry eradicates the lower three fetters: identity view, doubt, and grasping of rules and vows.
8 Spk: Here, nonaffliction of mind is shown by the absence of defilements. Thus in this sutta the worldly multitude is shown to be afflicted in both body and mind, the arahant to be afflicted in body but unafflicted in mind. The seven trainees (sekha: the four on the path and three at the fruition stages) are neither [entirely] afflicted in mind nor [entirely] unafflicted in mind, but they are pursuing nonaffliction of mind (anāturacittataṃ yeva bhajanti).
9 Spk: They wanted to spend the three months of the rains residence there.
10 Spk here gives a long
account of how Sāriputta assists his fellow monks with both their material needs (āmisānuggaha ) and with the Dhamma (dhammānuggaha). For a translation, see Nyanaponika Thera, “Sāriputta: The Marshal of the Dhamma,” in Nyanaponika and Hecker, Great Disciples of the Buddha, pp. 21-22.
The Connected Discourses of the Buddha Page 113
