SN 47.42

Samudaya sutta: Origin

Samudayasutta

Amatavagga

The causes for the origination and cessation of the phenomena upon which the four kinds of mindfulness meditation are grounded.

Traduceri

“Mendicants, I will teach you the origin and disappearance of the four kinds of mindfulness meditation. Listen …

This discourse appears to be a fragmentary stub of a text more satisfactorily preserved in the Chinese translation at SA 609. The mention of “origin and ending” links mindfulness meditation with dependent origination (SN 12.43:1.2). The four satipaṭṭhānas are here treated as the objective foundations of meditation, a usage unique in the early texts. Normally satipaṭṭhāna refers to the act of setting up or establishing meditative attention on the four subjects, not the subjects themselves. The analysis, which follows that of the five aggregates, appears to be an early example of the Abhidhamma tendency toward systematization and objectification. Nonetheless, the details are carefully distinguished; for example, the singular “feeling” in the aggregates becomes the plural “feelings” here.

What is the origin of the body? The body originates from fuel. When fuel ceases, the body disappears.

This question appears rather oddly here, and appears to be an editorial mistake. SA 609, rather, asks “What is the origination and cessation of the four kinds of mindfulness meditation”, then explains them, then rounds off by saying it has answered the question.

The same is said of “form” (rūpa) at SN 22.56:3.4 and SN 22.57:2.4. “Fuel” is āhāra, which here is obviously “food”, but I translate as “fuel” to maintain consistency with contexts where it is treated more generally.

While the specified origin and ending are the same, the Chinese text fills out each section by saying that one who meditates observing origin and ending will be independent and not grasp anything in the world. This passage is similar to one found in the Satipaṭṭhānasutta, but not elsewhere in the Pali (MN 10:5.3).

Feelings originate from contact. When contact ceases, feelings disappear.

The mind originates from name and form. When name and form cease, the mind disappears.

Principles originate from application of mind. When application of mind disappears, principles disappear.”

In this singular instance, dhamma, taking on an objective sense, might be rendered as “phenomena” rather than the “principles” of cause and effect. However, “principles” can take on the, admittedly rare, sense “characteristic ingredients”, whereas “phenomena” cannot mean “laws of nature”. Moreover, dhamma here does not mean “things in general”, but rather “phenomena” whose causal arising in accord with fundamental “principles” of the “teaching” is understood through “rational” investigation. The commentary explains that the phenomena of the awakening factors originate through rational application of mind, while the phenomena of the hindrances arise through irrational application of mind. This set—the hindrances, mindfulness meditations, and awakening factors, mediated by application of mind, and culminating in realization—is met with frequently (eg. SN 46.2). Compare “all things are produced by application of mind” at AN 8.83:2.8, AN 10.58:3.4.

This passage suggests that the hindrances, awakening factors, and truths were the original specification of “observation of principles”, since these are all rooted in application of mind, unlike the aggregates and six senses, which were added to the Satipaṭṭhānasutta. This specification is preserved in the Abhidhamma Vibhaṅga (Vb 7).

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