Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

‘‘Attadīpā tato hotha, satipaṭṭhānagocarā;

Bhāvetvā sattabojjhaṅge, dukkhassantaṃ karissathā’’ti.¹

“One should develop oneself as an island within, dwelling with satipaṭṭhāna,

Having developed the factors of enlightenment one will reach the end of suffering.”

     Finding shelter by protecting oneself and taking refuge to the island of Dhamma within oneself is an vital request to his disciples formulated by the Enlightened One.

     This advice is presented at various locations in the Tipiṭaka. The current text refers to the Buddha’s final stay in the village of Veḷuvagāma² where he replied to Ānanda as quoted in the selected text which concludes this chapter on sāmma sati.  

     The Mahāparinibbānasutta describes how the Buddha after his longer stay in the forest that Ambapāli³ had donated to the Saṅgha went to this small village with his monks. Here he asked them to move on to Vesāli where they could be easily supported by their friends or supporters⁴ as the Buddha desired to dwell secluded and all by himself during the rainy season⁵. During this rainy season he became so seriously ill that he discerned the approaching time for his passing away. He decided not to leave this world without a final address to the Bhikkhus and by firm determination his disease abated:

     With this firm determination the Buddha overcame his disease and Ānanda, who had been in pains watching this condition then addressed the Buddha expressing his concern:

     It was here that the Buddha then replied as presented in the current selection and concluded with the given elucidation to perfect oneself in the four satipaṭṭhānā.

     A concluding reference to the Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasuttavaṇṇanā shall complete this chapter. The Dhammānupassanā nīvaraṇapabbavaṇṇanā points to the purpose that each of the four satipaṭṭhāna opens the gateway to complete grasping of the respective pañcupādānakkhandhā.  Therefore the Buddha addresses his monks by opening each paragraph with: ‘kathañca, bhikkhave’ - ‘and how, Bhikkhus?¹¹

     The term ‘acquisition’—‘pariggaho’ may be highlighted by the following exhortation to the monks in the Attadīpasutta¹⁴ at Sāvatthi. Here the Buddha commences with exactly the same encouragement —‘viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā’— ‘dwell and develop oneself and the Dhamma within as island and as refuge!’ He proceeds by comparing an uninstructed worldling —assutavā puthujjano— with someone who has developed wisdom on the base of insight by directly referring to the pañcakhanda. The first one will always regard the pañcakhanda as ‘atta’—‘self’, or ‘self as possessing these’, or ‘these as being within self’ or as ‘self within these’.¹⁵ With this base of ignorance he sustains his suffering through sorrow, lamentation, pain, mental distress and despair.¹⁶ But someone who understands and perceives the impermanence in all pañcakhanda understands the reality as it is:  

     Having realised this he dwells unagitated, happy and it is said of him that his ‘thirst’ is quenched:

     Mankind is living in a period where the dutiya sāsana¹⁷ (or the second half of the sāsana) allows the opportunity to nurture one’s qualities or pāramitā. In distinction to an area when a Buddha arises and the qualities of beings are near to fulfilment for today’s mankind the chances may be rare to reach accomplishment — so one’s training in walking on the path needs to get nurtured. Thus the full —‘yathābhūtaṃ’— recognition, separation, distinction and acknowledgement of anicca in each of the pañcakhanda may still need to be further developed. That is why the achieved accomplishment of —‘viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā’— according to the above perfection of realising impermanence fully in all the pañcakhanda may still be lacking.¹⁸ As soothing appeasement the following reply from the Venerable Sāriputto may now terminate this chapter:

     During one time, when the Bhagavā was staying at Sāvatthi in the Jetavane  park the Venerable Āyasmā Mahākoṭṭhiko, after he arose from his meditation, went to Venerable Āyasmā Sāriputto with the intention to address him with a number of inquiries. At one point he asked the following question:

     Here the Veneable Sāriputto replied:

‘‘Ye attadīpā vicaranti loke,

akiñcanā²¹ sabbadhi vippamuttā;

Kālena tesu habyaṃ²² pavecche,

yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho²³ yajetha²⁴.”²⁵

Those who move about in this world with only themselves as an island,

Having nothing and liberated in all respect,

To them at proper time a gift bestowed,

Such sacrifice should be given by one (a Brāhmin) desirous for merit.