Introduction
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Introduction to 3.2.9 Girimānandasuttaṃ, Part One - What Is Perception of Impermanence?
There are various instances in the Sutta Piṭaka that describe a situation, where a Bhikkhu is found to be suffering from a certain disease. At times the Buddha is requested to visit and to support them.
In this present sutta the Venerable Girimānanda had become seriously ill and the Venerable Ānanda requested the Buddha to visit Girimānanda to ease his sickness. In this situation the Buddha refers this quest back to Ānanda and requests him to go instead on his behalf. The Venerable Ānanda is asked to instruct Girimānanda by relating and reminding him of the ten perceptions.1 Saññā here does not refer to the constituent of the ‘pañca upādānakkhandhā’, but refers to the development of knowledge or wisdom of the respective factors also referred to as aniccavijjā or aniccañāña.2 They would help him, to recover immediately from his disease after having heard them:
‘Sace kho tvaṃ, ānanda, girimānandassa bhikkhuno dasa saññā bhāseyyāsi, ṭhānaṃ kho panetaṃ vijjati yaṃ girimānandassa bhikkhuno dasa saññā sutvā so ābādho3 ṭhānaso paṭippassambheyya’.4
‘If you, Ānanda, were to remind Girimānanda of the ten perceptions, then it is possible that after hearing them his disease could be allayed right on the spot’.
Often similar suttas serve as a protective or soothing discourse, paritta or paritta-chanting, in traditional Buddhist traditions and are habitually recited in case of illness. Famous examples are the three bojjhaṅga-suttas from the bojjhaṅgasaṃyutta, Saṃyuttanikāyo.
These three respective suttas, the Paṭhamagilānasutta, the Dutiyagilānasuttṃ and the Tatiyagilānasutta,5 describe a situation, where one of the respective Venerable Elders, so Mahākassapatthera, Mahāmoggallānathera or even the Buddha himself suffered from serious illness. In the first two instances the Buddha himself visits Mahākassapa and Mahāmoggallāna and recites the seven bojjhaṅgā6 to them, thus instigating them to stir up their energy and to practise these by using each of these factors of Enlightenment to dive into the understanding of anicca, dukkha and anatta, thus overcoming weakness and illness. The last instance relates a situation where the Buddha himself is suffering and requests the Venerable Mahācunda to remind him of the seven bojjhaṅgā.
In all situations those fully Enlightened Ones overcome their disease with the help of the practice of these factors. Likewise in this Girimānandasutta these ten perceptions need to be realised by applying them.
When reciting or reading these suttas, one has to keep in mind that they were recited to Arahants, who all had already been practising the bojjhaṅgā or the dasa saññā up to perfection! Due to some illness they may not have been able to remember these and apply them accordingly - thus the helpful reminder through an Elder re-established their practice. It is the practical application through meditation that enables a meditator to develop each one of these factors which then will serve as a supportive tool for recovery. The practice of mere reciting and listening to these suttas will be of help only if the saññā or bojjhaṅgā are applied.7
This present short extract has selected three out of the ten saññā that fit to this chapter.8
1. These ten perceptions are perception of impermanence, of non-self, non-I, of impurity, of danger, of abandonment or rejection, of dispassion, of cessation, of disgust or dissatisfaction towards this word of mind and matter, of dislike towards all mentally conditioned reactions and the perception of awareness of breathing. —‘Katamā dasa? Aniccasaññā, anattasaññā, asubhasaññā, ādīnavasaññā, pahānasaññā, virāgasaññā, nirodhasaññā, sabbaloke anabhiratasaññā, sabbasaṅkhāresu anicchāsaññā, ānāpānassati.’
2. The Buddha also emphasises the development of seven perceptions (satta saññā) in the Paṭhamasaññāsutta and Dutiyasaññāsutta, Mahāyaññavaggo, Paṭhamapaṇṇāsakaṃ, Sattakanipātapāḷi, Aṅguttaranikāyo:
‘‘Sattimā, bhikkhave, saññā bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā honti mahānisaṃsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā. Katamā satta? Asubhasaññā, maraṇasaññā, āhāre paṭikūlasaññā, sabbaloke anabhiratasaññā, aniccasaññā, anicce dukkhasaññā, dukkhe anattasaññā. Imā kho, bhikkhave, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā honti mahānisaṃsā amatogadhā amatapariyosānā’’ti. “If seven perceptions, Bhikkhus, get fulfilled and developed they provide great fruit, result in a firm foothold in and terminate with the deathless. What are these seven? These are the perception of ugliness, the perception death, the perception of repulsiveness in food, the perception of disgust in the whole world, the perception of impermanence and the perception of realising suffering in impermanence and the perception of realising suffering in non-self. If these, Bhikkhus, get fulfilled and developed, they provide great fruit, result in a firm foothold in and terminate with the deathless.”
3. ābādho: disease, illness.
4. paṭippassambheyya: paṭi + p + pa + s + sambhati: (opt., caus.): would be calmed, to be quieted, allayed, put to rest.
5. More prominently known as the Mahākassapattherabojjhaṅga, the Mahāmoggallānattherabojjhaṅga and the Mahācundattherabojjhaṅga.
6. bojjhaṅga: bodhi + aṇga: enlightenment + limb, factor. For a closer description of these see:
7. The commentary explains through this application with full appreciation of the liberating teaching of the Buddha the malady departs from the body as a water-drop falling from a lotus-leaf because the blood gets cleared and the physical fuel purified: Athassa ‘‘niyyānikaṃ vata satthusāsana’’nti cintayato lohitaṃ pasīdi, upādārūpaṃ visuddhaṃ ahosi, pokkharapatte patitaudakabindu viya sarīrato rogo vinivattitvā gato.’’
8. See also 3.3.11 Girimānandasuttaṃ. Part Two - What Is Perception of Rejection?