Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa

Introduction to 3.8.0 Samādhisuttaṃ -
The entire Teaching in one Verse!

 

The Introduction to 3.7.12 Assājānīyasuttaṃ concluded with this short advice by the Buddha by which he reduces the entire teaching to its full essence. He expressed these words when dwelling at Vesāli in the great forest of Kūṭāgārasālāyaṃ. It was when at a certain morning the Enlightened One decided to visit the ‘hospital’ where ailing monks were attended. He approached the sick yard with the intention to teach meditation to those residing there and who were keen to utilize meditative practise¹. The Buddha opened his address with the above synopsis to inspire the Bhikkhus to listen further.² He used these two essential expressions: ‘sato, sampajāno’ which shall be thoroughly investigated, examined, explained and highlighted in the current chapter on ‘sammāsati’. The next chapter will then scrutinize various aspects of sammāsamādhi³ and likewise ‘samāhito’.

A similar concise example where the complete teaching is reduced to its essence for a practitioner opens this chapter: the short but essential ‘samādhisuttaṃ’. Here the Buddha declares that, if the above two terms ‘sato’ and ‘sampajāno’ will get pragmatically utilized on the base of ‘samāhito’, applied and properly practised a meditator will finally arrive at the ultimate goal, find peace and the end of suffering. The accurate application of ‘samāhito’, ‘sampajāno’ and ‘sato’ enables the meditator to realise, understand, eradicate and go beyond what is called: ‘vedanā’ - all sensations that may arise!

Before dwelling in more detail on these essential terms it shall be emphasised that these are merely related to the practise of meditation! Sati has to be understood, practiced and realized as an integrated constituent of the Noble Eightfold Path. Only when founded on sammādiṭṭhi⁴ and executed through sammāvāyāmo⁵, then only sati can be branded as sammā sati, and then only one can expect to entail the perspective to eliminate all suffering! That is why it is said:

Even so this chapter 3.8 intends to elucidate sammāsati for a practitioner with respective and selected suttas uttered by the Buddha in various details. These essential and important terms of ‘samāhito’, ‘sampajāno’ and ‘sato’ as used in this Samādhisutta shall be expounded here by referring to the commentarial explanation.⁷:

• Samāhito: When the commentary highlights samāhito (being composed, attentive, collected, concentrated) it refers to the twofold concentration⁸ of approaching and of absorption that is needed to attain and realise nibbāna: “… samāhitoti upacārena vā appanāya vā samāhito.”⁹

• Sampajāno: - constant thorough experiential, observed and realised understanding of impermanence on the base of sensation. Sampajāno is the applied observation on the base of the process of the arising and passing away (samudaya—vaya) of bodily sensations, which can be realised only if the awareness is directed towards the body (kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā) and thus points out the difference to mere intellectual understanding or comprehension. The chosen translation here clearly refers to meditative practise as explained in various texts by the Buddha: Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajāno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno viditā vedanā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṃ¹⁰ gacchanti.¹¹ - How Bhikkhus, does a Bhikkhu dwell properly maintaining sampajāno? Here, a Bhikkhu has known how sensations arise, has known how they are present and has known how they disappear.¹²”

• Sato: When the Buddha speaks about ‘sati and sato’ he refers to the four satipaṭṭhānā which, when applied constitute: ‘‘… maggo sattānaṃ visuddhiyā, sokaparidevānaṃ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṃ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṃ cattāro satipaṭṭhānā.” – “… the path of purification for beings by which sorrow and lamentation will be overcome, suffering and grief will get extinguished, on their base one walks on the path of truth and will realise nibbāna: that is to say, the fourfold establishing of awareness.”¹³ Thus sato clearly relates to sammāsati as an integrated part of the Eightfold Noble Path where the purpose of sato has its foothold in the understanding of the Four Noble Truths with the perspective of dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā – walking the path to the eradication and termination of all suffering.¹⁴

• Vedanā ca pajānātī: When the commentary highlights: “… vedanā ca pajānātīti vedanā dukkhasaccavasena pajānāti” translated as: “… understands properly the sensations” then this properly refers to the realisation on account of the truth of suffering (dukkhasaccavasena). Thus the truth of suffering is understood in its impermanent nature of the ever changing character of arising, staying and disappearing sensations, thoughts and fields of consciousness as it can be felt and experienced by a meditator.¹⁵

• Vedanānañca sambhavaṃ: Likewise “…the arising of sensations and how they cease…” is explained as the truth of arising and passing and thus the path to their termination…” “…vedanānañca sambhavanti tāsaṃyeva sambhavaṃ samudayasaccavasena pajānāti… and with their elimination, on account of the truth of their annihilation the understanding of nibbāna gets achieved: Yattha cetāti yatthetā vedanā nirujjhanti, taṃ nibbānaṃ nirodhasaccavasena pajānāti.

• Maggañca khayagāminaṃ “… undertaking the path to their termination…” (khayagāminaṃ maggaṃ) points to the perfect comprehension that the annihilation of all vedanā constitutes the truth of the path: “Khayagāminanti tāsaṃyeva vedanānaṃ khayagāminaṃ maggaṃ maggasaccavasena pajānāti.”

• Nicchāto parinibbuto: That is why through eradication and complete extinction of all contaminating underlying impurities one becomes free from all desire and is completely at rest: “Nicchāto parinibbutoti nittaṇho hutvā kilesaparinibbānena parinibbuto.”