Skip to main content

Dhamma-vicaya-sambojjhanga of 7sb and the 4th category of 4sp, Dhamma-anu-passsana, are one and the same

Is this commonly known?

I've suspected this for years, but only recently became thoroughly convinced.

Dhamma-vicaya and Dhamma-anupasssana at first glance seem to have different roles and functions.

Let's look at some parallel examples, so you get a sense of how much latitude may be expected when two terms/concepts at first seem to be different,

SN 48.9 paį¹­hama-vibhaį¹…ga-suttaį¹ƒ

No one would question that sati-indriya (of 5 indriya and 5 bala) is exactly the same as samma-sati (of 8aam) and 4sp (satipatttana), and sati-sambojjhanga (of 7sb).
But read the sati-indriya definition carefully in SN 48.9, it's very different than samma sati and 4sp definition.

♦ “katamaƱ-ca, bhikkhave, sat-indriyaį¹ƒ?
"{And}-what, monks, (is) rememberness-faculty?
idha, bhikkhave, ariya-sāvako
Here, monks, (a) disciple-of-the-noble-ones,
satimā hoti
{is} rememberful,
paramena sati-nepakkena samannāgato
supreme rememberness-(and)-prudence (he) possesses,
cira-katampi cira-bhāsitampi
(what was) {done}-long-ago, {spoken}-long-ago,
saritā anussaritā —
(he) remembers (and) recollects -
idaį¹ƒ vuccati, bhikkhave, sat-indriyaį¹ƒ.
this (is) called, *********, rememberness-faculty.

Similarly, with samadhi-indriya STED definition in SN 48.9,  and samma-samadhi definition of 4 jhanas. Each definition is giving you more information not found in the other.

♦ “katamaƱ-ca, bhikkhave, samādh-indriyaį¹ƒ?
"{And}-what, monks, (is) undistractable-lucidity-faculty?
idha, bhikkhave, ariya-sāvako
Here, monks, (a) disciple-of-the-noble-ones,
vossagg-ārammaį¹‡aį¹ƒ karitvā
{having made} release-(as the)-object
labhati samādhiį¹ƒ,
(he) obtains undistractable-lucidity,
labhati cittassa ekaggataį¹ƒ —
(he) obtains mind’s singularity -
idaį¹ƒ vuccati, bhikkhave, samādh-indriyaį¹ƒ.
this (is) called, *********, undistractable-lucidity-faculty.

Similarly with samadhi-sambojjhanga and samma-samadhi. At first it's not clear just how much they overlap, but after researching carefully, you'll find both explicitly are tied to 4 jhanas.

With viriya-indriya (in SN 48.9) and samma-vayamo, they overlap with similar information, but still the indriya version offers some important information not contained in samm-vayamo and samma-padhana.

♦ “katamaƱ-ca, bhikkhave, vÄ«riy-indriyaį¹ƒ?
"{and}-what, monks, (is) vigor-faculty?
idha, bhikkhave, ariya-sāvako
here, monks, (a) disciple-of-the-noble-ones
āraddha-vīriyo viharati
(with) aroused-vigor (he) dwells,
a-kusalānaį¹ƒ dhammānaį¹ƒ pahānāya,
(for) un-skillful qualities removal,
kusalānaį¹ƒ dhammānaį¹ƒ upasampadāya,
(for) skillful qualities undertaking,
thāmavā daįø·ha-parakkamo
(He is) powerful, strong-(in)-exertion,
a-nikkhitta-dhuro
not-neglecting-duties
kusalesu dhammesu —
(in) [developing] skillful-qualities -
idaį¹ƒ vuccati, bhikkhave, vÄ«riy-indriyaį¹ƒ.
this (is) called, *********, vigor-faculty.

So what I realized is that this is the same thing going on with Dhamma-vicaya-sambojjhanga, and the 4th category Dhamma in 4sp. Even though at first they seem to be different function, different roles, because each contains some information not appearing in the other, but as with the parallel cases above, that's precisely why they contain different information, it's to expand on the role and function of the quality in question.


Related Articles

more examples of dhamma-vicaya-sambojjhanga in sutta passages, in slightly disguised form

1. sati, 2. Dhamma, ... the relationship explained with picture and video




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Advice to younger meditators on jhāna, sex, porn, masturbation

Someone asked: Is porn considered harmful sexual.activity? I don't have a sex life because I don't have a partner and I don't wish to engage in casual sex so I use porn to quench the biological urge to orgasm. I can't see that's it's harmful because nobody is being forced into it. The actors are all paid well and claim to enjoy it etc. The only harm I can see is that it's so accessible these days on smart devices and so children may access it but I believe that this is the parents responsibility to not allow unsupervised use of devices etc. Views? Frankk response: In another thread, you asked about pleasant sensations and jhāna.  I'm guessing you're young, so here's some important advice you won't get from suttas   if you're serious about jhāna.  (since monastics are already celibate by rule)   If you want to attain stable and higher jhānas,   celibacy and noble silence to the best of your ability are the feedstock and prerequiste to tha...

SN 48.40 Ven. Thanissaro comments on Ven. Sunyo's analysis

This was Ven. Sunyo's analysis of SN 48.40: https://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2024/05/exciting-news-honest-ebt-scholars-like.html And here is Ven. Thanissaro's response to that analysis: I think there’s a better way to tackle the issue of SN 48:40 than by appealing to the oldest layers of commentarial literature. That way is to point out that SN 48:40, as we have it, doesn’t pass the test in DN 16 for determining what’s genuine Dhamma and what’s not. There the standard is, not the authority of the person who’s claiming to report the Buddha’s teachings, but whether the teachings he’s reporting are actually in accordance with the principles of the Dhamma that you know. So the simple fact that those who have passed the Buddha’s teachings down to us say that a particular passage is what the Buddha actually taught is not sufficient grounds for accepting it. In the case of the jhānas—the point at issue here— we have to take as our guide the standard formula for the jhānas, a...

1min. video: Dalai Lama kissing boy and asking him to suck his tongue

To give more context, this is a public event,  * everyone knows cameras are rolling  *  it's a room full of children * the boy's mom is standing off camera a few feet away watching all of this * the boy initiated contact, he had already had a hug with Dalai Lama earlier and then asked Dalai Lama for another hug which triggered this segment  17 min. video showing what happened before that 1 min. clip and after, with some explanation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT0qey5Ts78 16min talk from Ajahn Acalo with his thoughts on Dalai Lama kissing boy, relevance to Bhikkhu monastic code, sexual predators in religion in general, and how celibate monastics deal with sexual energy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK2m0TcUib0 The child's comments about the incident in a filmed interview later https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2023/04/18/643eba5d46163ffc078b457c.html The child: It's a great experience It was amazing to meet His Holiness and I think it's a great ex...