MN 122, SN 48.10: sampajāno, pajānati, is lucid-discerning, a direct function of pañña wisdom/discermment faculty, not "situational awareness"

 

What is the meaning of situational awareness?

Situational awareness is the ability to perceive, understand, and effectively respond to one's situation. 

It involves comprehending a given circumstance, 

gathering relevant information, 

analyzing it, 

and making informed decisions 

to successfully address any potential risks, hazards, or events that might occur.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Situational awareness or situation awareness (SA) is the understanding of an environment, 

its elements, and how it changes with respect to time or other factors.

 Situational awareness is important for effective decision making in many environments.

 It is formally defined as:

    “the perception of the elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, 

the comprehension of their meaning, 

and the projection of their status in the near future”.

An alternative definition is that situation awareness is adaptive, 

externally-directed consciousness that has as its products knowledge about a dynamic task environment 

and directed action within that environment.

Situation awareness has been recognized as a critical foundation for successful decision-making 

across a broad range of situations, 

many of which involve the protection of human life and property, 

including law enforcement, aviation, air traffic control, ship navigation,[3] health care,[4] emergency response, military command and control operations, transmission system operators, self defense,[5] and offshore oil and nuclear power plant management.

SN 48.10 wisdom/discernment faculty

Katamañca, bhikkhave, paññindriyaṃ?	And what is the faculty of wisdom?
Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako paññavā hoti udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya, sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā.	It’s when a noble-one's-disciple is wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.
So ‘idaṃ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti, ‘ayaṃ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti—	They truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.
idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, paññindriyaṃ.	This is called the faculty of wisdom.
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyānī”ti.	These are the five faculties.”

This is what sampajāno is doing in 3rd and 4th jhāna, in satipaṭṭhāna, in emptiness (suññata, which can be any of the 4 jhānas, animitta samādhi, etc.)

MN ^122.10 - (you should observe rise and fall of 5uk aggregates)

MN 122.10 - (you should observe rise and fall of 5uk aggregates and become noble while doing so!

Pañca kho ime, ānanda, upādānakkhandhā yattha bhikkhunā udayabbayānupassinā vihātabbaṃ:	A monk should live observing rise and fall in these five grasping aggregates:
‘iti rūpaṃ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo,	‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form.
iti vedanā …	Such is feeling …
iti saññā …	Such is perception …
iti saṅkhārā …	Such are co-doings …
iti viññāṇaṃ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti.	Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’
Tassa imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassino viharato yo pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu asmimāno so pahīyati.	As they do so, they give up the conceit ‘I am’ regarding the five grasping aggregates.
Evaṃ santametaṃ, ānanda, bhikkhu evaṃ pajānāti:	In that case, they understand:
‘yo kho imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu asmimāno so me pahīno’ti.	‘I have given up the conceit “I am” regarding the five grasping aggregates.’
Itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	In this way they are lucidly-discerning.
Ime kho te, ānanda, dhammā ekantakusalā kusalāyātikā ariyā lokuttarā anavakkantā pāpimatā.	These principles are entirely skillful, with skillful outcomes; they are noble, transcendent, and inaccessible to the Wicked One.
Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, ānanda,	What do you think, Ānanda?
kaṃ atthavasaṃ sampassamāno arahati sāvako satthāraṃ anubandhituṃ api paṇujjamāno”ti?	For what reason would a disciple value following the Teacher, even if sent away?”
“Bhagavaṃmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṃnettikā bhagavaṃpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṃyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.	“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. He is our guide and our refuge. Sir, may the Buddha himself please clarify the meaning of this. The monks will listen and remember it.”

Sujato translates the same part of MN 122 like this:

MN 122: Mahāsuññatasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net)

A mendicant should meditate observing rise and fall in these five grasping aggregates:Pañca kho ime, ānanda, upādānakkhandhā yattha bhikkhunā udayabbayānupassinā vihātabbaṁ:‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form.‘iti rūpaṁ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo,Such is feeling …iti vedanā …Such is perception …iti saññā …Such are choices …iti saṅkhārā …Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’iti viññāṇaṁ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti.

As they do so, they give up the conceit ‘I am’ regarding the five grasping aggregates.Tassa imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassino viharato yo pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu asmimāno so pahīyati.In that case, they understand:Evaṁ santametaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhu evaṁ pajānāti:‘I have given up the conceit “I am” regarding the five grasping aggregates.’‘yo kho imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu asmimāno so me pahīno’ti.In this way they are aware of the situation.Itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.

Conclusion: Sampajāno is lucid-discerning, the wisdom faculty, right view, not "situational awareness"

When you see rise and fall of aggregates, see not self, become enlightened,

you're not just "aware of the situation", you lucidly-discerned every step of the way and fully comprehended reality to awaken, to become enlightened. 

You used the wisdom/discernment faculty all the way through, not just "became aware of the situation" at the final moment when you broke through to nirvana.

Before your awakening while you were watching the rise and fall of hindrances, unskillful Dharmas in the mind, you weren't just "aware of the situation". 

You lucidly-discerned, with wisdom, why those hindrances came to be, what fed them, what leads to their destruction. 

Every step of the way wisdom (that can lead to nirvana) was on.

Pañña (wisdom/discernment faculty) is not just tactical intelligence that a soldier uses in battle, or an air traffic controller uses to direct traffic. That doesn't lead to nirvana.

A monk walking through town with sati, jhāna, active all the time is not just using tactical intelligence to navigate the alms round route, and avoid snakes, dangers, etc., with "situational awareness."

The goal is nirvana. 

Sampajāno is part of Dhamma-vicaya-sambojjhanga (SN 46.3), the awakening factor of investigating Dhammas in away that leads to awakening.

That's why sampajāno is a factor of awakening,

not a factor of how to be a good air traffic controller or how to be  a good soldier.