The Discourse about the Great Emancipation

[The Third Chapter for Recitation]



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[26: The Thirty-Seven Things on the Side of Awakening] I have omitted sections 24-25 believing them to be later additions to the text.

Come Ānanda let us approach the Gabled House Hall in Great Wood.” This is still in the vicinity of Vesālī.

“Very well, reverend Sir,” venerable Ānanda replied to the Fortunate One. Then the Fortunate One with venerable Ānanda approached the Gabled House Hall in Great Wood, and after approaching he addressed venerable Ānanda, (saying):

“Go, Ānanda, and whatever monks are living in dependance on Vesālī assemble them in the Attendance Hall.”

“Very well, reverend Sir,” said venerable Ānanda, and after replying to the Fortunate One and assembling whatever monks were living in dependance on Vesālī in the Attendance Hall, he approached the Fortunate One, and after approaching and worshipping the Fortunate One, he stood at one side. While standing on one side, venerable Ānanda said this to the Fortunate One: “The Community of monks has assembled, reverend Sir, now is the time, Fortunate One, for whatever you are thinking.”

Then the Fortunate One approached the Attendance Hall, and after approaching he sat down on the prepared seat. While sitting the Fortunate One addressed the monks, (saying):

“Therefore, This is a funny way to begin a Teaching, it looks like it has been extracted from a longer section somewhere, where Therefore... might be more in place. monks, whatever Teachings have, with deep knowledge, been taught by me, after grasping them well, you should practise, develop, and make a lot of them, so that the Spiritual Life may last long, and may endure for a long time, and that will be for the benefit of many people, for the happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of Divinities and men.

And what are those Teachings that have, with deep knowledge, been taught by me, which after grasping them well, you should practise, develop, and make a lot of them, so that the Spiritual Life may last long, and may endure for a long time, that will be for the benefit of many people, for the happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of Divinities and men?

They are as follows: These are collectively known as the 37 Things on the Side of Awakening (Bodhipakkhiyadhammā). They are mentioned in many places, e.g. Sampasādanīyasuttaṁ (DN 28); Kintisuttaṁ (MN 103); Pahārādasuttaṁ (AN 8:19), etc. etc.

The Four Ways of Attending to Mindfulness, Contemplation of the body (kāyānupassanā), contemplation of feelings (vedanānupassanā), contemplation of the mind (cittānupassanā), and contemplation of (the nature of) things (dhammānupassanā). See the text and translation of the Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasuttaṁ elsewhere on this website.
the Four Right Strivings, These are the same as the Right Endeavours (Sammāvāyāma, part of the Eightfold Noble Path). The striving 1. not to take up bad and unwholesome things that have not yet arisen, 2. to give up bad and unwholesome things that have already arisen, 3. to take up wholesome things that have not yet arisen, 4. for the endurance of wholesome things that have arisen.
the Four Paths to Power, These were explained above Chapter 17. They are concentration of desire accompanied by the process of striving (chandasamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgata); concentration of energy accompanied by the process of striving (viriya-); concentration of mind accompanied by the process of striving (citta-), and concentration of investigation accompanied by the process of striving (vimaṁsa-).
the Five Faculties, Faith (saddhā), energy (viriya), mindfulness (sati), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā).
the Five Strengths, The same as the above brought to fulfilment. Faith finds fulfilment in the 4 factors of the Stream-Enterer (Sotāpannaṅgāni), energy in the four Right Endeavours (Sammāvāyāma), mindfulness in the four ways of attending to mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna), concentration in the four absorptions (jhāna), and wisdom in understanding the Four Noble Truths (Ariyasacca).
the Seven Factors of Awakening, Mindfulness (satisambojjhaṅga), investigation of the (nature of) things (dhammavicaya-), energy (viriya-), joyful-interest (pīti-), tranquillity (passaddhi-), concentration (samādhi-), and equanimity (upekkhā-).
the Noble Eight-Fold Path. Right View (Sammādiṭṭhi), Right Thought (Sammāsaṅkappa), Right Speech (Sammāvācā), Right Action (Sammākammanta), Right Livelihood (Sammā-ājīva), Right Endeavour (Sammāvāyāma), Right Mindfulness (Sammāsati), Right Concentration (Sammāsamādhi).

These, monks, are those Teachings that have, with deep knowledge, been taught by me, after grasping them well, you should practise, develop, and make a lot of them, so that the Spiritual Life may last long, and may endure for a long time, and that will be for the benefit of many people, for the happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the welfare, benefit, and happiness of Divinities and men.”

Then the Fortunate One addressed the monks, (saying):

“Come now, monks, for I tell you (all) conditioned things are subject to decay, strive on with heedfulness! Not long now there will be the Realised One’s Final Emancipation, after the passing of three months the Realised One will attain Final Emancipation.”

The Fortunate One said this, and after saying this, the Happy One, the Teacher, said something more: The lines within square brackets only appear in the Thai edition. These lines look like variations of the verses now found in the Sallasuttaṁ of the Suttanipāta (Sn. 3.8 v. 5 & 4).

[“Youths and also the old, fools and also the wise,
Rich and also the poor - all end in death.
Like an earthen vessel made by a potter
Small and great, that which is baked and unbaked,
All end in breakage, just so life (ends) in death.”

Then the Teacher, said something more:]

“Well-matured, decayed, with little of my life remaining,
Having abandoned (rebirth) I will go, having made myself a refuge.
Be heedful, mindful, and virtuous, monks,
With well-reasoned thoughts, protect your minds.
Whoever in this Teaching and Discipline will live heedful, Dhammavinaya is the original name for theory and practice taught by the Buddha.
Having given up the round of rebirths, he will put an end to suffering.”

The Third Chapter for Recital (is Finished).