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Saį¹yutta NikÄya 14.11 Linked Discourses 14.11
2. Dutiyavagga Chapter Two
SattadhÄtusutta Seven Elements
SÄvatthiyaį¹ viharati. At SÄvatthÄ«.
āSattimÄ, bhikkhave, dhÄtuyo. āMendicants, there are these seven elements.
KatamÄ satta? What seven?
ÄbhÄdhÄtu, subhadhÄtu, ÄkÄsÄnaƱcÄyatanadhÄtu, viƱƱÄį¹aƱcÄyatanadhÄtu, ÄkiƱcaƱƱÄyatanadhÄtu, nevasaƱƱÄnÄsaƱƱÄyatanadhÄtu, saƱƱÄvedayitanirodhadhÄtuāThe element of luminosity, the element of beauty, the element of the dimension of infinite space, the element of the dimension of infinite consciousness, the element of the dimension of nothingness, the element of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, and the element of the cessation of perception and feeling. This set of seven offers a unique perspective on familiar meditations. It appears out of sequence, unrelated to those before and after.
imÄ kho, bhikkhave, satta dhÄtuyoāti. These are the seven elements.ā
Evaį¹ vutte, aƱƱataro bhikkhu bhagavantaį¹ etadavoca: When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha, We see the reappearance of familiar tropes of the discourses such as questions and similes, rather than the strict formalism of the first chapter.
āyÄ cÄyaį¹, bhante, ÄbhÄdhÄtu yÄ ca subhadhÄtu yÄ ca ÄkÄsÄnaƱcÄyatanadhÄtu yÄ ca viƱƱÄį¹aƱcÄyatanadhÄtu yÄ ca ÄkiƱcaƱƱÄyatanadhÄtu yÄ ca nevasaƱƱÄnÄsaƱƱÄyatanadhÄtu yÄ ca saƱƱÄvedayitanirodhadhÄtuāimÄ nu kho, bhante, dhÄtuyo kiį¹ paį¹icca paƱƱÄyantÄ«āti? āSir, due to what does each of these elements appear?ā
āYÄyaį¹, bhikkhu, ÄbhÄdhÄtuāayaį¹ dhÄtu andhakÄraį¹ paį¹icca paƱƱÄyati. āMendicant, the element of luminosity appears due to the element of darkness. āLuminosityā (ÄbhÄ) is the radiance of the sun and moon in the darkness of space (MN 123:7.4), or the light cast by a flame (MN 43:22.18), but here it is the illumination that appears in deep meditation. Just as in the visual sense, light only manifests in contrast with darkness, in meditation the appearance of luminous radiance is a mode of perception by which the mind communicates to itself the ending of the hindrances and the arising of unclouded awareness. This is why this light came to be called a āsignā (nimitta). | The dependence of light on darkness was taken up for discussion by NÄgÄrjuna, perhaps inspired by this passage (MÅ«lamadhyamakakÄrikÄ 7.8ā12).
YÄyaį¹, bhikkhu, subhadhÄtuāayaį¹ dhÄtu asubhaį¹ paį¹icca paƱƱÄyati. The element of beauty appears due to the element of ugliness. āBeautyā (subha) is the focus of wholly pure and exalted meditations, such as the meditation on love, or the sight of a pure brilliant color like the sky (MN 77:22.6). It contrasts with the meditation on āuglinessā, such as the parts of the body or a decomposing corpse. At AN 6.41:2.7, SÄriputta explains that an accomplished meditator could see a tree as nothing but beauty or nothing but ugliness, since both of those elements are present in it.
YÄyaį¹, bhikkhu, ÄkÄsÄnaƱcÄyatanadhÄtuāayaį¹ dhÄtu rÅ«paį¹ paį¹icca paƱƱÄyati. The element of the dimension of infinite space appears due to the element of form. While āformā is not present in the formless meditations, it is only possible to develop them based on the prior development of āformā absorptions. These ultimately have a material basis in the body of the meditator and in the meditation subject such as the breath, or the luminous āformā that arises as a guide into absorption.
YÄyaį¹, bhikkhu, viƱƱÄį¹aƱcÄyatanadhÄtuāayaį¹ dhÄtu ÄkÄsÄnaƱcÄyatanaį¹ paį¹icca paƱƱÄyati. The element of the dimension of infinite consciousness appears due to the element of the dimension of infinite space. Likewise, each of the formless meditations depend on the one before; they are a step by step sequence of āprogressive cessationā (AN 9.31).
YÄyaį¹, bhikkhu, ÄkiƱcaƱƱÄyatanadhÄtuāayaį¹ dhÄtu viƱƱÄį¹aƱcÄyatanaį¹ paį¹icca paƱƱÄyati. The element of the dimension of nothingness appears due to the element of the dimension of infinite consciousness.
YÄyaį¹, bhikkhu, nevasaƱƱÄnÄsaƱƱÄyatanadhÄtuāayaį¹ dhÄtu ÄkiƱcaƱƱÄyatanaį¹ paį¹icca paƱƱÄyati. The element of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception appears due to the element of the dimension of nothingness.
YÄyaį¹, bhikkhu, saƱƱÄvedayitanirodhadhÄtuāayaį¹ dhÄtu nirodhaį¹ paį¹icca paƱƱÄyatÄ«āti. The element of the cessation of perception and feeling appears due to the element of cessation.ā
āYÄ cÄyaį¹, bhante, ÄbhÄdhÄtu yÄ ca subhadhÄtu yÄ ca ÄkÄsÄnaƱcÄyatanadhÄtu yÄ ca viƱƱÄį¹aƱcÄyatanadhÄtu yÄ ca ÄkiƱcaƱƱÄyatanadhÄtu yÄ ca nevasaƱƱÄnÄsaƱƱÄyatanadhÄtu yÄ ca saƱƱÄvedayitanirodhadhÄtuāimÄ nu kho, bhante, dhÄtuyo kathaį¹ samÄpatti pattabbÄāti? āSir, how is each of these elements to be attained?ā
āYÄ cÄyaį¹, bhikkhu, ÄbhÄdhÄtu yÄ ca subhadhÄtu yÄ ca ÄkÄsÄnaƱcÄyatanadhÄtu yÄ ca viƱƱÄį¹aƱcÄyatanadhÄtu yÄ ca ÄkiƱcaƱƱÄyatanadhÄtuāimÄ dhÄtuyo saƱƱÄsamÄpatti pattabbÄ. āThe elements of light, beauty, the dimension of infinite space, the dimension of infinite consciousness, and the dimension of nothingness are attainments with perception.
YÄyaį¹, bhikkhu, nevasaƱƱÄnÄsaƱƱÄyatanadhÄtuāayaį¹ dhÄtu saį¹
khÄrÄvasesasamÄpatti pattabbÄ. The element of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception is an attainment with residual conditioned phenomena. The Visuddhimagga explains that in such a state, perception (and by extension other factors) still exists in a latent state, but does not perform its decisive function. It is unable to distinguish subject and object, so cannot support liberating insight (337ā38), just as tepid water is not entirely lacking heat, yet cannot perform the function of heating. | The phrase is adopted at Vb 12:165.1.
YÄyaį¹, bhikkhu, saƱƱÄvedayitanirodhadhÄtuāayaį¹ dhÄtu nirodhasamÄpatti pattabbÄāti. The element of the cessation of perception and feeling is an attainment of cessation.ā All meditations states are attained through cessation (of what is let go in the prior state), but they also manifest what is present in the new state. This is purely cessation and does not manifest anything new.
Paį¹hamaį¹.