Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
54. Ānāpāna Saṃyutta
1. Eka-Dhamma Vagga
The Aspiration Collection
Book 1: One Thing
Sutta 2
Bojjhaṇga Suttaṃ
Dimensions of Awakening
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time Bhagava, Sāvatthi-town revisiting,
Anāthapiṇḍika's Jeta-forest park.
Then The Lucky Man addressed the Beggars there:
"Bhikkhus!"
"Bhadante!" the beggars responded to Bhagava.
Bhagava said this to them:
"Recollecting aspiration, beggars,
developed,
made much of,
makes for great fruit,
great benefit.
And how, beggars, is recollecting aspiration developed,
made much of,
such as makes for great fruit,
great benefit?
Here beggars, a beggar,
recollecting aspiration,
simultaneously develops the dimension of self-awakening that is remembering
that agrees with solitude,
that agrees with the end of lust,
that agrees with ending,
culminating in letting go.
Recollecting aspiration, he simultaneously[1] develops the dimension of self-awakening that is investigation of Dhamma
that agrees with solitude,
that agrees with the end of lust,
that agrees with ending,
culminating in letting go.
Recollecting aspiration, he simultaneously develops the dimension of self-awakening that is energy
that agrees with solitude,
that agrees with the end of lust,
that agrees with ending,
culminating in letting go.
Recollecting aspiration, he simultaneously develops the dimension of self-awakening that is enthusiasm
that agrees with solitude,
that agrees with the end of lust,
that agrees with ending,
culminating in letting go.
Recollecting aspiration, he simultaneously develops the dimension of self-awakening that is impassivity
that agrees with solitude,
that agrees with the end of lust,
that agrees with ending,
culminating in letting go.
Recollecting aspiration, he simultaneously develops the dimension of self-awakening that is serenity
that agrees with solitude,
that agrees with the end of lust,
that agrees with ending,
culminating in letting go.
Recollecting aspiration, he simultaneously develops the dimension of self-awakening that is detachment
that agrees with solitude,
that agrees with the end of lust,
that agrees with ending,
culminating in letting go.
Suchwise 'developed', beggars,
suchwise 'made much of'
recollecting aspiration
makes for great fruit,
great benefit."
[1]Sahagata. PED: Saha1 (indecl.) [fr. sa3; cp. Vedic saha] prep. and prefix, meaning: in conjunction with, together, accompanied by; immediately after (with instr.) Vin I.38; Sn 49, 928; Th 2, 414 = 425; sahā Sn 231. -gata accompanying, connected with, concomitant Vin I.10; D II.186; S V.421; Kvu 337; DhsA 157.
Bhk. Bodhi: 'develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness accompanied by mindfulness of breathing ... etc'; Woodward: 'cultivates the limb of wisdom that is mindfulness accompanied by concentration on in-breathing and out-breathing ... etc.'.
The question for the meditator is: 'Does this mean: "When one recollects aspiration one is remembering, etc." or "One should remember aspiration while simultaneously ...". Since the proposition is that here (in this practice) it is the cultivation of recollecting aspiration that is the basic effort, and that it is by cultivating this practice that the other benefits and developments arise, I opt for the idea that the limb of wisdom is a natural consequence of recollecting aspiration, or, it arises simultaneously.
This is fundamental to the nature of the redundancy found throughout the suttas, where we often find that one 'Dhamma' is to be equated with another e.g., The Four Truths = paṭicca samuppāda.
