The "Great Book" is the fifth and largest book in the Saṁyutta Nikāya, comprising twelve saṁyuttas centered on the Buddha's teachings on the way of practice leading to awakening. The first saṁyutta, the "Section on the Way of Practice" (Maggasaṁyutta), along with the following seven saṁyuttas, expounds on the bodhipakkhiyā dhammā, or "qualities leading to awakening", as taught by the Buddha. The remaining saṁyuttas offer various perspectives from the Buddha on the way of practice, concluding with teachings on stream-entry and the four noble truths. This book offers comprehensive insights into the Buddha's guidance on the way of practice to awakening.
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Ignorance is the forerunner in the arising of unwholesome qualities, and wisdom is the forerunner in the arising of wholesome qualities.
When Ānanda says that good friendship is half of the spiritual life, the Buddha corrects him, saying that it is the whole of the spiritual life. The Buddha explains that good friendship is the basis for the development of the Noble Eightfold Path.
When Sāriputta says that good friendship is the whole of the spiritual life, the Buddha agrees, explaining that good friendship is the basis for the development of the Noble Eightfold Path.
The Buddha explains in detail each factor of the noble eightfold path—right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness.
The venerable Bhadda asks the venerable Ānanda about the wrong spiritual practice.
The venerable Bhadda asks the venerable Ānanda about the right spiritual practice.
The Buddha shares a simile of a water pot without a stand being easily knocked over, and likens it to a mind without support.
The noble eightfold path is the spiritual life. The fruits of the spiritual life are stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and arahantship.
The Buddha explains the importance of good friendship in the development and cultivation of the noble eightfold path.
The Buddha explains the importance of accomplishment in virtue, aspiration, self-development, view, and diligence in the development and cultivation of the noble eightfold path.
The Buddha explains the importance of accomplishment in wise attention in the development and cultivation of the noble eightfold path.
Good friendship is greatly beneficial for the arising, development and extensive cultivation of the Noble Eightfold Path.
The Buddha explains the importance of accomplishment in virtue, aspiration, self-development, view, and diligence in the development and cultivation of the noble eightfold path.
A bhikkhu who develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.
The Tathāgata is regarded the foremost among beings, and diligence is regarded the foremost among qualities.
The elephant's footprint is considered the foremost because of its size. In the same way, whatever wholesome qualities there are, they are all rooted in diligence, and they meet together in diligence; diligence is considered the foremost among the qualities.
The Buddha uses similes of a building with the peaked roof, fragrances, and regional kings to illustrate the importance of diligence in developing the Noble Eightfold Path.
The four floods of sensual pleasures, continued existence, views, and ignorance are described in brief. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way to direct knowing, full understanding, complete exhaustion, and giving up of these floods.
The four bonds of sensual pleasures, continued existence, views, and ignorance are described in brief. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way to direct knowing, full understanding, complete exhaustion, and giving up of these bonds.
The four knots of craving, ill-will, adherence to rules and observances, and clinging to the idea that 'This is the truth' are described in brief. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way to direct knowing, full understanding, complete exhaustion, and giving up of these knots.
The Buddha explains the benefits of associating with virtuous bhikkhus and the development of the seven awakening factors.
The Buddha explains how frequently paying attention to certain things can lead to the arising and expansion of hindrances and awakening factors.
The Buddha explains the nutriment and the lack of nutriment for the five hindrances and the seven factors of awakening.
Sāriputta boldly declares that no ascetic or brahmin has ever been, nor will ever be, more knowledgeable in direct knowing than the Blessed One in full awakening. He acknowledges that he cannot encompass the minds of all the Buddhas, past, future, or present. However, he understands a principle through the Dhamma - all those who become fully awakened do so by abandoning the five hindrances, establishing their minds in the four foundations of mindfulness, and developing the seven factors of awakening.
On the passing away of Sāriputta, the Buddha advises Ānanda to be an island unto himself, with no other refuge, with the Dhamma as his island, with the Dhamma as his refuge, not dependent on another as a refuge.
The Buddha explains how a bhikkhu should live with mindfulness and full awareness.
The Buddha explains the five faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, collectedness, and wisdom.
One who has developed the five faculties is an Arahant. Those who are lesser in the development of these faculties are practicing for the realization of the fruit of Arahantship.
The Buddha explains how a trainee and an arahant understand their respective attainments.
Developing the four bases of psychic abilities can lead from the near shore to the far shore.
For whomever the four bases of psychic abilities are neglected, the noble way of practice leading to the complete ending of suffering is also neglected.
The four bases of psychic abilities are noble and lead to liberation.
When the four bases of psychic abilities are developed and frequently practiced, they lead to complete disenchantment, to the fading of desire, to gradual ending, to tranquility, to direct knowing, to full awakening, and to Nibbāna.
Whoever in the past, future, or present produces psychic abilities, all of them do so through the development and frequent practice of the four bases of psychic abilities.
Whoever in the past, future, or present produces the highest psychic abilities, all of them do so through the development and frequent practice of the four bases of psychic abilities.
Whoever attains the taint-free release of mind and release by wisdom, does so through the development and frequent practice of the four bases of psychic abilities.
It is because he has developed and frequently practiced these four bases of psychic abilities that the Tathāgata is called 'the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One.'
Vision, insight, wisdom, true understanding and clarity arose in the Buddha regarding the four bases of psychic abilities.
The Buddha could live for an aeon due to his mastery of the four bases of psychic abilities, but Ananda is unable to comprehend and the Buddha then gives up the life force at the Cāpāla Shrine.
The Buddha recounts the inquiry that led to the development of the four bases of psychic abilities before his full awakening.
Developing the four bases of psychic abilities can lead to various kinds of psychic abilities and the realization of the taintless liberation of mind.
An analysis of the four bases of psychic abilities that are endowed with collectedness arising from aspiration, determination, purification of mind, and investigation.
Ānanda explains to the brahmin Uṇṇābha how desire is abandoned by developing the four bases of psychic abilities.
Whether in the past, future, or at present, any ascetics or brahmins who are mighty and powerful have attained such might and power through the development and frequent practice of the four bases of psychic abilities.
Whether in the past, future, or at present, any ascetics or brahmins who are experiencing various kinds of psychic abilities have attained such abilities through the development and frequent practice of the four bases of psychic abilities.
Through the development and frequent practice of the four bases of psychic abilities, a bhikkhu realizes the taintless liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom.
The Buddha teaches about psychic ability, the basis of psychic ability, the development of the bases of psychic ability, and the way of practice leading to the development of the bases of psychic ability.
A detailed analysis of the four bases of psychic abilities - collectedness arising from aspiration, energy, purification of mind, and investigation.
The Buddha explains how Moggallāna became so mighty and powerful through the development and frequent practice of the four bases of psychic abilities.
Develop the four bases of psychic abilities for the direct knowing, full understanding, complete exhaustion, and abandonment of the five higher fetters.
The Buddha describes the cultivation of four jhānas as leading to Nibbāna.
The Buddha explains the development of mindfulness of breathing and its benefits in fulfilling the four establishments of mindfulness, the seven factors of awakening, and clear knowing and release.
The Buddha explains that even a Wheel-Turning Monarch, if not endowed with four qualities, is not freed from hell, the animal realm, the ghost realm, and the lower realms. On the other hand, a noble disciple, endowed with four qualities, is freed from these states.
A noble disciple who is endowed with four qualities becomes a stream-enterer, not liable to states of suffering, and destined for Nibbāna.
A lay disciple named Dīghāvu, who is gravely ill, is visited by the Buddha. The Buddha teaches him how to develop the qualities of a stream-enterer.
The venerable Ānanda asks the venerable Sāriputta about the qualities that make a person a stream-enterer, no longer subject to downfall, fixed in destiny, and headed for full awakening.
The Buddha asks Sāriputta about the four factors of stream-entry, what the stream is, and who is a stream-enterer.
The Buddha describes the four streams of merit, outflows of good, and supports for ease. The fourth quality is virtue.
The Buddha describes the four streams of merit, outflows of good, and supports for ease. The fourth quality is generosity.
The Buddha describes the four streams of merit, outflows of good, and supports for ease. The fourth quality is wisdom.
A disciple of the noble ones endowed with four qualities is called 'wealthy, of great wealth, of great possessions.'
A disciple of the noble ones endowed with four qualities is called 'wealthy, of great wealth, of great possessions, of great fame.'
Cultivating collectedness leads to discerning the Four Noble Truths.
Whether in the past, future, or present, all fully awakened to things as they truly are do so by fully awakening to the Four Noble Truths.
Whether in the past, future, or present, all fully awakened to things as they truly are do so by fully awakening to the Four Noble Truths and making them known.
Do not think harmful and unwholesome thoughts. When you do think, think about suffering, the arising of suffering, the ending of suffering, and the way of practice leading to the ending of suffering.
The Buddha's first discourse to the group of five bhikkhus at the Deer Park in Isipatana, near Varanasi. The discourse explains the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path in brief. It ends with the realization of the first bhikkhu, Venerable Kondañña.
The Buddha explains the Four Noble Truths and the five aggregates subject to clinging.
The Buddha describes the Four Noble Truths in brief.
The Buddha describes the wandering in samsara due to not fully understanding and penetrating the Four Noble Truths.
The Arahants of the past, present, and future have truly understood the Four Noble Truths.
The wearing away of the mental defilements for is one who knows and sees the Four Noble Truths.
The Four Noble Truths are actual, unchanging, and not otherwise; therefore, they are called the Noble Truths.
In the world with its |deities::gods [devas]|, |Māras::demons, tempters, beings of delusion|, |Brahmas::Gods; celestial beings residing in the Brahmā realms, often considered to be highly refined and long-lived deities. [brahmā]|, its ascetics and brahmins, kings and commoners, the Tathāgata is noble; therefore, these are called the Noble Truths.
The Noble Truth of suffering should be fully understood, the Noble Truth of the arising of suffering should be abandoned, the Noble Truth of the ending of suffering should be personally experienced, and the Noble Truth of the way of practice leading to the ending of suffering should be developed.
The Buddha explains why he teaches only a little compared to what he has not taught with the simile of the rosewood leaves.
The Buddha explains the importance of understanding the Four Noble Truths to end suffering with a simile of making a container out of leaves.
Just as a stick thrown into the air sometimes lands on its base and sometimes on its tip, beings, obstructed by ignorance and fettered by craving, continue to run and wander in this cycle of existence.
The Buddha explains the urgency of understanding the Four Noble Truths to end suffering with a simile of extinguishing a fire on one's clothes or head.
Just as dawn precedes and predicts the rising of the sun, so too, for a bhikkhu, right view precedes and predicts the breakthrough to the Four Noble Truths as they really are.
As long as sun and moon do not arise in the world, there is complete darkness. Similarly, as long as the Buddha has not arisen in the world, there is complete darkness, dense darkness.
The Buddha explains the greater precipice of delighting in volitional formations leading to rebirth, aging, death, and sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, resulting from not understanding the Four Noble Truths.
The Buddha explains the importance of understanding the Four Noble Truths to end suffering with a simile of constructing a mansion.
The Buddha shares on the difficulty of regaining human existence for an undiscerning person who has fallen into a lower realm.
For a noble disciple endowed with right view, who understands the Four Noble Truths, the suffering that has been eradicated and exhausted is far greater than what little remains.