The Buddha addressing the mendicants (by cross-reference)
Form
A peyyāla stub, identical in shape to SN 34.11–18, closing entering's own nine-part combinatorial set
Length
under a minute to read
Northern parallel
A rough counterpart may exist in the Chinese Saṃyukta-āgama (T99), though this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — understood only alongside SN 34.1 and SN 34.11
Why this discourse
This discourse closes entering's own nine-part combinatorial set, pairing samāpatti ("entering") against sappāyakārī ("doing what's conducive") — the ninth and final pairing built on entering. With this discourse, entering has now been paired against every one of the other nine qualities; SN 34.20 will begin remaining's own combinatorial set against the eight qualities that follow it.
Reading guide
The ninth and final pairing built on entering
Sappāyakārī closes the -kārī trio begun at SN 34.17 (carefulness) and continued at SN 34.18 (persistence), completing entering's own full run through all nine remaining qualities.
Entering's own combinatorial set, now fully closed
SN 34.11–19 together account for nine of this saṃyutta's own forty-five combinatorial pairings, every one of them anchored on entering as the shared first term.
A shift to remaining as the next combinatorial anchor
SN 34.20 will open a new merged block pairing remaining against the eight qualities that follow it alphabetically in this saṃyutta's own sequence (emerging through conducive), the second of this saṃyutta's own ten combinatorial anchor points.
A shrinking pattern from here forward
Where entering's own set spanned nine discourses, remaining's own set will span only eight (since entering is already covered), then emerging's own seven, and so on down to a final single discourse — the triangular-number shape (9+8+7+6+5+4+3+2+1=45) underlying this saṃyutta's own remaining structure.
Key terms
samāpatti — entering — this combinatorial set's own shared anchor quality, now fully paired
sappāyakārī — doing what's conducive — the second quality named in this specific discourse, closing the -kārī trio
sātaccakārī — practicing persistently — the previous discourse's own second quality, replaced here by sappāyakārī
ṭhiti — remaining — the second quality, whose own combinatorial set against the remaining eight qualities begins at SN 34.20
peyyāla — an elision mark — here compressing both the fourfold structure and the closing simile to a single surviving line
The text
The discourse as the source itself preserves it, compressed to its opening line, closing entering's own nine-part combinatorial set. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, there are these four meditators. What four? One meditator is skilled in entering immersion but not in doing what’s conducive to it. …”
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Self-check quiz
5 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 5
What two qualities does this discourse pair?
Correct: A. The ninth and final pairing built on entering.
Question 2 of 5
What does this discourse close?
Correct: A. Entering has now been paired against every one of the other nine qualities.
Question 3 of 5
What begins at SN 34.20?
Correct: A. The second of this saṃyutta's own ten combinatorial anchor points.
Question 4 of 5
What numerical pattern underlies this saṃyutta's remaining combinatorial structure?
Correct: A. Each successive anchor pairs against one fewer remaining quality.
Question 5 of 5
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: A. Consistent with this saṃyutta's other discourses, though given here only by cross-reference.
