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
Why this discourse
The ninth quality paired against immersion: sātaccakārī ("practicing persistently"), the second member of this saṃyutta's own -kārī cluster, naming sustained, continuous effort over time rather than the momentary carefulness named at SN 34.8.
Reading guide
Persistence, distinct from carefulness in duration
Where sakkaccakārī (SN 34.8) names attentiveness within a given act of practice, sātaccakārī names something closer to consistency across time — showing up and continuing to practice, session after session, rather than any single moment's own quality of attention.
This saṃyutta's own final closing discourse shares this quality's name
Sātaccakārī reappears as one half of SN 34.55's own pairing (sātaccakārī and sappāyakārī, "persistence and what's conducive") — the very last combination this entire saṃyutta will work through, closing both this saṃyutta and Book III itself.
The same compressed shape, a seventh consecutive time
This discourse's own question and answer are elided in the identical pattern as SN 34.3–8, this saṃyutta's own standing convention holding firm through nearly its entire opening ten.
Ninth of ten qualities, one more to close this opening set
SN 34.10 will complete this saṃyutta's own ten-quality list before the combinatorial phase begins at SN 34.11.
Key terms
sātaccakārī — practicing persistently — the ninth of ten qualities, the second of the -kārī cluster
samādhi — immersion — the base capacity this quality is paired against
sakkaccakārī — practicing carefully — the previous discourse's own quality, distinct from sātaccakārī by attentiveness versus duration
sappāyakārī — doing what's conducive — the tenth and final quality, closing this opening set at SN 34.10
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. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, there are these four meditators. What four? One meditator is skilled in immersion but not in practicing persistently for 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
Which quality does this discourse pair against immersion?
Correct: A. The ninth of ten qualities this saṃyutta pairs against immersion.
Question 2 of 5
How does sātaccakārī differ from sakkaccakārī (SN 34.8's own quality)?
Correct: A. Showing up and continuing to practice, session after session.
Question 3 of 5
Where does this quality reappear later in this saṃyutta?
Correct: A. The very last combination this saṃyutta works through, closing both it and Book III.
Question 4 of 5
How many further qualities remain to be paired against immersion after this discourse?
Correct: A. SN 34.10 will complete this saṃyutta's own ten-quality opening set.
Question 5 of 5
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: A. Consistent with this saṃyutta's other discourses.
