SN 45.20 — At the Chicken Monastery (3rd)

Reading guide

A three-part question, not merely a repeat of SN 45.19

“What is the spiritual path? Who is someone on the spiritual path? And what is the culmination of the spiritual path?” adds a genuine middle term (“who is someone on the path”) not present in SN 45.19's own two-part question, confirmed by direct comparison of both discourses' own opening lines rather than assumed to be identical questions.

A person defined by possession, not by attainment

“Someone who possesses this noble eightfold path” is called “someone on the spiritual path” — a definition by possession of practice rather than by any specific level of attainment reached, echoing this project's own SN 45.13, where “a trainee” was likewise defined by holding the path's own eight factors at a particular degree.

This vagga's own quiet close

Following this discourse's own genuinely translated content, the root Pāli notes this trio's own shared setting explicitly (“three discourses, one shared setting”) before Vihāravagga's own closing colophon (“Vihāravaggo dutiyo,” “Vihāravagga is the second [vagga]”) and an untranslated meta-uddāna naming all ten of its own discourses in verse — described here rather than quoted, since this content is left untranslated in Sujato's own English.

Key terms

katamo brahmacārī — “who is someone on the spiritual path” — the genuine middle term this discourse adds to SN 45.19's own two-part question

iminā ariyena aṭṭhaṅgikena maggena samannāgato — “possesses this noble eightfold path” — Ānanda's own answer, defining “someone on the path” by possession of practice

brahmacārī — “someone on the spiritual path” — the term this discourse's own middle question defines

tīṇi suttantāni ekanidānāni — “three discourses, one shared setting” — the root's own explicit note confirming SN 45.18-20 share one narrative frame, left untranslated in Sujato's own English and described rather than quoted here

vihāravaggo dutiyo — “Vihāravagga is the second [vagga]” — this vagga's own closing colophon, left untranslated in the root

The text

The complete genuinely translated content of the discourse. This vagga's own closing colophon, its own note on the shared setting of SN 45.18-20, and its own meta-uddāna are left untranslated in the source and are described, not quoted, above. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1At Pāṭaliputta. “Reverend, they speak of this thing called the ‘spiritual path’. What is the spiritual path? Who is someone on the spiritual path? And what is the culmination of the spiritual path?” “Good, good, Reverend Bhadda! Your approach and eloquence are excellent, and it’s a good question. … The spiritual path is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. Someone who possesses this noble eightfold path is called someone on the spiritual path. The ending of greed, hate, and delusion: this is the culmination of the spiritual path.”

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Self-check quiz

3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 3

What middle question does this discourse add to SN 45.19's own two-part framing?

Correct: A. A genuine third term, confirmed by direct comparison of both discourses' own opening questions.

Question 2 of 3

How does Ānanda define "someone on the spiritual path"?

Correct: A. A definition by possession of practice, echoing SN 45.13's own definition of "a trainee" the same way.

Question 3 of 3

What does this discourse's own closing content, left untranslated in the source, confirm?

Correct: A. Described rather than quoted, since Sujato's own English leaves this portion untranslated.

Answered 0 of 3 · Correct 0

At the Chicken Monastery (3rd)

Why this discourse