Reading guide
A term met before, now given its own full treatment
Yoniso manasikāra (“rational application of mind,” or wise attention) has appeared in this project's own earlier readings as one contributing factor among several; here it receives the identical full treatment (dawn simile, teach-you framing, full eightfold-path definition) as good friendship did at SN 45.49, confirmed by direct comparison of both discourses' own structure.
The first round complete
With this discourse, all seven qualities of this vagga's own first round (good friendship, ethics, enthusiasm, self-development, view, diligence, and rational application of mind) are confirmed covered, each closing with “relying on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, ripening as letting go” — SN 45.56 will begin the identical seven-quality cycle again with a different closing formula.
Key terms
The text
§1“Mendicants, the dawn is the forerunner and harbinger of the sunrise. In the same way accomplishment in rational application of mind is the forerunner and harbinger of the noble eightfold path for a mendicant. A mendicant accomplished in rational application of mind can expect to develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path. And how does a mendicant accomplished in rational application of mind develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path? It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. That’s how a mendicant accomplished in rational application of mind develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.”
Self-check quiz
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