Reading guide
The same simile, confirmed verbatim
Dragons grow strong supported by the Himalayas, the king of mountains, then dive through pools, lakes, streams, and rivers before acquiring a great and abundant body in the ocean — the identical narrative already met at SN 45.151, confirmed by direct comparison of the two discourses' own Pāli. Only the object of comparison changes: there, the eightfold path; here, the seven awakening factors, grounded on ethics exactly as before.
A new saṃyutta's own core list, named in full
The seven awakening factors (bojjhaṅga) — mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity — are named here for the first time in this saṃyutta, each carrying the identical base formula (“relies on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripens as letting go”) already familiar from the eightfold path's own treatment throughout SN 45.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, dragons grow and wax strong supported by the Himalayas, the king of mountains. When they’re strong they dive into the pools. Then they dive into the lakes, the streams, the rivers, and finally the ocean. There they acquire a great and abundant body. In the same way, a mendicant develops and cultivates the seven awakening factors depending on and grounded on ethics, acquiring great and abundant good qualities. And how does a mendicant develop the seven awakening factors depending on and grounded on ethics, acquiring great and abundant good qualities? It’s when a mendicant develops the awakening factor of mindfulness, which relies on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripens as letting go. They develop the awakening factor of investigation of principles … They develop the awakening factor of energy … They develop the awakening factor of rapture … They develop the awakening factor of tranquility … They develop the awakening factor of immersion … They develop the awakening factor of equanimity, which relies on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripens as letting go. That’s how a mendicant develops and cultivates the seven awakening factors depending on and grounded on ethics, acquiring great and abundant good qualities.”
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