Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 46.13

The Simile of the Sun (2nd)

Dutiyasūriyūpamasutta — Gilānavagga

Setting
Continuing directly from SN 46.12
Speakers
The Buddha, addressing the mendicants directly
Form
The identical sun simile, one term substituted
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — short, the second of a paired discourse

Why this discourse

The identical dawn-and-sunrise simile returns, now naming “rational application of mind” (yoniso manasikāra) — already met as the fuel for each awakening factor at SN 46.2 — as their own reliable forerunner, pairing an internal mental skill with SN 46.12's own external, relational condition.

Reading guide

Internal and external forerunners, deliberately paired

Read together, SN 46.12 and this discourse name two distinct kinds of condition for the same outcome: good friendship (an external, relational condition) and rational application of mind (an internal, cognitive skill) — both described with the identical “forerunner and harbinger” language, suggesting the two work together rather than as alternatives.

A term already met, now given fresh emphasis

“Rational application of mind” was already central to SN 46.2's own account of what fuels each awakening factor's own arising; this discourse elevates it further, naming it not merely a fuel among several specific conditions but the single reliable forerunner of the entire sevenfold set.

Key terms

aruṇo... suriyassa uggamanassa pubbaṅgamo pubbanimitto — the identical simile already met at SN 46.12, confirming this discourse's own status as a deliberate companion piece
yonisomanasikārasampadā — “rational application of mind” — already met at SN 46.2 as what fuels each awakening factor individually, here named as their own collective forerunner
yonisomanasikārasampanno bhikkhu pāṭikaṅkho — “a mendicant accomplished in rational application of mind can expect” — the discourse's own claim of reliable expectation, mirroring SN 46.12's own
sati... upekkhā — the seven awakening factors, named in brief succession as this discourse's own object
vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ — the base formula, applied here to each awakening factor in turn

The text

The complete discourse. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1“Mendicants, the dawn is the forerunner and harbinger of the sunrise. In the same way, for a mendicant rational application of mind is the forerunner and harbinger of the arising of the seven awakening factors. A mendicant accomplished in rational application of mind can expect to develop and cultivate the seven awakening factors. And how does a mendicant with rational application of mind develop and cultivate the seven awakening factors? It’s when a mendicant develops the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. That’s how a mendicant with rational application of mind develops and cultivates the seven awakening factors.”

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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 condition does this discourse name as the forerunner of the seven awakening factors, distinct from SN 46.12's own?
Correct: A. Pairing an internal condition with SN 46.12's own external, relational condition.
Question 2 of 3
Where did "rational application of mind" already appear earlier in this saṃyutta?
Correct: A. Elevated here from a specific fuel to the collective forerunner of the entire sevenfold set.
Question 3 of 3
How do SN 46.12 and this discourse most likely relate to each other?
Correct: A. Both use identical language for two distinct conditions, suggesting they operate together.
Answered 0 of 3 · Correct 0

Further reading

← PreviousSN 46.12 · The Simile of the Sun (1st)