Reading guide
A deliberately paired question, confirmed by explicit continuity
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse's own opening line — “the same setting” — explicitly marks it as a continuation of SN 47.26's own scene, not a separate encounter. Sāriputta asks the deliberately complementary question: having asked about “a trainee,” he now asks about “an adept,” completing a pair.
Complete development, the single word distinguishing this from SN 47.26
Anuruddha's own answer is confirmed by direct comparison to be worded identically to SN 47.26's own answer except for one word: “samattaṁ” (“completely”) replaces SN 47.26's own “padesaṁ” (“partly”) — confirming these two discourses together define the trainee and the adept as two points on a single continuum of the identical practice.
"Asekha" -- one beyond training, not merely advanced
The term “asekha” (“an adept”) is confirmed by direct reading to denote not merely an advanced trainee but someone who has finished training altogether — the term traditionally applied to an arahant, for whom development of the path is complete rather than ongoing.
Key terms
The text
§1 — Sāriputta's own questionThe same setting. “Reverend, they speak of the one called ‘an adept’. How is an adept defined?” “Reverends, an adept is someone who has completely developed the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.
§2 — the fourfold formulaWhat four? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … mind … principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. An adept is someone who has completely developed the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.”
Self-check quiz
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