A bare list of three faculties, named without further elaboration, matching this vagga's own recurring pattern so far
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★★☆ — confirms the general background this project's own SN 48.22 offered only cautiously: a third distinct indriya category, tied here to the path's own culmination rather than to physiology
Why this discourse
This discourse names a third distinct category of “indriya” — not the five spiritual faculties, not the physiological trio of SN 48.22, but three faculties tied to the path's own culmination: understanding that enlightenment is imminent, enlightenment itself, and having already attained it — directly confirming what this project's own SN 48.22 had offered only as cautious general background.
Reading guide
A third indriya category, now confirmed by this discourse itself
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse names the same three “supramundane” faculties this project's own SN 48.22 mentioned only as general canonical background — here directly attested in this discourse's own text, not merely inferred from outside tradition.
Three faculties, again bare-named
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse repeats the pattern of SN 48.22: a bare list of three faculties with no further definition, simile, or discussion given in this discourse's own text — suggesting this project's own reading of Chaḷindriyavagga as a survey of DISTINCT indriya categories, each briefly catalogued in turn, may hold for further discourses still to be read.
Faculties tied to the path's own culmination
As general canonical background — not a claim about elaboration given in this specific discourse's own bare text — these three faculties are traditionally read as marking three points relative to full awakening: the faculty active at the path moment itself (understanding that enlightenment is imminent), the faculty of full enlightenment as it occurs, and the faculty of one who already possesses it as arahant.
Key terms
Chaḷindriyavagga — “the vagga of the six faculties” — now confirmed, by this third consecutive distinct category, to be a survey of DIFFERENT indriya groupings
anaññātaññassāmītindriyaṁ — “the faculty of understanding that enlightenment is imminent” — the first of the three, tied to the path moment itself
aññindriyaṁ — “the faculty of enlightenment” — the second, giving this discourse its own title
aññātāvindriyaṁ — “the faculty of one who is enlightened” — the third, tied to one who has already attained
Tatiyaṁ — “the third” — the closing colophon marker, confirming this as the vagga's third discourse
The text
The complete discourse. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, there are these three faculties. What three? The faculty of understanding that enlightenment is imminent. The faculty of enlightenment. The faculty of one who is enlightened. These are the three faculties.”
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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 three faculties does this discourse name?
Correct: A. Faculties tied to the path's own culmination, not the five spiritual or the physiological trio met earlier.
Question 2 of 3
What does this discourse confirm about this project's own reading of the vagga's name?
Correct: A. What SN 48.22 offered only as background is now directly attested.
Question 3 of 3
How much elaboration does this discourse give its three faculties?
Correct: A. Continuing the vagga's own recurring bare-catalogue pattern.
