A single defining statement, pairing directly with the immediately preceding discourse
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★★☆ — pairs directly with SN 48.25, and reuses the fivefold analytical lens this project's own SN 48.21 already met, now applied to the six sense faculties instead of the five spiritual ones
Why this discourse
This discourse pairs directly with the immediately preceding SN 48.25: the same six sense faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind), now given a defining criterion — a noble disciple who truly understands these six faculties' own origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape is called a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.
Reading guide
A direct pairing with the immediately preceding discourse
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse opens with the identical six sense faculties named in SN 48.25 (here abbreviated by the source's own peyyāla marker, “cakkhundriyaṁ …pe… manindriyaṁ”), now supplying the defining criterion SN 48.25's own bare list left unstated.
The same fivefold lens met before, now applied differently
Confirmed by direct reading, the analytical lens used here — origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape (samudaya, atthaṅgama, assāda, ādīnava, nissaraṇa) — is the identical formula this project's own SN 48.21 already met, there applied to the FIVE SPIRITUAL faculties in the Buddha's own pre-awakening testimony. Here the same lens is turned on the SIX SENSE faculties instead, defining a disciple's own attainment rather than the Buddha's own awakening.
The classic stream-enterer formula, met before in this project
Confirmed by direct reading, the closing formula — “sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo” (“a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening”) — is the same classic formula this project has translated before elsewhere in this saṃyutta's own earlier discourses.
Key terms
Chaḷindriyavagga — “the vagga of the six faculties” — this discourse continues the six sense faculties named at SN 48.25
Cakkhundriyaṁ …pe… manindriyaṁ — “the faculty of the eye … the faculty of the mind” — the same six sense faculties, here abbreviated by the source's own peyyāla marker
samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca — “origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape” — the same fivefold lens met at SN 48.21, now applied to the six sense faculties
sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo — the classic stream-enterer formula: “not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening”
Chaṭṭhaṁ — “the sixth” — the closing colophon marker, confirming this as the vagga's sixth discourse
The text
The complete discourse. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, there are these six faculties. What six? The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. A noble disciple comes to truly understand these six faculties’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. Such a noble disciple is called a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.”
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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
How does this discourse relate to the immediately preceding SN 48.25?
Correct: A. A direct pairing, confirmed by the identical six faculties in both discourses' own text.
Question 2 of 3
What analytical lens does this discourse reuse from SN 48.21?
Correct: A. The same fivefold formula, here applied to the six sense faculties instead of the five spiritual ones.
Question 3 of 3
What does a noble disciple who truly understands the six faculties this way become known as?
Correct: A. The classic stream-enterer formula, met before elsewhere in this project's own work on this saṃyutta.
