Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 48.47

At the Eastern Monastery (3rd)

Tatiyapubbārāmasutta — Jarāvagga

Setting
The same occasion as SN 48.45-46, again confirmed by this discourse's own opening
Speakers
The Buddha, addressing the mendicants directly
Form
The identical question-and-deferral structure as SN 48.45-46, with a further expanded answer
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★★★ — continues an escalating pattern (one faculty, then two, now four) within a single teaching occasion, and is the only discourse in this series to omit faith

Why this discourse

This discourse continues the same teaching occasion as SN 48.45-46, again confirmed by its own opening “Taṁyeva nidānaṁ” — and continues an escalating pattern of faculty counts (one, then two, now four), naming energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom as sufficient for full enlightenment. Notably, this is the only discourse in the series to omit the fifth faculty, faith, entirely.

Reading guide

The third installment, continuing the escalation

Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse's own opening “Taṁyeva nidānaṁ” confirms it continues the same teaching occasion as SN 48.45 (one faculty) and SN 48.46 (two faculties), now answering the identical question with FOUR faculties — a genuinely escalating sequence within a single, continuous teaching.

Faith, the one faculty omitted

Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse names energy (vīriya), mindfulness (sati), immersion (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā) — but not faith (saddhā), the only one of the five spiritual faculties left out. This project reports this omission plainly, without guessing at a doctrinal reason not stated in the discourse's own text.

An open question about what comes next

This project's own honest observation: with the sequence now at one, two, and four faculties within the same teaching occasion, a natural next step might be five (all the faculties, faith included) — but this project declines to assume this in advance, and will read the next discourse fresh from its own source.

Key terms

Taṁyeva nidānaṁ — “the same setting” — confirming this discourse continues the identical teaching occasion as SN 48.45-46
catunnaṁ indriyānaṁ — “of four faculties” — the third answer in this occasion's own escalating sequence
vīriyindriyassa, satindriyassa, samādhindriyassa, paññindriyassa — “energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom” — the four named here, omitting faith
saddhindriya — “the faculty of faith” — the one faculty absent from this discourse's own list, its omission reported honestly
Sattamaṁ — “the seventh” — the closing colophon marker, confirming this as the vagga's seventh discourse

The text

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

§1 — the Buddha's own questionThe same setting. “Mendicants, how many faculties must a mendicant develop and cultivate so that they can declare enlightenment: ‘I understand: “Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place”’?”

§2 — the answer: four faculties, omitting faith“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …” “A mendicant must develop and cultivate four faculties so that they can declare enlightenment. What four? The faculties of energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. These are the four faculties that a mendicant must develop and cultivate so that they can declare enlightenment: ‘I understand: “Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place”’.”

· · ·

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 continue the pattern of SN 48.45-46?
Correct: A. One, then two, now four — a genuinely escalating sequence within a single occasion.
Question 2 of 3
Which of the five spiritual faculties does this discourse notably omit?
Correct: A. Reported plainly, without guessing at an unstated doctrinal reason.
Question 3 of 3
What does this project's own reading guide say about what might come next?
Correct: A. An honest observation, not a guessed conclusion — consistent with this project's own established practice.
Answered 0 of 3 · Correct 0

Further reading

← PreviousSN 48.46 · At the Eastern Monastery (2nd)