Not given — continuing the bare structure of SN 48.54-55, no narrative opening
Speakers
The Buddha (implied)
Form
A single doctrinal statement defining one ground for all five faculties
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★★☆ — a genuinely new claim, naming diligence rather than wisdom as the single ground for all five faculties together
Why this discourse
This discourse makes a genuinely new claim, distinct from every earlier single-factor teaching in this saṃyutta: a mendicant grounded in ONE thing — diligence (appamāda) — develops all five faculties together, fully and well. Diligence itself is defined specifically as guarding the mind against defilements and things accompanied by defilements.
Reading guide
A new ground, distinct from every earlier claim about wisdom
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse's own claim genuinely differs from the wisdom-centered teachings met earlier in this saṃyutta (SN 48.45, 48.51-52, 48.54-55): rather than wisdom being “the best” among the five faculties or the stabilizing factor for the other four, this discourse names DILIGENCE as the single ground on which ALL FIVE faculties develop TOGETHER, without singling out any one faculty as foremost.
Diligence defined precisely: guarding the mind
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse defines diligence specifically as “cittaṁ rakkhati āsavesu ca sāsavesu ca dhammesu” (“looking after the mind when it comes to defilements and things accompanied by defilements”) — a precise, active practice of ongoing vigilance, not a vague general attitude.
A recurring bare structure across this vagga
This project's own observation: like SN 48.54-55 immediately before it, this discourse's own text has no narrative frame at all — no setting, no characters, simply the doctrinal statement itself, continuing a structural pattern this vagga has used repeatedly since SN 48.54.
Key terms
ekadhamme patiṭṭhitassa — “grounded in one thing” — this discourse's own title and central claim
appamādo — “diligence” — the single thing named, distinct from wisdom or any other individual faculty
cittaṁ rakkhati āsavesu ca sāsavesu ca dhammesu — “looking after the mind when it comes to defilements and things accompanied by defilements” — this discourse's own precise definition of diligence
bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchati — “is fully developed” — the result for each of the five faculties, applied identically to all five in turn
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, when a mendicant is grounded in one thing the five faculties become developed, well developed. What one thing? Diligence. And what is diligence? It’s when a mendicant looks after their mind when it comes to defilements and things accompanied by defilements. As they do so the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom are fully developed. That’s how when a mendicant is grounded in one thing the five faculties become developed, well developed.”
· · ·
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 single thing does this discourse name as the ground for all five faculties' own full development?
Correct: A. A genuinely new claim, not repeating the wisdom-centered teachings met earlier in this saṃyutta.
Question 2 of 3
How does this discourse define diligence?
Correct: A. A precise, active practice of ongoing vigilance against corrupting influences.
Question 3 of 3
What structural pattern does this discourse continue from SN 48.54-55?
Correct: A. Simply the doctrinal statement itself, matching this vagga's own recurring bare structure.
