Reading guide
The three searches, defined in full
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse names its own three searches directly: “kāmesanā” (search for sensual pleasures), “bhavesanā” (search for continued existence), and “brahmacariyesanā” (search for a spiritual path) — already familiar to this project from its own earlier work on SN 45.161 and SN 48.105-114.
A genuine Pāli/English discrepancy, reported honestly
This project's own standing practice, applied here rather than silently resolved: the root Pāli's own cross-reference reads simply “Vitthāretabbaṁ” (“to be elaborated”), with no source named, while the English translation specifies “tell in full as in SN 45.161–170” — a genuine textual difference in specificity, not silently harmonized to one reading.
Ten discourses, this vagga's own fourth position
This file's own closing colophon, “Esanāvaggo catuttho” (“the Searches chapter, the fourth”), confirms this vagga's own position without ambiguity, and its own uddāna is identical to the formula already met at SN 45.161-170 and SN 48.105-114: searches, discriminations, defilements, states of existence, threefold suffering, barrenness, stains, troubles, feelings, and craving/thirst.
Key terms
The text
§1“Mendicants, there are these three searches. What three? The search for sensual pleasures, the search for continued existence, and the search for a spiritual path. These are the three searches. The four right efforts should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three searches. What four? It’s when a mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise. … so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are completed by development. These four right efforts should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these three searches.”
Cross-reference(Tell in full as in SN 45.161–170.)
UddānaSearches, discriminations, defilements, states of existence, three kinds of suffering, barrenness, stains, and troubles, feelings, craving, and thirst.
Self-check quiz
3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.