Not given — this discourse's own bare opening statement
Speakers
The Buddha (implied)
Form
The four bases defined, then a direct claim about the Buddha's own title
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★★★ — the culminating claim of this vagga's own developing series, attributing the Buddha's own title directly to these four qualities
Why this discourse
This discourse states the highest possible claim in this vagga's own developing series: it is precisely because of developing and cultivating the four bases of psychic power that the Realized One is called “the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha” — the Buddha's own title directly attributed to these four qualities.
Reading guide
The culmination of a developing series
This project's own running observation, now complete: SN 51.5 (partial psychic power, any tradition), SN 51.6 (complete psychic power, any tradition), SN 51.7 (arahantship, the Buddha's own mendicants), and now SN 51.8 (the Buddha's own title itself) trace an escalating series of claims, each discourse naming a higher attainment than the one before it, all attributed to the identical four bases.
Tathāgato 'arahaṁ sammāsambuddho'ti vuccati
As general canonical background, confirmed by this discourse's own bare text: “arahaṁ sammāsambuddho” (“the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha”) is the Buddha's own standard formal epithet, met throughout the canon — here this discourse states directly that this very title is earned specifically through developing these four bases, not through some separate or additional quality.
No worked example, a bare doctrinal claim
Confirmed by direct reading, unlike SN 51.5-7's own threefold temporal or triple-scope structure, this discourse states its own claim once, plainly, with no repetition across past, present, and future — a single, direct statement rather than an elaborated universal formula.
Key terms
tathāgato — “the Realized One” — a standard epithet for the Buddha, used here as the subject of this discourse's own claim
arahaṁ sammāsambuddho — “the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha” — the Buddha's own standard formal epithet, attributed directly to the four bases
catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā — “because he has developed and cultivated these four bases of psychic power” — the stated cause of the Buddha's own title
cattāro iddhipādā — “the four bases of psychic power” — restated identically to this vagga's own prior discourses
Aṭṭhamaṁ — “the eighth” — the closing colophon marker, confirming this as the vagga's eighth discourse
The text
The complete discourse. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, there are these four bases of psychic power. What four? It’s when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm … energy … mental development … inquiry, and active effort. These are the four bases of psychic power. It is because he has developed and cultivated these four bases of psychic power that the Realized One is called ‘the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha’.”
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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 does this discourse claim about the Buddha's own title?
Correct: A. The highest claim in this vagga's own developing series, attributing the Buddha's own title directly to these four qualities.
Question 2 of 3
What series does this discourse complete, according to this project's own observation?
Correct: A. SN 51.5 through SN 51.8, each naming a higher attainment than the one before it.
Question 3 of 3
How does this discourse's own structure differ from SN 51.5-7?
Correct: A. A single, direct statement rather than an elaborated universal formula.
