Not given — continuing directly from SN 55.54's own setting
Speaker
The Buddha, addressing the mendicants directly
Form
A single, bare statement of the four causal conditions
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★★ — opens a systematic seven-discourse sequence attributing the same four conditions to each of the four fruits and three aspects of wisdom in turn
Why this discourse
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse states that “four things…lead to the realization of the fruit of stream-entry” — the identical practical conditions already met as Sāriputta's own answer at SN 55.5 (associating with true persons, listening to the true teaching, rational application of mind, practicing in line with the teaching), and restated as this saṃyutta's own closing statement at SN 55.50. This discourse opens a systematic seven-part sequence applying the same four conditions to seven distinct results in turn.
Reading guide
The same causal conditions, a third confirmed occurrence
This project's own direct comparison: the four conditions named here match SN 55.5 and SN 55.50 word for word, confirming this is the same, stable causal formula rather than a coincidental resemblance.
The first of seven results
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse names stream-entry specifically as what these four conditions lead to — the first in a sequence that continues through once-return, non-return, and arahantship (SN 55.56-58), then through three distinct aspects of wisdom (SN 55.59-61), each discourse changing only the named result while the four causal conditions remain unchanged.
Key terms
sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya saṁvattanti — “lead to the realization of the fruit of stream-entry” — this discourse's own specific result, the first of seven in this sequence
sappurisasaṁsevo — “associating with true persons” — the first of the four causal conditions, identical to SN 55.5 and SN 55.50
saddhammassavanaṁ — “listening to the true teaching” — the second condition
yonisomanasikāro — “rational application of mind” — the third condition
dhammānudhammappaṭipatti — “practicing in line with the teaching” — the fourth and final condition
The text
Every genuinely translated fragment given in the consulted English source. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, when four things are developed and cultivated they lead to the realization of the fruit of stream-entry. What four? Associating with true persons, listening to the true teaching, rational application of mind, and practicing in line with the teaching. When these four things are developed and cultivated they lead to the realization of the fruit of stream-entry.”
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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 four conditions does this discourse name as leading to the fruit of stream-entry?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct reading — the identical causal formula already met at SN 55.5 and SN 55.50.
Question 2 of 3
What sequence does this discourse open?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct reading — the first of seven discourses, SN 55.55-61.
Question 3 of 3
What confirms this is the same causal formula met earlier in this saṃyutta, not merely a similar one?
Correct: A. This project's own direct textual comparison, confirming exact wording rather than mere resemblance.
