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Tidipa

8. Sattaka (Sevens)

· 24 min read

The seventh section of the Saṅgītisutta (8D/10): fourteen groups of seven Dhammas recited by āyasmā Sāriputta, from the kinds of wealth of the liberated to the seven ways of settling issues. Translated from the Dīghanikāya.

Original text: 8D/10.7 Sattaka 1011–1033 in the World Tipitaka Edition

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

The seventh section of the Saṅgītisutta: āyasmā Sāriputta recites fourteen groups of seven Dhammas for the bhikkhū to recite in harmony. They range over the qualities of a bhikkhu (the kinds of wealth of the liberated, the bad and good qualities, the characteristics of a person of integrity, the bases for maturity), the factors of the path (the bojjhaṅgā, the requisites of focus, the apperceptions, the powers), the defilements (the underlying tendencies and the fetters), the seven stations of consciousness, the persons worthy of gifts, and the Saṅgha’s seven ways of settling issues. The section closes the second bhāṇavāra.

Diagram

Section titled “Diagram”
flowchart LR
    S["seven Dhammas"] --> Q["qualities of a bhikkhu"]
    S --> P["factors of the path"]
    S --> D["defilements"]
    S --> B["beings and persons"]
    S --> V["the Saṅgha's procedure"]
    Q --> Q1["wealth of the liberated"]
    Q --> Q2["bad and good qualities"]
    Q --> Q3["person of integrity"]
    Q --> Q4["bases for maturity"]
    P --> P1["bojjhaṅgā (factors of awakening)"]
    P --> P2["requisites of focus"]
    P --> P3["saññā (apperceptions)"]
    P --> P4["powers"]
    D --> D1["underlying tendencies"]
    D --> D2["fetters"]
    B --> B1["stations of consciousness"]
    B --> B2["persons worthy of gifts"]
    V --> V1["ways of settling issues"]

Text

Section titled “Text”

(330.)

1011. Āvuso, there are seven Dhammas well proclaimed by the Bhagavā, the liberated one, the perfectly awakened one, who knows and sees. Therein all should recite in harmony, not quarrel, so that this optimal life may endure long and last for a long time, which would be for the welfare and happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans. What seven?

1012. Seven kinds of wealth of the liberated: the wealth of confidence, the wealth of virtue, the wealth of conscience, the wealth of shame in wrongdoing, the wealth of learning, the wealth of generosity, and the wealth of wisdom. (1)

1013. Seven bojjhaṅgā (factors of awakening): of awareness, of investigation of phenomena, of energy, of joy, of tranquillity, of focus, and of equanimity. (2)

1014. Seven requisites of focus: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right awareness. (3)

1015. Seven bad qualities: Here, Āvuso, a bhikkhu is without confidence, is without conscience, is without shame in wrongdoing, is unlearned, is lazy, is forgetful, and is foolish. (4)

1016. Seven good qualities: Here, Āvuso, a bhikkhu is confident, has a conscience, is afraid of wrongdoing, is very learned, is energetic, has awareness present, and is wise. (5)

1017. Seven characteristics of a person of integrity: Here, Āvuso, a bhikkhu knows the Dhamma, knows the meaning, knows himself, knows the correct measure, knows the right time, knows assemblies, and knows people. (6)

(331.)

1018. Seven bases for maturity. Here, Āvuso, a bhikkhu has intense interest in undertaking the training, and in future is not without love for undertaking the training. He has intense interest in careful attention to the Dhamma, and in future is not without love for careful attention to the Dhamma. He has intense interest in the removal of longing, and in future is not without love for the removal of longing. He has intense interest in seclusion, and in future is not without love for seclusion. He has intense interest in arousing energy, and in future is not without love for arousing energy. He has intense interest in careful awareness, and in future is not without love for careful awareness. He has intense interest in the penetration of view, and in future is not without love for the penetration of view. (7)

1019. Seven saññā (apperceptions): the apperception of impermanence, the apperception of not-self, the apperception of unattractiveness, the apperception of disadvantage, the apperception of giving up, the apperception of detachment, and the apperception of cessation. (8)

1020. Seven powers: the power of confidence, the power of energy, the power of conscience, the power of shame in wrongdoing, the power of awareness, the power of focus, and the power of wisdom. (9)

(332.)

1021. Seven stations of consciousness. There are, Āvuso, beings with diverse bodies and diverse apperceptions, such as humans, some gods, and some beings in the lower realms. This is the first station of consciousness.

1022. There are, Āvuso, beings with diverse bodies and a single apperception, such as the Brahmakāyika gods, produced by the first [mental disposition]. This is the second station of consciousness.

1023. There are, Āvuso, beings with a single body and diverse apperceptions, such as the Ābhassara gods. This is the third station of consciousness.

1024. There are, Āvuso, beings with a single body and a single apperception, such as the Subhakiṇhā gods. This is the fourth station of consciousness.

1025. There are, Āvuso, beings who, going beyond rūpasaññā (apperceptions of form) altogether, with the disappearance of apperceptions of sense impressions, ignoring the apperceptions of diversity, thinking: ‘Space is infinite,’ have gone to the base of the infinity of space. This is the fifth station of consciousness.

1026. There are, Āvuso, beings who, going beyond the base of the infinity of space altogether, thinking: ‘Consciousness is infinite,’ have gone to the base of the infinity of consciousness. This is the sixth station of consciousness.

1027. There are, Āvuso, beings who, going beyond the base of the infinity of consciousness altogether, thinking: ‘There is nothing,’ have gone to the base of nothingness. This is the seventh station of consciousness. (10)

1028. Seven persons worthy of gifts: the one liberated in both ways, the one liberated by wisdom, the body-witness, the one attained to view, the one liberated through confidence, the Dhamma-follower, and the confidence-follower. (11)

1029. Seven underlying tendencies: towards sensual desire, towards aversion, towards views, towards doubt, towards conceit, towards passion for existence, and towards ignorance. (12)

1030. Seven fetters: of attraction, of aversion, of views, of doubt, of conceit, of passion for existence, and of ignorance. (13)

1031. Seven ways of settling issues: for the settlement and conciliation of whatever issues have arisen, a verdict in the presence should be given, a verdict of awareness should be given, a verdict of past insanity should be given, it should be dealt with by admission, a majority vote, a verdict of aggravated misconduct, and covering with grass. (14)

1032. Āvuso, these are the seven Dhammas well proclaimed by the Bhagavā, the liberated one, the perfectly awakened one, who knows and sees. Therein all should recite in harmony, not quarrel, so that this optimal life may endure long and last for a long time, which would be for the welfare and happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.

1033. The second bhāṇavāra (section for recitation) is finished.

Commentary

Section titled “Commentary”
  • The Sevens close the second bhāṇavāra (1033); the frame sentences are the Threes’ word for word, with the number changed.
  • The bojjhaṅgā (1013) and the powers (1020) are worded as on https://buddhavacana.github.io/sutta/awakening-factors/ and https://buddhavacana.github.io/sutta/powers/; the seven requisites of focus (1014) are the eightfold path (https://buddhavacana.github.io/sutta/eightfold/) without right focus itself.
  • The seven stations of consciousness (1021–1027) share their formula with the nine abodes of beings in the Nines; the formless three take the wording of /majjhimanikaya/pasarasisutta/.
  • Renderings: ariyadhana “wealth of the liberated” (ariya is always “the liberated”); hiri “conscience” and ottappa “shame in wrongdoing” (DPD); asaddhamma/saddhamma “bad/good qualities” by the context of 1015–1016, not “false/true teaching”; the seven adhikaraṇasamathā (1031) in the DPD’s Vinaya senses.
  • The general reading of the sutta’s lists is on the sutta’s index page.

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