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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN48: Connected Discourses on the Faculties

SN48:24 One-Seeder

1"Bhikkhus, there are these five faculties. What five?
The faculty of faith,
the faculty of energy,
the faculty of mindfulness,
the faculty of concentration,
the faculty of wisdom.
These are the five faculties.

"One, bhikkhus, who has completed and fulfilled these five faculties is an arahant.

If they are weaker than that, one is an attainer of Nibbāna in the interval;
if still weaker, an attainer of Nibbāna upon landing;
if still weaker, an attainer of Nibbāna without exertion; sn.v.205
if still weaker, an attainer of Nibbāna with exertion;
if still weaker, one who is bound upstream, heading towards the Akaniṭṭha realm;[n.201] = [n.65] This fivefold typology of nonreturners recurs at SN48.15, SN48.4, SN48.66; SN51:26; SN54.5; and SN55.25. Spk explains the antarāparinibbāyī ("attainer of Nibbāna in the interval") as one reborn in the Pure Abodes who attains arahantship during the first half of the life span. This type is subdivided into three, depending on whether arahantship is reached: (i) on the very day of rebirth; (ii) after one or two hundred aeons have elapsed; or (iii) after four hundred aeons have elapsed. The upahaccaparinibbāyī ("attainer of Nibbāna upon landing") is explained as one who attains arahantship after passing the first half of the life span. For Spk, the asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī ("attainer without exertion") and the sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī ("attainer with exertion") then become two modes in which the first two types of nonreturners attain the goal. This explanation originates from Pp 16–17 (commented on at Pp-a 198–201). However, not only does this account of the first two types disregard the literal meaning of their names, but it also overrides the sequential and mutually exclusive nature of the five types as delineated elsewhere in the suttas (see below).
If we understand the term antarāparinibbāyī literally, as it seems we should, it then means one who attains Nibbāna in the interval between two lives, perhaps while existing in a subtle body in the intermediate state. The upahaccaparinibbāyī then becomes one who attains Nibbāna "upon landing" or "striking ground" in the new existence, i.e., almost immediately after taking rebirth. The next two terms designate two types who attain arahantship in the course of the next life, distinguished by the amount of effort they must make to win the goal. The last, the uddhaṁsota akaniṭṭhagāmī, is one who takes rebirth in successive Pure Abodes, completes the full life span in each, and finally attains arahantship in the Akaniṭṭha realm, the highest Pure Abode.
This interpretation, adopted by several non-Theravada schools of early Buddhism, seems to be confirmed by the Purisagati Sutta (AN7.55), in which the simile of the flaming chip suggests that the seven types (including the three kinds of antarāparinibbāyī) are mutually exclusive and have been graded according to the sharpness of their faculties. Additional support comes from AN4.131, which explains the antarāparinibbāyī as one who has abandoned the fetter of rebirth (upapattisaṁyojana) without yet having abandoned the fetter of existence (bhavasaṁyojana). Though the Theravadin proponents argue against this interpretation of antarāparinibbāyī (e.g., at Kv 366), the evidence from the suttas leans strongly in its favour. For a detailed discussion, see Harvey, The Selfless Mind, pp. 98–108.
AN II 155–56 draws an alternative distinction between the sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī and the asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī: the former reaches arahantship through meditation on the "austere" meditation subjects such as the foulness of the body, the perception of the repulsiveness of food, discontent with the whole world, the perception of impermanence in all formations, and mindfulness of death; the latter, through the four jhanas.

if still weaker, a once-returner;
if still weaker, a one-seeder;
if still weaker, a clan-to-clanner;
if still weaker, a seven-lives-at-moster;[n.207] This sutta, reverting to the five spiritual faculties, seems out of place here. On the five kinds of nonreturner, see above n. 65. Spk: A one-seeder (ekabījī) is a stream-enterer who attains arahantship after only one more existence; a clan-to-clanner (kolaṅkola), one who fares on in saṁsara for two or three existences and then makes an end to suffering; a seven-lives-at-moster (sattakhattuparama), one who is reborn seven times at most, without taking an eighth existence. The three are defined at Pp 15–16, with elaboration at Pp-a 195–97.

if still weaker, a Dhamma-follower;
if still weaker, a faith-follower."

1"Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni pañca? Saddhindriyaṁ … pe … paññindriyaṁ – imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyāni.

Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ samattā paripūrattā arahaṁ hoti,

tato mudutarehi antarāparinibbāyī hoti, tato mudutarehi upahaccaparinibbāyī hoti, tato mudutarehi asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, tato mudutarehi sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, tato mudutarehi uddhaṁsoto hoti akaniṭṭhagāmī,

tato mudutarehi sakadāgāmī hoti, tato mudutarehi ekabījī hoti, tato mudutarehi kolaṅkolo hoti, tato mudutarehi sattakkhattuparamo hoti,

tato mudutarehi dhammānusārī hoti, tato mudutarehi saddhānusārī hotī"ti.


Catutthaṁ.