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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN48: Connected Discourses on the Faculties

SN48:39 The Simile of the Fire-Sticks

1"Bhikkhus, there are these five faculties. What five?
The pleasure faculty, the pain faculty, the joy faculty, the displeasure faculty, the equanimity faculty.[n.210] The distinctions among these faculties are explained at SN48.36 to 38.
Spk: It is pleasure and a faculty in the sense of controlling or dominating the conascent states: thus the "pleasure faculty," etc. Here, the pleasure, pain, and displeasure faculties are of the sense sphere only; the joy faculty is of three planes, excluding the formless sphere; the equanimity faculty is of four planes.
The allocation by way of planes is made on the basis of the Abhidhamma system, according to which physical pleasure and pain occur only in body-consciousness, a sense-sphere citta; displeasure, only in the cittas accompanied by aversion, likewise sense-sphere cittas; joy, in sense-sphere cittas, cittas of the lower three jhānas, and certain supramundane cittas; equanimity, in sense-sphere cittas, the fourth-jhāna citta of the form sphere, all formless-sphere cittas, and certain supramundane cittas. See CMA 3:2–4.

"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as pleasant, bhikkhus, the pleasure faculty arises.[n.213] Cp. SN12.62 and SN36.10, which both include the simile of the fire-sticks. Being in a state of pleasure, one understands: ‘I am in a state of pleasure.’ One understands: ‘With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as pleasant, the corresponding feeling— the pleasure faculty that arose in dependence on that contact to be experienced as pleasant— ceases and subsides.’

2"In dependence on a contact to be experienced as painful, bhikkhus, the pain faculty arises. Being in a state of pain, one understands: ‘I am in a state of pain.’ One understands: ‘With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as painful, the corresponding feeling— the pain faculty that arose in dependence on that sn.v.212 contact to be experienced as painful— ceases and subsides. ’

3"In dependence on a contact to be experienced joyously, bhikkhus, the joy faculty arises. Being in a state of joy, one understands: ‘I am in a state of joy.’ One understands: ‘With the cessation of that contact to be experienced joyously, the corresponding feeling— the joy faculty that arose in dependence on that contact to be experienced joyously— ceases and subsides.’

4"In dependence on a contact to be experienced with displeasure, bhikkhus, the displeasure faculty arises. Being in a state of displeasure, one understands: ‘I am in a state of displeasure.’ One understands: ‘With the cessation of that contact to be experienced with displeasure, the corresponding feeling— the displeasure faculty that arose in dependence on that contact to be experienced with displeasure— ceases and subsides.’

5"In dependence on a contact to be experienced with equanimity, bhikkhus, the equanimity faculty arises. Being in a state of equanimity, one understands: ‘I am in a state of equanimity.’ One understands: ‘With the cessation of that contact to be experienced with equanimity, the corresponding feeling— the equanimity faculty that arose in dependence on that contact to be experienced with equanimity— ceases and subsides.’


6"Bhikkhus, just as heat is generated and fire is produced from the conjunction and friction of two fire-sticks, but when the sticks are separated and laid aside the resultant heat ceases and subsides;


so too, in dependence on a contact to be experienced as pleasant,sn.v.213 the pleasure faculty arises. Being in a state of pleasure, one understands: ‘I am in a state of pleasure.’ One understands: ‘With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as pleasant, the corresponding feeling— the pleasure faculty that arose in dependence on that contact to be experienced as pleasant— ceases and subsides.’


7In dependence on a contact to be experienced as painful, the pain faculty arises …


In dependence on a contact to be experienced joyously, the joy faculty arises …


In dependence on a contact to be experienced with displeasure, the displeasure faculty arises …


In dependence on a contact to be experienced with equanimity, the equanimity faculty arises. Being in a state of equanimity, one understands: ‘I am in a state of equanimity.’


One understands: ‘With the cessation of that contact, … the corresponding feeling … ceases and subsides.’"

1"Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni pañca? Sukhindriyaṁ, dukkhindriyaṁ, somanassindriyaṁ, domanassindriyaṁ, upekkhindriyaṁ.

Sukhavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhindriyaṁ. So sukhitova samāno ‘sukhitosmī’ti pajānāti. Tasseva sukhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā ‘Yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ sukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannaṁ sukhindriyaṁ taṁ nirujjhati, taṁ vūpasammatī’ti pajānāti.

2Dukkhavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati dukkhindriyaṁ. So dukkhitova samāno ‘dukkhitosmī’ti pajānāti. Tasseva dukkhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā ‘Yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ dukkhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannaṁ dukkhindriyaṁ taṁ nirujjhati, taṁ vūpasammatī’ti pajānāti.

3Somanassavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati somanassindriyaṁ. So sumanova samāno ‘sumanosmī’ti pajānāti. Tasseva somanassavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā ‘Yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ somanassavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannaṁ somanassindriyaṁ taṁ nirujjhati, taṁ vūpasammatī’ti pajānāti.

4Domanassavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati domanassindriyaṁ. So dummanova samāno ‘dummanosmī’ti pajānāti. Tasseva domanassavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā ‘Yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ domanassavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannaṁ domanassindriyaṁ taṁ nirujjhati, taṁ vūpasammatī’ti pajānāti.

5Upekkhāvedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati upekkhindriyaṁ. So upekkhakova samāno ‘upekkhakosmī’ti pajānāti. Tasseva upekkhāvedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā ‘Yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ upekkhāvedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannaṁ upekkhindriyaṁ taṁ nirujjhati, taṁ vūpasammatī’ti pajānāti.


6Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ kaṭṭhānaṁ saṅghaṭṭanasamodhānā usmā jāyati, tejo abhinibbattati; tesaṁyeva kaṭṭhānaṁ nānābhāvāvinikkhepā yā tajjā usmā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati;


evameva kho, bhikkhave, sukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhindriyaṁ. So sukhitova samāno ‘sukhitosmī’ti pajānāti. Tasseva sukhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā ‘Yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ sukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhindriyaṁ taṁ nirujjhati, taṁ vūpasammatī’ti pajānāti.


7Dukkhavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca … pe …


somanassavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca … pe …


domanassavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca … pe …


upekkhāvedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati upekkhindriyaṁ. So upekkhakova samāno ‘upekkhakosmī’ti pajānāti.


Tasseva upekkhāvedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā ‘Yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ upekkhāvedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati upekkhindriyaṁ taṁ nirujjhati, taṁ vūpasammatī’ti pajānāti".


Navamaṁ.