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The Only Way for the Realization of Nibbāna
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ing about samatha. In the same way, we can understand that when The Buddha in such and such a sutta speaks of contemplating the five aggregates, their origination and extinction; when He speaks of one’s having directly and fully to know the five aggregates; when He speaks of seeing the impermanence, suffering, and non-self nature of the five aggregates, etc., He is talking about vipassanā. S AMATHA ― V IPASSANĀ
Then, for example, when we read The Buddha explain the bhikkhu’s training to King Ajātasattu, in the ‘Sāmañña∙Phala∙Sutta’ of the Dīgha∙Nikāya, we may understand that even though He does not mention the words ‘samatha’ and ‘vipassanā’, He in fact describes the bhikkhu’s practice of those two things. S AMATHA (A BANDONING THE F IVE H INDRANCES )
First The Buddha explains to the king how the bhikkhu sits down in a suitable place, having founded mindfulness 13 before him (parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā). Then The Buddha explains how the bhikkhu abandons the five hindrances: [1] Having abandoned(pahāya) covetousness(abhijjha) for the world(loke), he abides with a mind free of covetousness: he purifies his mind of covetousness. [2] Having abandoned ill-will and hatred(byāpāda∙padosa), he abides with a mind free of ill-will: without malice, compassionate towards all beings, he purifies his mind of ill-will. [3] Having abandoned sloth&torpor(thina∙middha), he abides with a mind free of sloth&torpor: perceptive of light(āloka∙saññī), mindful and discerning(sato∙sampajāno), he purifies his mind of sloth&torpor. [4] Having abandoned restlessness&remorse(uddhacca∙kukkucca), he abides unagitated(anuddhato viharati) : with mind internally quietened(ajjhattaṃ vūpasanta∙citto), he purifies his mind of restlessness&remorse. [5] Having abandoned scepticism(vicikicchā), he abides gone beyond scepticism: without having questions about wholesome things, he purifies his mind of scepticism.
In many suttas, The Buddha explains that the five hindrances hinder concentration(samādhi) and wisdom(paññā). That is why they need to be abandoned.14/B And they are abandoned with either access concentration or absorption (the first jhāna). This The Buddha also describes to King Ajātasattu:15/C When he observes how these five hindrances are abandoned in him, gladness arises(pāmojjaṃ jāyati) ; from gladness, joy arises(pīti jāyati) ; from the joyous mind his [mental] body is tranquillized(pīti∙manassa kāyo passambhati) ; with his body tranquillized(passaddha∙kāyo), he experiences happiness(sukhaṃ vedeti), and being happy, his mind is concentrated(cittaṃ samādhiyati). S AMATHA (H AVING R EMOVED C OVETOUSNESS AND D ISPLEASURE FOR THE W ORLD )
In the ‘Mahā∙Sati∙Paṭṭhāna Sutta’, The Buddha describes such abandonment of the hindrances in His introductory explanation of the four foundations of mindfulness. Even though He says the bhikkhu has abandoned only covetousness and displeasure (only covetousness and ill-will), He means that the bhikkhu has abandoned all five hindrances:16/D /E [1] Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body in the body, ardent, discerning, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure for the world(vineyya loke abhijjhā∙domanassaṃ). [2] He abides contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, discerning, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure for the world. [3] He abides contemplating consciousness in consciousness, ardent, discerning, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure for the world. [4] He abides contemplating dhammas in dhammas, ardent, discerning, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure for the world.
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D.I.2 (§217) ‘Sāmañña∙Phala∙Suttaṃ’ (‘The Asceticism-Fruit Sutta’) <See references/quotations in subsequent endnote B, p.80.> 15 ABANDONMENT = JHĀNA: HIS BODY IS TRANQUILLIZED: DA this refers to the mental body(nāma∙kāya). HE EXPERIENCES HAPPINESS: DA this refers to bodily(kāyikam∙pi)/mental happiness(cetasikam∙pi sukhaṃ). HIS MIND IS CONCENTRATED: DA by the happiness of renunciative happiness(nekkhamma∙sukhena sukhitassa) (DṬ included in the first jhāna(paṭhama∙jjhāna∙pakkhikattā) ) his mind is concentrated by way of access(upacāra∙)/absorption(appanā∙vasena∙pi). Afterwards, The Buddha describes how the bhikkhu attains the four jhānas one by one.<See further discussion/quotations, subsequent endnote C, p.81.> 16 D.II.9 (§373)‘Mahā∙Sati∙Paṭṭhāna∙Suttaṃ’ (‘The Great Mindfulness-Foundation Sutta’). In M.III.iii.5 ‘Danta-Bhūmi∙Suttaṃ’ (‘The Tamed-Stage Sutta’)(My―M.3.174-175), The Buddha in the same way explains how the bhikkhu abandons the five hindrances, and then practises the four foundations of mindfulness, after which he attains the 2nd/3rd/4th jhāna. (Since the 2nd jhāna cannot be attained without the 1st jhāna having been attained, this means the bhikkhu’s development of the 1st jhāna is included in The Buddha’s description of his developing the four foundations of mindfulness.)<For the bhikkhu’s full training in the ‘Danta∙Bhūmi’ sutta, see subsequent endnote D, p.81.> Hence, the commentary to the ‘Mahā∙Sati∙Paṭṭhāna’ sutta explains that since The Buddha says the bhikkhu abandons covetousness/displeasure for the world with regard to all four foundations of mindfulness, the world = the five aggregates<see related quotations, subsequent endnote E, p.81 >. DA then explains that covetousness = the hindrance sensual desire(kāma∙cchanda), and displeasure = the hindrance ill-will, and by their mention, The Buddha means all five hindrances. 14