It ain't Sammā Samādhi unless it contains A PASS to Nirvana

Essays
1

It ain't Sammā Samādhi unless it contains A PASS to Nirvana

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Synopsis

A PASS = ariya pañca-aṅgika sammā-samādhi = noble five-factored righteous-undistractable-lucidity
When you think of SS (Sammā Samādhi), what probably comes to mind first is SS = 4j (four jhānas), as defined in SN 45.8. That's canonical, and it's not wrong, but there are some problems with that definition.
AN 4.123 is one of several passages in the EBT that shows some of the problems with taking SN 45.8 samma samadhi definition as being only 4j.
(...An ordinary person doing 4j formula during life and at moment of death is reborn in deva realm...)
A run-of-the-mill person having stayed there, having used up all the lifespan of those devas, goes to hell, to the animal womb, to the state of the hungry ghosts. But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there, having used up all the lifespan of those devas, is unbound right in that state of being. [nirvana]
I don't know about you, but I don't want to be reborn in hell or the animal realms. There must be other qualities of SS not explicitly stated in SN 45.8. This article will explore the topic in depth, but here's the conclusion in a nutshell.
Ignore the SN 45.8 definition.
It tells you some of the "how", but not the "what" and most importantly the "why".
Instead, use the samādhi-indriya definition of SN 48.10, as the concise summary of SS. And for more detail on the "how", how to develop the 4j to be of high enough quality to break through to liberation, see AN 5.28, "A PASS" to nirvana, and AN 6.29 Udāyi.

SN 48.9 samādhi-indriya definition is ekagga citta directed towards nirvana

♦ “katamañ-ca, bhikkhave, samādh-indriyaṃ?
 "{And}-what, monks, (is) undistractable-lucidity-faculty?
idha, bhikkhave, ariya-sāvako
 Here, monks, (a) disciple-of-the-noble-ones,
vossagg-ārammaṇaṃ karitvā
 {having made} release-(as the)-object
labhati samādhiṃ,
 (he) obtains undistractable-lucidity,
labhati cittassa ekaggataṃ —
 (he) obtains mind’s singularity -
idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, samādh-indriyaṃ.
 this (is) called, *********, undistractable-lucidity-faculty.

SN 48.10 same as SN 48.9 but add 4j

This article will also cover the other interesting implied definitions and attributes of SS, and summarize some of the most interesting findings from these threads:
2

So what you are saying is Samadhi of Alara Kalama and Uddkarama Putta are not Samma Samadhi?
You have to look at this in light of Noble Eightfold Path and Noble Tenfold Path.

3

With this increasing stream of overlaying concepts and acronyms on the texts, it amounts to another commentarial interpretation, and with abdhidhamma-like features – but way short of the depth and authority of the traditional forms.

4

If sammasamadhi is to be understood in context of the indriya- then like the factors of the noble eightfold path must be present in the sotapatti magga person, the five faculties must also be fully developed. That is to say that all five indriya or mental faculties must be present in the mind around the same time. This means that wisdom also must be present- as defined above the knowledge of dependent origination and cessation must mean that the DO is seen as well as the cessation of the DO, ie Nibbana, is experienced, with that samadhi.

with metta

5

I don’t get what you’re saying, but that’s ok, no need to explain because I personally don’t pay attention to the teachings on stream entry, other than this one:

AN 9.12: Buddha didn’t want to teach anything other than arahantship (and maybe non-return)

ime kho, sāriputta, nava puggalā saupādisesā kālaṃ kurumānā parimuttā nirayā parimuttā tiracchānayoniyā parimuttā pettivisayā parimuttā apāyaduggativinipātā. na tāvāyaṃ, sāriputta, dhammapariyāyo paṭibhāsi bhikkhūnaṃ bhikkhunīnaṃ upāsakānaṃ upāsikānaṃ. taṃ kissa hetu? māyimaṃ dhammapariyāyaṃ sutvā pamādaṃ āhariṃsūti VAR. api ca mayā VAR, sāriputta, dhammapariyāyo pañhādhippāyena bhāsito”ti.

“These nine persons, passing away with a residue remaining, are freed from hell, the animal realm, and the sphere of afflicted spirits; freed from the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world. Sāriputta, I had not been disposed to give this Dhamma exposition to the bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, male lay followers, and female lay followers. For what reason? I was concerned that on hearing this Dhamma exposition, they might take to the ways of heedlessness. However, I have spoken this Dhamma exposition for the purpose of answering your question.”

Nothing wrong with people wanting to know more about stream entry, and trying to follow the steps to make sure that happens, I’m not judging that.

But my personal stance is with enough complication in the EBT in just focusing on the critically important stuff, no need for me to spend an ounce of energy trying to understand anything that isn’t essential (meaning if someone is aiming for arahantship they’re going to pass through stream entry without specifically studying that).

The 5ind 5bal (indriya and bala), 7sb (sambojjhanga), 8aam (noble eightfold path),
are multipurpose tools. They all have suttas that show them as an ordered causal sequence, as factors in the process of awakening, and as factors possessed by awakened ones. By far the most important is the 2nd one, and the first one. Witness what happens with 7sb in the dark period of Abhidhamma. In the EBT, 7sb are factors you need to think about developing and mastering every moment, not something you check after you’re awakened to confirm your awakening.