SN 56.7 Vitakka sutta, YARVVI

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(B.Sujato trans.)

SN 56.7 Thoughts 7. Vitakka-sutta

7. Vitakkasutta
 7. Thoughts
“Mā, bhikkhave, pāpake akusale vitakke vitakkeyyātha, seyyathidaṃ—kāmavitakkaṃ, byāpādavitakkaṃ, vihiṃsāvitakkaṃ. Taṃ kissa hetu? Nete, bhikkhave, vitakkā atthasaṃhitā nādibrahmacariyakā na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṃvattanti.
 “Mendicants, don’t think bad, unskillful thoughts, such as sensual, malicious, and cruel thoughts. Why is that? Because those thoughts aren’t beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They don’t lead to disillusionment, fading away, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.
Vitakkentā ca kho tumhe, bhikkhave, ‘idaṃ dukkhan’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṃ dukkhasamudayo’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodho’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti vitakkeyyātha. Taṃ kissa hetu? Ete, bhikkhave, vitakkā atthasaṃhitā ete ādibrahmacariyakā ete nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattanti.
 When you think, you should think: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. Why is that? Because those thoughts are beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They lead to disillusionment, fading away, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṃ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo … pe … ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.
 That’s why you should practice meditation …”

You want to know the difference between first jhana and second jhana?

compare SN 56.7 above to SN 56.1 below. They're both mentally inspecting the same ideas on 4nt, except SN 56.7 uses "vitakka", and SN 56.1 uses "pajānati" (what S&S sati and sam-pajāno does).

So it’s clear vitakka has an important insightful role to play in first jhana, before samadhi, and upekkha (equanimous observation in 3rd and 4th jhana) can completely replace V&V from first jhana. Note that it’s in 2nd jhana that the Buddha first describes the state as “samadhi” and “ekodi-bhava” (become singular). First jhana is described as “vivekajam pīti-sukham” (seclusion-born rapture & pleasure).

SN 56.1 Immersion 1. Samādhisutta

1. Samādhisutta
 1. Immersion
Sāvatthinidānaṃ. … pe … “Samādhiṃ, bhikkhave, bhāvetha. Samāhito, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti. Kiñca yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti? ‘Idaṃ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti, ‘ayaṃ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti. Samādhiṃ, bhikkhave, bhāvetha. Samāhito, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti.
 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, develop immersion. A mendicant who has immersion truly understands. What do they truly understand? They truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. Develop immersion. A mendicant who has immersion truly understands.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṃ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṃ dukkhasamudayo’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodho’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.
 That’s why you should practice meditation to understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.”
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The most frequent descriptions of Samma Sankappo refer to the opposites of Michha/wrong sankappo (kāma, byapāda, vihimsa), but SN 56.7 reminds us the most important sankappo and vitakka we should be keeping in mind, remembering (sati) all the time, is the 4 noble truths.

If you study the 8aam (noble eightfold path) steps carefully, SN 45.8, you can see the causal sequence there naturally and gradually slides right into first jhana. There’s also a sutta that explicitly says the causal sequence, maybe in SN 56. Ignoring right speech, right action, right livelihood for the moment:

8 factors of the path

  1. right view, seeing the 4 noble truths
  2. right resolves, often synonmous with vitakka (thoughts), usually
  • a. renunciation
  • b. good will
  • c. non-harm
  • and as SN 56.7 points out, also thoughts on the 4NT.
  1. right effort: vigorously continuously purifying mind of akusala, strengthening the kusala, abandons 5niv
  2. right remembering: 4sp remember the 4nt, and the 3 types of right resolve,
  3. righteous undistractable lucidity:
  • first jhana: V&V picks up the same thoughts as #7 sati, and sati is remembering the same 4NT, as #1 right view and #2 right intention.

Now clearly, if you look at it as a causal sequence, the right view, right thought, right sati, and V&V of first jhana are all linked, and overlapping here. Whether you use the 7sb model, the 5bala, 5indriya, they all have this gradual training casual sequence built in.

V&V in first jhana does not mean “placing the mind and keeping it connected”, or else the causal sequence in all of these models has a big gaping discontinuity.

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The way I understand it this is where the Samatha, Vipassana duality comes.

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I think they are not ignored but implied.

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The “causal sequence” bit – another view-sanskhara.

So much for [a], as well as [b], as well as mistaking your view for some kind of absolute truth.

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Is it just “my view”, if the Buddha expounds the same “view” in SN 45.1? Much like 7sb (awakening factors), 8aam (noble eightfold path) is also a causal sequence. Of course anything I write is going to be my opinion and interpretation. Do I need to explicitly write that disclaimer every other sentence to convey that my opinion is not absolute truth? Your tone is unfriendly, your criticism is unfounded, your assertions are wrong. What do you bring to the table?

SN 45.1

4“Bhikkhus, true knowledge is the forerunner in the entry upon wholesome states, with a sense of shame and fear of wrongdoing following along.2 “” [2] For a wise person who has arrived at true knowledge, right view springs up. For one of right view, right intention springs up. For one of right intention, right speech springs up. For one of right speech, right action springs up. For one of right action, right livelihood springs up. For one of right livelihood, right effort springs up. For one of right effort, right mindfulness springs up. For one of right mindfulness, right concentration springs up.”3