Stream entry and sathipattana

Is there a satipatthana sutta which says satipatthana leads to stream entry?

AFAIK, no, there isn’t.

DN22 says;
anyone who develops these four kinds of mindfulness meditation in this way for seven days can expect one of two results:
enlightenment in the present life, or if there’s something left over, non-return.

One needs to become a stream enterer and then a once returner to become a non returner. So by implication, DN 22 says that the four applications of mindfulness lead to stream enterer.
With Metta
Edit. Similarly MN10.

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Please quote, otherwise this is a very wild guess and possibly misled.

I have never seen in Sutta that Buddha taught satipathana for an outsider to be a stream enterer. It is mainly (MN 56):

step by step,

  1. with a talk on giving, (dana)
  2. ethical conduct, (sila)
  3. and heaven. (Sagga)
  4. He explained the drawbacks of sensual pleasures, so sordid and corrupt, and the benefit of renunciation.

And when he knew that Upāli’s mind was ready, pliable, rid of hindrances, elated, and confident he explained the special teaching of the Buddhas:

  1. suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. (4NT)

What do you mean by an outsider? By an outsider if you mean lay people, what makes you think that if lay people practice the four applications of mindfulness, they cannot reach stream entry?.
With Metta

Very useful sutta for your purpose: AN4.170

So I have heard. At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Kosambi, in Ghosita’s Monastery. There Ānanda addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!”

“Reverend,” they replied. Ānanda said this:

“Reverends, all of the monks and nuns who declare in my presence that they have attained perfection, did so by one or other of four paths.

What four?

Take a mendicant who develops serenity before discernment. As they do so, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.

Another mendicant develops discernment before serenity. As they do so, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.

Another mendicant develops serenity and discernment in conjunction. As they do so, the path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.

Another mendicant’s mind is seized by restlessness to realize the teaching. But there comes a time when their mind is stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi. The path is born in them. They cultivate, develop, and make much of it. By doing so, they give up the fetters and eliminate the underlying tendencies.

All of the monks and nuns who declare in my presence that they have attained perfection, did so by one or other of these four paths.”

Satipatthana generally lead to jhana/samadhi, and samadhi/jhana over time should lead to stream-entry. So in a way it leads to stream-entry. The fact that satipatthana leads to samma samadhi is implied in all suttas from satipatthana sanyutta, as well as MN117.

This sutta AN4.170 says that “path is born in them” from samadhi, which of course mean stream-entry.

That’s my take on it. :wink: Just leaving it here, not going to argue with anyone. :slight_smile: :yellow_heart: :pray:

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Here is one of mindfulness of the body leading to stream entry:

One thing, mendicants, when developed and cultivated leads to the realization of the fruit of stream-entry … once-return … non-return … perfection. What one thing? Mindfulness of the body. This one thing, when developed and cultivated, leads to the realization of the fruit of stream-entry … once-return … non-return … perfection.” AN 1.596-599

In addition to this, and what was already mentioned above, there are broad descriptions all throughout the suttas of SN 47 about the four leading to growth in wholesome states and to the purification of beings, and there, it would not be unreasonable to assume that stream entry (or higher) is implied.

Why just stream entry if you don’t mind me asking? Because, as stated MN 10/DN 22, it is possible that any of the four could be developed to a necessary extent for final knowledge.

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That is incorrect. Although both tranquillity and insight contribute, the Satipatthana sutta is generally seen as the flagship of insight for its subject is mindfulness, which is the insight component accompanying any level of tranquillity (the ‘fifth factor’ Anguttara Nikaya 5.28). Majhima Nikaya 117 is known for the repeated cycle reference, which refers to the NEP as an operating totality, sila> samadhi> panna, transcending right concentration:

“One makes an effort for the abandoning of wrong view & for entering into right view: This is one’s right effort. One is mindful to abandon wrong view & to enter & remain in right view: This is one’s right mindfulness.[2] Thus these three qualities — right view, right effort, & right mindfulness — run & circle around right view.”

This dynamic dimension is taken further in the seven factors of awakening where they are divided into active (insight) and passive (tranquillity) groups (Samyutta Nikaya 46.53), showing how tranquillity (water) could not function as a contributor without the influence of insight (fire), as in the cooking and craft analogies used regularly in the suttas.

In Theravada, tranquillity at any level is always practised as the basis for insight:

“The development of deep concentration leads to a high degree of
mastery over the mind.84 Not only does absorption attainment entail
the temporary removal of the hindrances, it also makes it much
more difficult for them to invade the mind on later occasions.85 On
emerging from deep concentration the mind is “malleable”, “workable”, and “steady”,86 so that one can easily direct it to seeing things “as they truly are”. Not only that; when things are seen as they truly are by a calm and malleable mind, this vision affects the deeper layers of the mind. Such a vision goes far beyond a superficial intellectual appreciation, because, owing to the receptivity and malleability
of the mind, insights will be able to penetrate into the deeper regions of the mind and thereby bring about inner change.”

Analayo

SN 55.40

“Nandiya, someone who totally and utterly lacks these four factors of stream-entry is an outsider who belongs with the ordinary persons (puthujjana), I say.

On SN 47.3, Buddha said when one has right view and purified sila/ethics, only then develop satipathana.

What is the starting point of skillful qualities?

Well purified ethics and correct view.

When your ethics are well purified and your view is correct, you should develop the four kinds of satipathana in three ways, depending on and grounded on ethics.

Are you saying without purified sila and right view, a puthujjana can develop satipathana?

And we know puthujjana doesn’t have purified sila and right view yet.

This is a FRUIT. Not Magga/Path.

Thanks for that quote. It is what I was looking for. It would have been even better if there was a sutta saying the whole of the four foundations of mindfulness could lead to stream entry. I recalled leading a version of the satipatthana sutta which I thought said this, giving the number of days (7 days? 1/2 a day?) but I cant seem to find it. The reason I am looking particularly for stream entry is because some people think they have to hear the dhamma and understanding the dhamma is enough for stream entry and I couldn’t come up with a clear EBT which said satipatthana leads to stream entry. :pray:

Hi, the 7 years to 7 days reference is from DN 22, mentioned above. However, it is not in regard to stream entry.

Any chance you were thinking about the reference of a sotappana having a maximum of seven lives remaining after the gain of stream entry?