What is substantial reality?

[Simran]

Hello friends,

I was reading Numbered Discourses 5.20 20. Brahmins 'Elements of Escape’.

I came across the term substantial reality and I wonder if someone could expand on what that means as well as the cessation of substantial reality? If someone also could break it down from the pali translation to suggest where the wording comes from, that may be helpful also.

Thanks in advance for any guidance or comments!

[Dogen]

It’s a translation for “Sakkaya” that Bhante Sujato employs.

Sakkaya is a shorthand for khandas. Sakkayaditthi is the wrong view of associating khandas with a self.

You can read his article here:

On sakkāya, identity, and substantial reality

Students of Buddhism are familiar with the term sakkāya, the view of which is one of the fetters binding us to suffering. I have previously translated it as “identity”, but in his most recent work, the translation of the Suttanipāta, Ven Bodhi says: Sakkāya: the composite of the five aggregates subject to clinging. A translation of the word is almost impossible. My past attempts, as “personality” and “identity,” are inadequate. Sakkāya is a compound of sat = “existent” and kāya = “body,” but…

Some of the more popular terms are “Personality (View)” or “Identity (View)”, things like that.

While the terminology might share a connection with the substantialism of other Indic religions, the translation might be a bit obscure for the straightforward application in the suttas.

The easy point is that “Sakkaya = Khandas”, and this is a right view; however Associating khandas or sakkaya with Self is a wrong view. This per SN 22.105.

Also, just a handy tip for the future — when you meet a term you’re unfamiliar with, try searching “What is substantial reality” in Sutta Central search which often brings up a sutta about Buddha explaining the concept.

If that fails, you can always use the search function in these forums to find the said discussions.

[knigarian]

@Simran

I came across the term substantial reality and I wonder if someone could expand on what that means as well as the cessation of substantial reality?

When being asked: “who are you?” you are able to provide more or less precise self-image of yourself, this is sakkāyaditthi or personality view, and you as such are person, or sakkāya. Cessation of sakkāya means that after you understood that your conviction of being a person, living in the world was mistaken (after the abandoning of sakkāyaditthi still remains ignorance on pre-reflexive level - conceit I am - ) you were able to eradicate it too. And so certain person, sakkaya, with his certainty of being (bhava) or the attitude “I am”, supported by self-image “I am this, or I am that” came to the end, was removed from the field of consciousness.

[Mkoll]

Also see the entry for sakkāyadiṭṭhi in the Encyclopedia of Buddhism—the entry was written by Venerable Analayo.

sakkayaditthi.pdf