The 37 Factors of Enlightenment and Asanga

A forum for those wishing to discuss Buddhist history and teachings in the Western academic manner, referencing appropriate sources.
Post Reply
User avatar
Leo Rivers
Posts: 498
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 4:52 am
Contact:

The 37 Factors of Enlightenment and Asanga

Post by Leo Rivers »

I am going to be more formal than I usually am here and show the framework I thinking about.

The fact that The 37 Factors of Enlightenment/Bodhipakkhiyādhammā [from Bhāvanānuyutta sutta, AN 7.67 and in Asaṅga as well] exists in and are ratified by both Nikaya and Mahayana traditions of Buddhism suggest one way to view them both is to see in what way the teachings they both recommended can be used as supplements.

In the 37 Factors of Awakening/Bodhipakkhiyādhammā in the Noble Eightfold Path the Seventh Step is samma sati, S. samyak-smṛti, Mindulness.

In the Ānāpānasati/Mindfulness with Breathing teachings there are listed 4 objects of observation in meditation: body/kaya, feelings/vedana, mind/citta and dharmas/The Four Noble Truths.

Four frames of reference (satipatthana, S. smṛtyupasthāna)

Contemplation of the body (kayanupassana, S. kayānupasthāna)
Contemplation of feelings (vedananupassana, S. vedanānupasthāna)
Contemplation of consciousness (cittanupassana, S. cittanupasthāna)
Contemplation of mental qualities (dhammanupassana, dharmanupasthāna)

It is the object of mindfulness, cittaupassana I am going to ask about here.

If one explains this as
to meditate on body/kaya is to examine belief in substance
to meditate on feelings/vedana,is to examine attachment and aversion
and to meditate on feelings dharmas, is to examine The Four Noble Truths

Then can we meditate on mind/citta by using the list of citta in the 1st two sections of Vasubhandu's 'Lucid Introduction 100 Dharmas' as objects of Meditation? [This entails inserting a 3rd Turning List into a 1st turning Outline of topics]

I.
The Eight Consciousnesses Citta-dharma Xin-fa, Ba-shi
II.
Mental Associates caitta, caitasika-dharma citta-samprayukta-dharma Xin-suo fa, xin-xiang-ying fa
   A.
Always-active Sarvatraga Bian-xing
   B.
Specific Viniyata Bie-jing
   C.
Advantageous    Ku`sala  Shan
   D.
Mental Disturbances Kle`sa Fan-nao
   E.
Secondary Mental Disturbances Upakle`sa Sui-fan-nao
   F.
Indeterminate Aniyata  Bu-ding


I am asking this because I am struggling to find these references In Asaṅga and hope you can volunteer them. :crazy:
User avatar
Leo Rivers
Posts: 498
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 4:52 am
Contact:

Re: The 37 Factors in The Abhidharmasamuccaya by Asaṅga

Post by Leo Rivers »

I have answered my own question!

:thanks:

The Abhidharmasamuccaya by Asaṅga
Translated and annotated by Walpola Rahula
second edition, 1980
translated from the French by Gelongma Karma Migme Chodron 2000 p. 136-138
and also found in
pages 158 159 in the Abhidharmasamuccaya – the Compendium of the Higher Teaching by Asangha, translated into French by Walpola Rahula and then into English by Sara Boin Web

ELEVEN TYPES OF PATH
Moreover,
CAD.2.4.5.
1. (1)  the path of examining things (vastuparīkṣāmārga),292
2. (2)  the path of energetic exertion (vyāvasāyikamārga),293
3. (3)  the path of preparation with the view of meditative stabilization (samādhiparikṣamārga),294
4. (4)  the path of application with the view of perfect understanding (abhisamayaprāyogikamārga),295
5. (5)  the path supporting perfect understanding (abhisamayaśliṣtamārga),296
6. (6)  the path of perfect understanding (abhisamayamārga),297
7. (7)  the path leading to purity and emancipation (viśuddhinairyāṇikamārga),298
8. (8)  the path divided according to the bases and faculties (niśrayendriyabhinnamārga),299
9. (9)  the path of purification by means of the three trainings (śikṣātrayapariśodhanamārga),300
10. (10)  the path producing all the good qualities (sarvaguṇanirhārakamārga)301 and
11. (11)  the path including the totality of the paths(mārgasaṃgrahamārga)302
all of these are called the Path.
This Path also includes respectively (yathākramam)
(i) the thirty-seven qualities contributing to awakening (saptatrimśad bodhipakṣadharma),303

CAD.2.4.5.a. CAD.2.4.5.aa.
(ii) the four practices (catasraḥ pratipadaḥ),
(iii) the four stages of virtue (catvāri dharmapadāni), (iv) tranquility and insight (śamatha-vipaśyanā) and (v) the three faculties (trīṇiindriyāṇi).304
NOTES:
291 Cf. anuppannānaṃ pāpakānaṃ akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ anuppādāya, ibid. 136
292 This refers to the four smṛtyupasthānas explained below. Here vastu means kāya (body), vedana (sensation), citta (mind) and dharma (mental qualities and objects).
293 This refers to the four samyakpradhānas explained below.
294 This refers to the four ṛddhipādas explained below.
295 This refers to the five indriyas explained below.
296 This refers to the five balas explained below.
297 This refers to the seven bodhyaṅgas explained below.
298 This refers to the Eightfold Noble Path explained below.
299 This refers to the four pratipads explained below.
300 This refers to the four dharmapadas explained below.
301 This refers to śamatha and vipaśanā explained below.
302 This refers to the three indriyas explained below.
303 The thirty-seven bodhipakṣadharma are:
smṛtyupasthāna samyakpradhāna ṛddhipāda


:namaste:
User avatar
Astus
Former staff member
Posts: 8883
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 11:22 pm
Location: Budapest

Re: The 37 Factors of Enlightenment and Asanga

Post by Astus »

If it's about a Yogacara explanation of smrtyupasthana, check Mahayanasutralamkara 18/19.43-45 and Madhyantavibhaga 4.1.
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
User avatar
Aemilius
Posts: 4604
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 11:44 am

Re: The 37 Factors of Enlightenment and Asanga

Post by Aemilius »

I don't perceive that the 37 bodhipaksha-dharmas would be explained in AN 7.67, see for yourself https://suttacentral.net/an7.67/

And incidentally, according to the Sarvastivadins (as is told by Vasubadhu in the AKB) the Sutra of The 37 Factors of Enlightenment is one of the lost sutras.
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
User avatar
Leo Rivers
Posts: 498
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 4:52 am
Contact:

Re: The 37 Factors of Enlightenment and Asanga

Post by Leo Rivers »

"Bhāvanānuyutta sutta

In the Pali Canon's Bhāvanānuyutta sutta ("Mental Development Discourse,"[5] AN 7.67), the Buddha is recorded as saying:

'Monks, although a monk who does not apply himself to the meditative development of his mind may wish, "Oh, that my mind might be free from the taints by non-clinging!", yet his mind will not be freed. For what reason? "Because he has not developed his mind," one has to say. Not developed it in what? In the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right kinds of striving, the four bases of success, the five spiritual faculties, the five spiritual powers, the seven factors of enlightenment and the Noble Eightfold Path.'[6]

Elsewhere in the Canon,[7] and in numerous places in the āgamas of other early schools,[8] these seven sets of thirty-seven qualities conducive to Enlightenment are enumerated as:"
https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wik ... hamm%C4%81

:namaste:
User avatar
Leo Rivers
Posts: 498
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 4:52 am
Contact:

Re: The 37 Factors of Enlightenment in The Samyutta Nikaya

Post by Leo Rivers »

Locating the 37 Factors of Enlightenment in The Samyutta Nikaya


From Part V. Maha-vagga


SN 45. the Noble Eightfold Path
SN 46. the Seven Factors of Enlightenment
SN 47. the Four Establishment of Mindfulness
SN 48. the Faculties
SN 49. the Four Right Striving
SN 50. the Five Powers
SN 51. the Four Bases for Spiritual Power[8]



The 4 Foundations of Mindfulness SN 47. the Four Establishment of Mindfulness

Main article: Satipatthana Sutta

Mindfulness of body
Mindfulness of sensations
Awareness of mind
Meditation on the Dhamma

The 4 supreme efforts SN 49. the Four Right Striving

Main article: 4 supreme efforts

Not to let an unwholesome thought arise which has not yet arisen.
Not to let an unwholesome thought continue which has already arisen.
To make a wholesome thought arise which has not yet arisen.
To make a wholesome thought continue which has already arisen.

The 4 means to accomplishment SN 51. the Four Bases for Spiritual Power[8]

Main article: 4 means to accomplishment

Desire, zeal (wholesome) [Pali: chandha]
Energy
Consciousness
Investigation

The 5 strengths SN 50. the Five Powers

Main article: 5 strengths

Faith
Energy
Mindfulness
Concentration
Wisdom

The 5 faculties SN 48. the Faculties

Main article: 5 faculties

Faith
Energy
Mindfulness
Concentration
Wisdom

The Noble Eightfold Middle Path

Main article: The Noble Eightfold Middle Path SN 45. the Noble Eightfold Path

Right Understanding
Right Thought
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration

The 7 factors of enlightenment SN 46. the Seven Factors of Enlightenment

Main article: 7 factors of enlightenment

mindfulness (sati)
investigation of mental phenomena (dhamma vicaya)
energy (viriya)
joy (pīti)
tranquillity (passaddhi)
concentration (samādhi)
equanimity (upekkhā)

See The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, tr Bhikkhu Bodhi, 2000, Wisdom Publications, Somerville, MA, ISBN 0-86171-331-1; the Pali Text Society also issues a private edition of this for members only, which is its preferred translation
User avatar
Aemilius
Posts: 4604
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 11:44 am

Re: The 37 Factors of Enlightenment and Asanga

Post by Aemilius »

Interesting. Thank you.
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
User avatar
Leo Rivers
Posts: 498
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2011 4:52 am
Contact:

NEWS: The 37 Factors of Enlightenment & Asanga

Post by Leo Rivers »

p. 276 MAHAYANASAMGRAHA (La Somme du Grand Véhicule d'Asanga) by Étienne Lamotte
Associate member of the Insitute of France Professor University of Louvain
Volume II Translation and Commentary
Translated from the Frenchby Gelongma Karma Migme Chodron

iv) Why is the fourth bhumi called Blazing Wisdom (arcismati)?
Because the auxiliary dharmas of enlightenment (bodhipaksyadharma) burn away (dahanti) all the obstacles (sarvarvanga
).

a bit of an update

AND DON'T MISS!

WONHYO. Wonhyo’s Philosophy of Mind. Translated by A. Charles MULLER. Vol. II. The Intenational Association of Wonhyo Studies - The Collected Works of Wonhyo. University of Hawai’i Press, 2012. start reading at p. 183 :reading:

A whole section on Wonhyo's analysis of the 37 factors in the Madhyāntavibhāga,

and for for THAT see

D’AMATO, Mario. Maitreya’s Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes - Madhyāntavibhāga - Along with Vasubandhu’s Commentary - Madhyāntavibhāga-Bhāsya. New York: Columbia University Press, 2012. p. 87-94 :reading:

:buddha1:
Post Reply

Return to “Academic Discussion”