Saṃyutta Nikāya (lectured by ven. Dehipagoda Vijitananda) 2011
Quantity of Saṃyutta Nikāya
The Saṃyutta Nikāya (Kindred Sayings) is the third of collection of the Buddha’s teaching. Generally we believe that the suttas contained in Saṃyutta Nikāya are short. It has five vaggas named as
(1) Sagāthā Vagga Pāḷi
(2) Nidāna Vagga Pāḷi
(3) Khandha Vagga Pāḷi
(4) Saḷāyatana Vagga Pāḷi
(5) Mahā Vagga Pāḷi
There are several opinions made by modern scholars with regards to quantity of suttas of Saṃyutta Nikāya. The traditional opinion of Saṃyutta Nikāya is that there are 7762 suttas. However, there are only 2899 suttas in Saṃyutta Nikāya. After a deep examination, Polvatte Buddhadatta Thera has mentioned that there are 9724 suttas in Saṃyutta Nikāya within all repetitions. When we exclude those repetitions, we can see only nearly 6000 suttas in Saṃyutta Nikāya. B.C Law considering those opinions said that there was another Saṃyutta Nikāya apart from the present one. Anyhow, finally we may come to a conclusion about the quantity of Saṃyutta Nikāya, that there are is no acceptable solution.
At the first council elders, having assembled to rehearse the teachings of the Buddha, divided it into four groups as Dīgha, Majjima, Saṃyutta and Aṅguttara to be handed over to elders generation by generation. At that time Ven. Kassapa had to be responsible for Saṃyutta Nikāya, while being a leader of the first council. In this manner we may put into consideration that maybe Saṃyutta Nikāya was the most important collection of teachings of the Buddha.
Saṃyutta Nikāya - Sagāthā Vagga Pāḷi
Sagāthā Vagga is the first part of Saṃyutta Nikāya. It belongs to geyya, one part of the nine-fold division (Navāṅgasatthusāsana). According to Navāṅgasatthusāsana it is most suitable portion of teachings of the Buddha to recite. Winternitz claims that Sagāthā Vagga is a syntactical compilation of elders and the Buddha. He has utilized to prove his opinion using the Bhikkhunī Saṃyutta, Sagāthā Vagga. Anyhow, it is clear that structure of the Sagāthā vagga is different from Dīgha Nikāya, Majjhima Nikāya and the remaining part of Saṃyutta Nikāya. There are some suttas compiled as pure stanzas, some suttas use stanzas to emphasize explanation of the sutta's prose. There is nowhere to find out a sutta without even one stanza.
Sagāthā Vagga is very important to identify the deep doctrine as well as combined narratives. Eleven suttas of Saṃyutta Nikāya make Sagāthā Vagga. They are as follows: Devatā Saṃyutta, Devaputta Saṃyutta, Kosala Saṃyutta, Māra Saṃyutta, Bhikkhunī Saṃyutta, Brama Saṃyutta, Brāhmaṇa Saṃyutta, Vaṅgīsa Saṃyutta, Vana Saṃyutta, Yakkha Saṃyutta, Sakka Saṃyutta (Vāsava Saṃyutta).
Another vagga is also included in Saṃyutta Nikāya. The sutta that are in those vaggas - 291 suttas are included in Sagāthā Vagga. In the Sagāthā Vagga we can see so many suttas that are recognizable as catechism. Sometimes they may be only discussion. This vagga includes Oghataraṇa Sutta. According to Devatā Saṃyutta, the gods, who may have complex understanding of Dhamma have come to meet the Buddha and discussed (with him) about their view and experiences. One example would be the Jaṭā Sutta. In that sutta the position of gods is given. Their knowledge or contribution to this sutta is very important to study, comparing with Visuddhimagga, because Visuddhimagga is based on one stanza of this sutta:
»Sīle patiṭṭhāya naro sapañño, cittaṃ paññañca bhāvayaṃ;
Ātāpī nipako bhikkhu, so imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭaṃ.«
Devatā Saṃyutta
In Devatā Saṃyutta some suttas try to crop up Buddha, Dhaṁma and Saṅgha. We can prove it true by stanza:
“Vijjā uppataṁ seṭṭā, avijjā nipatataṁ varā
saṅgho pavajamānānaṁ, buddho pavadataṁ varo.”
(The knowledge of reality is greater among cropping up, ignorance is the leader of falling, the Buddhist monks are the greatest of monk wanderers, the Buddha is the greatest of monk speakers.)
Devatāputta Saṃyutta
Devatāputta Saṃyutta is the second of Sagāthā Vagga. It also provides some suttas explaining norms. Especially Rohitassa Sutta gives some account on external world and spiritual world. At the end of that sutta the Buddha emphasized that the world should be discovered by proper Buddhist follower, who has five senses.
Kosala Saṃyutta
The Kosala Saṃyutta is the third of Sagāthā Vagga. King Kosala was one of friends of the Buddha. Normally he used to meet the Buddha three times a day. In this Saṃyutta 25 suttas provide some facts on contemporary religious situation and the highest doctrine too. The details of six main ascetics were given in Kosala Saṃyutta.
Māra Saṃyutta
The fourth one is Māra Saṃyutta of Sagāthā Vagga. It was named Māra Saṃyutta because every sutta focused on the evil one. There are several discussions that can be recognized in Māra Saṃyutta, which dealt with the Buddha and the evil one.
Bhikkhunī Saṃyutta
The fifth Saṃyutta is very important to study because every sutta of the Saṃyutta comprises the poetical feature as well as higher doctrinal explanations of Bhikkhunī Saṃyutta. Especially Bhikkhunī Kisāgotamī had to meet a terrible occasion with the evil one that sutta delivers dramatically. In that case Vetānī has mentioned that Bhikkhunī Saṃyutta was the later compilation of Theravāda tradition. But we may not agree with him, because of the two sutta called Vajira and Sela. The Sela Sutta gives a stanza explaining causality. It provides the stanza which is common to understand condition of the world as follows:
“Hetuṃ paṭicca sambhūtaṃ, hetubhaṅgā nirujjhati.”
Not only that sutta but also Vajira Sutta deals with the stanza deeply. This important stanza is both utilized by Ven. Nāgasena to explain reality of Bodhi in the Milindapañhā;
Yathā hi aṅgasambhārā, hoti saddo ratho iti;
Evaṃ khandhesu santesu, hoti ‘‘satto’’ti sammutī’’’ti
The stanzas consisting Sela, Vajira, Jāla, Upajāla, Sisūpajāla are brought to Therīgāthā too. Though poetical features are included in Bhikkunī Saṃyutta, the interpretation of Vetānī is entirely misleading one because it comprises higher doctrinal teachings also.
Brāhmaṇa Saṃyutta
Brāhmaṇa Saṃyutta is the seventh one of Sagāthā vagga in Saṃyutta Nikāya. Ghatikāra Sutta is very important sutta of this Saṃyutta. It contributes reliable facts to change one traditional myth. Traditionally we believe that gods are not able to attain Nibbāna. However, Ghatikāra Sutta gives the facts to change this traditional view.
Abhibhū Sutta may be understood as sutta which explains cosmological facts in Saṃyutta Nikāya. According to the sutta, there was an Arahant named Abhibhū in the dispensation of Sikhī Buddha. He had an ability to recite the stanzas to spread bound to the Cūlanikālokadhātu. When Gotama Buddha explained the historical incident, Ven. Ānanda asked the Buddha to explain ability of Buddha in that matter. Then Buddha explained that he was able to spread this voice beyond Cūlanikālokadhātu, Majjhimakālokadhātu as well as Mahāsahassīlokadhātu. In the wake of this sutta it is clear that the Buddha had very colorful personality and ability too. This sutta is an example that provides Buddhist cosmology. In the external appearance it is similar to Rohitassa Sutta in Devatāputta Saṃyutta. This Abhibhū Sutta again comes from Aṅguttara Nikāya.
Vaṇgīsa Saṃyutta The eighth Saṃyutta is Vaṅgīsa. The suttas of Vaṅgīsa Saṃyutta were discoursed by the Buddha focusing Ven.Vaṅgīsa. According to other canonical places, Ven. Vaṅgīsa was a great poet. He was wandering from village to village, town to town, country to country residing there. Stanzas of canonical texts provide that Ven. Vaṅgīsa had an extra ability of knowing next existences of people. He would touch a skull of those who passed away and exactly declared the next existence of the dead person. But at one experience he was not able to say next existence – in case of a person who was an Arahant.
The Subāsita Sutta is one of important suttas in Vaṅgīsa Saṃyutta. It explains the pure or great words and their meaning. According to that sutta the words or sounds are to be focused to Nibbāna as the final goal.
Vana Saṃyutta
Ninth one is Vana Saṃyutta. Those suttas in Vana Saṃyutta were preached by the Buddha focusing on Ven.Kassapa. Every sutta explains the importance of meditation, forest experience, solitude etc. There is a sutta named as Ānanda, which is included in Vana Saṃyutta as well as in Vaṅgīsa Saṃyutta.
Yakkha Saṃyutta
The tenth Saṃyutta of Sagāthā Vagga Pāḷi is called the Yakkha Saṃyutta. This Saṃyutta also contains very important suttas which explain highest doctrinal teachings. Especially Indaka Sutta gives us some points of Buddhist embryology. When we study this sutta we basically see Mahāsaṁgha Sutta in Majjhima Nikāya. After a study of this Indaka Sutta some scholars were led to a misinterpretation, saying that Buddhism accepts different embryological system then Āyurvedic science. According to Āyurvedic description kalala grows up to man. They accept as the first period kalala, second period is abbuda, third period is ghana etc. Indaka Sutta also follows these steps but according to Buddhism the first step is one week, second step one week and the third step also one week. Though some interpreted that consciousness or viññāṇa comes to kalala after third period, it is entirely incorrect. According to Saṃyutta Nikāya Aṭṭhakathā viññāṇa comes to kalala on the first day. Therefore if one who says that viññāṇa comes after third period or 21 days, commits a misinterpretation. Anyhow, the Indaka Sutta provides an identical teaching of Buddist embryology.
The Āḷavaka Sutta is also included in Yakkha Saṃyutta of Sagāthāvagga Pāḷi. This sutta can be seen in Sutta Nipāta as well. Āḷavaka Sutta presents the feature of Buddhist drama. Devil Āḷavaka meets the Buddha. Then he tries to defeat the Buddha, but the Buddha controls the Āḷavaka who used to eat human flesh. Therefore, Āḷavaka Sutta is very important with regards to its doctrinal teachings.
The last sutta of Yakkha Saṃyutta is called the Sucīmukhī. We can see the discussion of a devil. This sutta is on example of a Buddhist puzzle in canonical texts.
Sakka Saṃyutta
The eleventh Saṃyutta of Sagāthā Vagga Pāḷi is called Sakka Saṃyutta, because those suttas are related to the god Sakka. This portion also reveals some higher doctrinal teachings as well as historical and mythical designations. First five of six suttas give the detail of battle of gods and non-gods. Examples would be Vepacittī Sutta, Kulāvaka Sutta. They disclose a historical battle which is similar to Vedic literature narratives.
When Bodhisatta encountered a dangerous incident, he would remind himself the qualities of Triple Gem. Dhajagga Sutta mentions important situation in Sakka Saṃyutta. This sutta is also included in Piruvāna texts. Then we can see there are three suttas that mention homage of Sakka to the Buddha and Mahāsaṅgha as well as to lay people who live pure lives training sīla, samādhi and paññā. It is very easy to cite the stanza which is very popular in Theravāda society:
“Ye gahaṭṭhā puññakarā, sīlavanto upāsakā;
Dhammena dāraṃ posenti, te namassāmi mātalī’’ti.”
According to that stanza, god Sakka respects even lay people.
Nidāna Vagga
Nidāna Vagga is the second portion of Saṃyutta Nikāya. There are nine Saṃyuttas in Nidāna Vagga. Nidāna means cause. Every sutta that is included in Nidāna Vagga is given the teaching of cause and effect (causality). We can identify two systems which were used in Nidāna Vagga to explain Paṭiccasamuppāda of cause and effect as theory in chain. The chain system starts with avijjā and ends with soka, parideva, dukkha, domanassa, upāyāsa.
Nidāna Saṃyutta
Normally we can see twelve parts in the chain of cause. But in the Upanisa Sutta in Nidāna Saṃyutta of Nidāna Vagga we can see only eleven parts. Nevertheless, the theory of causality differs according to the chain of cause. There are only four parts:
· *Imasmim sati idaṃ hoti.
· *Imasmin asati idaṃ na hoti.
· *Imassa uppādā idaṃ uppajjati.
· *Imassa nirodhā idaṃ nirujjhati.
Thus there are four theories given in the Buddhist relations. The Buddha tried to explain that there is no essence in any person, that there is only emptiness in the world.
Other Saṃyuttas of Nidāna Vagga
The third, Dhātu Saṃyutta, describes the theory of elements as cakkhu, sota, ghāna, jivhā, kāya, mana, rūpa,sadda, gandha, rassa, phoṭṭhabba, dhaṃma, cakkhu viññāṇa etc. In Anamatagga Saṃyutta we can find out more details which explained how the Buddha introduced endless Saṃsāra. Especially Assu Sutta reveals that every person has dropped more tears than there is water in the sea. Through that example we can realize the invisible limits of Saṃsāra. Kassapa Saṃyutta is the fifth one in the Nidāna Vagga. The Buddha advised the newcomers to follow Ven. Mahākassapa Thera because he was an excellent monk. The sixth Saṃyutta is called Lābhasakkāra Saṃyutta. It explains how to handle things without attachment of a monk. One who gives rise to attachment to worldly forms he is like a fish who swallows a hook. Rāhula Saṃyutta also discusses the theory of elements. Opamma Saṃyutta explains deep ideas using similes. Thus we may introduce Nidāna Vagga briefly as a source, which helps to realize the main teachings of Buddhism, the paṭiccasamuppāda.
Khandha Vagga
Khandha Vagga is the third part of Saṃyutta Nikāya. There 13 Saṃyuttas as follows:
1. Khandha Saṃyutta.
2. Rādha Saṃyutta.
3. Diṭṭhi Saṃyutta.
4. Okkanta Saṃyutta.
5. Uppāda Saṃyutta.
6. Kilesa Saṃyutta.
7. Sāriputta Saṃyutta.
8. Nāga Saṃyutta.
9. Supaṇṇa Saṃyutta.
10. Gaṇdhabbakāya Saṃyutta.
11. Valāhaka Saṃyutta.
12. Vacchagotta Saṃyutta.
13. Jhāna Saṃyutta.
First six Saṃyuttas deliver the teaching of five aggregates of analysis of person and intend to show that there is no internal person or attā. It tries to explain person's emptiness (pudgala nairātma), which is described by Ven. Nāgajuna in his Mātalika Pārika. We can realize that this Saṃyutta was basis to Mātalika Pārika of Nāgarjuna. On the other hand, Bhāra Sutta was a direct basis to Puggalavāda tradition. There are two vaggas that contain two suttas of Nidāna Vagga. Dhammakathika Vagga has three portions called Mūlapaṇṇāsaka, Majjhimapaṇṇāsaka, Uparipaṇṇāsaka in the way as it is in Majjhima Nikāya.
Nāgasupaṇṇaka, Gaṇdhabba and Valāhaka Saṃyutta provide same suttas and same teachings. Thus called Saṃyuttas indicate gods' behaviorism.
