2026-05-20
The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts
The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts by Bhikkhu Sujato, Bhikkhu Brahmali (PDF)
p.70, Section 4.2.2, example of the development of sutta vocabulary over time:
Sutta form → early Abhidhamma analysis → full Abhidhamma analysis
MN 10 / DN 22:
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā,
vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.
| kāya 1.1 | (masc) body; physical body; physical process |
| kāyānupassī | (adj) observing the body; who watches the body [kāya + anupassī] |
| vineyya 1 | (ger) removing; putting aside [vi + √nī > ne + *ya] ger of vineti |
| abhijjhādomanassa | (masc) wanting and unhappiness; craving and aversion; [abhijjhā + domanassa] |
The tone is direct, and practical. The vocabulary is plain: ātāpī (ardent), sampajāno (fully aware), satimā (mindful). The sentence is structured to be heard, recited, and applied.
Suttanta-bhājanīya ("Sutta analysis") of the Vibhaṅga:
Idha bhikkhu ajjhattaṁ kāye kāyānupassī viharati
bahiddhā kāye kāyānupassī viharati
ajjhattabahiddhā kāye kāyānupassī viharati
ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.
The core formula is identical, but an analytical expansion has been inserted due to an effort to systematize.
Abhidhamma-bhājanīya ("Abhidhamma analysis") of the Vibhaṅga:
Idha bhikkhu yasmiṁ samaye lokuttaraṁ jhānaṁ bhāveti niyyānikaṁ apacayagāmiṁ diṭṭhigatānaṁ pahānāya paṭhamāya bhūmiyā pattiyā vivicceva kāmehi ...pe... paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati dukkhapaṭipadaṁ dandhābhiññaṁ kāye kāyānupassī, yā tasmiṁ samaye sati anussati sammāsati satisambojjhaṅgo maggaṅgaṁ maggapariyāpannaṁ --- idaṁ vuccati "satipaṭṭhānaṁ". Avasesā dhammā satipaṭṭhānasampayuttā.
The instruction has been converted to a definition. A monk practising mindfulness has been replaced by an abstract analytical schema:
On the occasion when (yasmiṁ samaye) a monk develops supramundane jhāna (lokuttaraṁ jhānaṁ) that is emancipating, leading to dismantling, for the abandoning of views, for the attainment of the first stage... This is called satipaṭṭhāna. The remaining dhammas are associated with satipaṭṭhāna.
Vocabulary that is either unknown to the EBTs or used in a new sense:
yasmiṁ samaye: "on the occasion when" (the Abhidhamma's signature framing device)
lokuttaraṁ jhānaṁ: "supramundane jhāna" (an Abhidhammic category absent from the suttas)
paṭhamāya bhūmiyā: "the first stage" (in the technical Abhidhamma sense)
avasesā dhammā satipaṭṭhānasampayuttā: "the remaining dhammas associated with satipaṭṭhāna"
One Who Sees the Dhamma
(Iti 92) Saṅghāṭikaṇṇe cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gahetvā piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho
assa pāde pādaṁ nikkhipanto, so ca hoti abhijjhālu kāmesu tibbasārāgo byāpannacitto
paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo muṭṭhassati asampajāno asamāhito vibbhantacitto pākatindriyo;
atha kho so ārakāva mayhaṁ, ahañca tassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Dhammañhi so, bhikkhave,
bhikkhu na passati. Dhammaṁ apassanto na maṁ passati.
| saṅghāṭikaṇṇa | (masc) edge of an outer robe; corner of a double robe [saṅghāṭi + kaṇṇa] |
| cepi | (sandhi) even if [ce + api] sandhi, ind + ind |
| gahetvā 1 | (abs) having taken; having held [gahe + tvā] abs of gaṇhāti |
| piṭṭhito 1 | (ind) behind; at the rear of; just behind [piṭṭhi + to] |
| anubandha 1 | (adj) following after; following behind; trailing [anu + √bandh + a] |
| assa 3.1 | (opt) may be; could be; would be [√as + a] opt of atthi, irreg |
| pāda 1 | (masc) foot [√pad > pād + *a] masc, from pajjati |
| nikkhipanta 1 | (prp) (of feet) placing down; stepping [ni + khipa + nta] |
| abhijjhālu | (adj) covetous; avaricious; greedy [abhijjhā + ālu] |
| tibbasārāga | (adj) with strong desire; with intense lust (for) [tibba + sārāga] |
| byāpannacitta | (adj) with a malicious mind; hateful; full of ill-will [byāpanna + citta] |
| paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappa | (adj) with malevolent intention; with bad purpose in mind |
| muṭṭhassatī | (adj) unmindful; forgetful; muddle-minded [muṭṭha + sati + ī] adj, comp |
| asampajāna | (adj) not clearly aware; inattentive; unmindful adj, from na sampajānāti |
| asamāhita | (pp) not meditatively composed; scattered; distracted; unsteady |
| vibbhantacitta | (adj) with a wandering mind; with runaway thoughts; mentally out of control |
| pākatindriya | (adj) having a vulgar mind; (comm) with an uncontrolled mind |
| āraka | (adj) distant; away from; far from [āra + ka] adj, from āra |
| mayhaṁ 1 | (pron) to me; for me pron, 1st dat sg of ahaṁ |
| ahañca | (sandhi) and I [ahaṁ + ca] sandhi, pron + ind |
| tassa 1 | (pron) to him; for him; to that; for that [ta + ssa] |
| kissa 1 | (pron) for who?; for what reason?; why? [ka > ki + issa] |
| hetu 1 | (adj) because; by virtue (of) [√hi > he + *tu] adj, in comps |
| passati 1 | (pr) sees [passa + ti] pr |
| apassanta | (prp) not seeing; not noticing; not aware [na > a + passa + nta] |
| maṁ 1 | (pron) me (object) [amha + aṁ] pron, 1st acc sg of ahaṁ |
(SN 22.87) Alaṁ, vakkali, kiṁ te iminā pūtikāyena diṭṭhena? Yo kho, vakkali, dhammaṁ passati so maṁ passati; yo maṁ passati so dhammaṁ passati. Dhammañhi, vakkali, passanto maṁ passati; maṁ passanto dhammaṁ passati. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, vakkali, rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti? "Aniccaṁ, bhante".
| alaṁ 5 | (ind) that's enough (of)!; stop (with)! ind, excl, acc sg of ala |
| kiṁ 1 | (pron) who?; what?; which? [ka > ki + iṁ] pron, nt nom and acc sg of ka |
| iminā | (pron) with this; by this [ima + inā] pron, masc & nt instr sg of ima |
| pūtikāya | (masc) putrid body; disgusting body; stinking body; foul mass [pūti + kāya] masc, comp |
| diṭṭha 1.3 | (nt) sight; seeing; vision [√dis + ta] nt, pp of √dis |
| passati 1 | (pr) sees [passa + ti] pr |
| maṁ 1 | (pron) me (object) [amha + aṁ] pron, 1st acc sg of ahaṁ |
| passanta 1 | (prp) seeing [passa + nta] prp of passati |
(MN 28) Yo paṭiccasamuppādaṁ passati so dhammaṁ passati; yo dhammaṁ passati so paṭiccasamuppādaṁ passatī"ti. Paṭiccasamuppannā kho panime yadidaṁ pañcupādānakkhandhā.
Yo cakkhumā...
Yo cakkhumā moha-malā-pakaṭṭho / Sāmaṁ va buddho sugato vimutto
Mārassa pāsā vinimocayanto / Pāpesi khemaṁ janataṁ vineyyaṁ
Buddhaṁ varan-taṁ sirasā namāmi / Lokassa nāthañ-ca vināyakañ-ca
Tan-tejasā te jaya-siddhi hotu / Sabb'antarāyā ca vināsamentu
| cakkhumant | (adj) with eyes; who can see; who has vision [cakkhu + mant] adj, from cakkhu |
| mala | (nt) dirt; impurity; stain; tarnish; [√mal + a] nt |
| pakaṭṭha 2 | (adj) distant adj |
| sāmaṁ | (ind) oneself; by oneself; for oneself [sa + āmaṁ] ind, adv, acc sg of sa |
| vimutta | (pp) freed; liberated; released [vi + √muc + ta] pp of vimuccati |
| pāsa 2.1 | (masc) snare; trap; sling [√pas > pās + *a] masc |
| vinimocayanta | (prp) freeing (oneself) (from); releasing oneself (from) prp of vinimuccati |
| pāpesi 2 | (aor) helped; brought; led (to) [pa + āpe + si] aor of pāpeti |
| khemaṁ | (ind) safely; securely ind, adv, acc sg of khema |
| janatā | (fem) people; populace; population [jana + tā] fem, abstr, from jana |
| vineyya 3 | (ptp) fit to be trained; tamable [vi + √nī > ne + *ya] ptp of vineti |
| vineti | (pr) (1) trains; instructs; educates (2) curbs; controls |
| (3) guides, leads to (4) removes; gets rid of | |
| vara | (adj) excellent; best; foremost [√var + a] adj |
| sirasā | (masc) with the head [siras + ā] masc, instr sg of siras, mano group |
| namati 2 | (pr) bows down; pays respect; worships (someone with) [nama + ti] pr |
| nātha | (masc) protector; lord; refuge (of) [√nāth + a] |
| vināyaka | (masc) leader; guide; teacher [vi + √nī > nāy + *aka] agent, from vineti |
| tejas 2 | (masc) radiance; glory; splendour; power [√tij > tej + *as] |
| jaya | (nt) victory; conquest; winning [√ji > jay + *a] nt, from jayati |
| siddhi | (fem) accomplishment; achivement; success [√sidh + ti] |
| antarāya | (masc) obstacle; danger (for) [antara + aya] masc, comp |
| vināsa | (masc) destruction; ruin; loss [vi + √nas > nās + *a] from vinassati |
| eti | (pr) comes (to) [e + ti] pr |
Dhammo dhajo yo viya tassa satthu / Dassesi lokassa visuddhi-maggaṁ
Niyyāniko dhamma-dharassa dhārī / Sāt'āvaho santi-karo suciṇṇo
Dhammaṁ varan-taṁ sirasā namāmi / Mohappadālaṁ upasanta-dāhaṁ
Tan-tejasā te jaya-siddhi hotu / Sabb'antarāyā ca vināsamentu
| dhaja | (masc) flag; banner [√dhaj + a] masc |
| viya | (ind) like; as [iva > via > viya] ind |
| tassa | (pron) to him; for him; [ta + ssa] pron, masc & nt dat sg of ta |
| satthu | (masc) to the teacher; to the master [satthar + u] |
| dassesi | (aor) showed; exhibited; revealed; presented [dasse + si] aor of dasseti |
| visuddhi | (fem) purity; purification (of); holiness [vi + √sudh + ti] |
| niyyānika | (adj) emancipating; redemptive; leading to deliverance [niyyāna + ika] |
| dhara 2.1 | (adj) remembering; keeping in mind [√dhar + a] from dharati |
| dhārī 2.1 | (adj) holding; keeping; upholding; knowing by heart from dharati |
| sāta 2 | (nt) pleasure; happiness; delight; comfort [√san > sā + ta] nt |
| āvaha | (adj) bringing; conferring (to); causing [ā + √vah + a] from āvahati |
| santi 1.1 | (fem) peace; calm; tranquillity [√sam + ti] fem, abstr, from sammati |
| kara 1 | (adj) doing; making [√kar + a] adj, in comps, from karoti |
| suciṇṇa | (adj) well practised; well performed; done correctly [su + √car > cir + na] |
| padāla | (adj) breaking; destroying; splitting; tearing [pa + √dal > dāl + *a] |
| upasanta | (pp) calmed; cooled; still; calm; at peace [upa + √sam + ta] pp of upasammati |
| dāha 2 | (masc) fire; burning; fever [√ḍah > dah > dāh + *a] masc, from ḍahati |
Saddhamma-senā sugatānugo yo / Lokassa pāpūpakilesa-jetā
Santo sayaṁ santi-niyojako ca / Svākkhāta-dhammaṁ viditaṁ karoti
Saṅghaṁ varan-taṁ sirasā namāmi / Buddhānubuddhaṁ sama-sīla-diṭṭhiṁ
Tan-tejasā te jaya-siddhi hotu / Sabb'antarāyā ca vināsamentu
| senā | (fem) army; military fem |
| anuga | (adj) following; going after [anu + √gam + a] adj, from anugacchati |
| pāpa | (adj) evil; criminal; wrong; bad; vicious adj |
| upakilesa | (masc) impurity; imperfection; corruption [upa + √kilis > kiles + *a] |
| jenta | (prp) conquering [je + nta] prp of jeti |
| santa 2.1 | (pp) still; calm; at peace; tranquil [√sam + ta] pp of sammati |
| sayaṁ | (ind) by one's own; oneself; one's own [saya + aṁ] ind, adv, from sa |
| niyojaka | (masc) instigator; who encourages (one to do) [ni + yoje + aka] |
| vidita | (pp) known; understood; experienced [√vid + ita] pp of vidati |
| buddhānubuddha | (adj) awakened following the Buddha; [buddha + anubuddha] adj, comp |
| sama 1.2 | (adj) like; equal (to); same (as); identical (to) adj |