The meaning of satta

fofoo

Hello,

recently I wondered what the term satta, usually translated als (living) being, means other than a conventional designation for an entity composed of the 5 skhandas. In Rada Samyutta (S.23.2), we find:

"Was da Wille, Gier, Lust und Begehren zur Körperlichkeit ist, da hängt man (satto), da hängt man fest (visatto); daher heißt es (Lebe-) Wesen (satto).

"What there is being will, greed, lust and desire für the body, there one is stuck(satto), there one is trapped(visatto); that is why it is called (living) being (satto)" (the same goes for the other four aggregates)

The above in German original was translated in the Yana-magazine of the Old Buddhist comunity in Germany and can be found here: http://www.palikanon.com/samyutta/sam23.html#s23_2

I would appreciate if you could share the english translations you know here and if you like, argue if and why you consider a particular translation more apropriate than the other.

Regards

Jason

fofoo,

Translator's note: A number of discourses (among them, SN 35.191; AN 6.63) make the point that the mind is fettered, not by things like the five aggregates or the objects of the six senses, but by the act of passion & delight for them. There are two ways to try to cut through this fetter. One is to focus on the drawbacks of passion & delight in & of themselves, seeing clearly the stress & suffering they engender in the mind. The other is to analyze the objects of passion & delight in such a way that they no longer seem worthy of interest. This second approach is the one recommended in this discourse: when the Buddha talks of "smashing, scattering, & demolishing form (etc.) and making it unfit for play," he is referring to the practice of analyzing form minutely into its component parts until it no longer seems a fit object for passion & delight. When all five aggregates can be treated in this way, the mind is left with no conditioned object to serve as a focal point for its passion, and so is released — at the very least — to the stage of Awakening called non-return.


I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Then Ven. Radha went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: "'A being,' lord. 'A being,' it's said. To what extent is one said to be 'a being'?"

"Any desire, passion, delight, or craving for form, Radha: when one is caught up there, tied up there, one is said to be 'a being.'

"Any desire, passion, delight, or craving for feeling... perception... fabrications...

"Any desire, passion, delight, or craving for consciousness, Radha: when one is caught up there, tied up there, one is said to be 'a being.'

"Just as when boys or girls are playing with little sand castles: as long as they are not free from passion, desire, love, thirst, fever, & craving for those little sand castles, that's how long they have fun with those sand castles, enjoy them, treasure them, feel possessive of them. But when they become free from passion, desire, love, thirst, fever, & craving for those little sand castles, then they smash them, scatter them, demolish them with their hands or feet and make them unfit for play.

"In the same way, Radha, you too should smash, scatter, & demolish form, and make it unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for form.

"You should smash, scatter, & demolish feeling, and make it unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for feeling.

"You should smash, scatter, & demolish perception, and make it unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for perception.

"You should smash, scatter, & demolish fabrications, and make them unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for fabrications.

"You should smash, scatter, & demolish consciousness and make it unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for consciousness — for the ending of craving, Radha, is Unbinding." (SN 23.2)

Jason

Palzang

Satta (Pali) or sattva (Skt) means "being". A Bodhisattva, then, is someone who "embodies enlightenment".

Palzang

questZENer

In Hinduism, "sattva" is also part of the 3 gunas:

SATTVA guna relates to the qualities of brightness, goodness, purity, truth, sweetness, etc. Esoterically, sattva is said to have the power "to reveal" that which exists.

RAJA guna relates to the qualities of worldly ambition, excess, hot, passion, activity, intensity, acquisitiveness, incisiveness, etc. Esoterically, rajas Rajas is said to have the power "to project" that which exists.

TAMA guna relates to the qualities of lazyness, cold, ignorance, confusion, deficiency or lack, inactivity,congestion, etc. Esoterically, tamas is said to have the power "to conceal" that which exists.

One source is for sure the BHAGAVAD GITA, but Ayurved (indigenous South Asian medicine) also uses these as medical and medicinal terms.

That's my two cents. Peace!