The Summary of Sabbāsava-Sutta

Once while the Buddha was staying at Jetavana Vihàra in Savatthì, delivered was this Sutta on getting rid of cankers. The Buddha said that cankers could be destroyed only by wise attention, and not otherwise, and gave seven means for the purpose, that is, by means of vision, control, use, endurance and son on.

1.      By Vision (Dassana):  Six kinds of doubts and six kinds of wrong views occur to a worldling who views thing unwisely.  Such a person will not be free from rebirth, ageing, death, grief, sorrow, ills, tribulation, misery and anguish. These doubts and wrong views could be removed by wise attention/ vision.

2.      By control (Saçvara): Having reflected wisely, a monk could control six sense-organs, i.e. eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind, and thus expels the canker.

3.      By Use / Consumption (Paåisevana): Having contemplated wisely, a monk uses / consumes four requisites, namely, robes, food, lodging and medicine, and thus throws away the cankers.

4.       By Endurance (Adhivàsana): Having reflected wisely, a monk bears/ tolerates cold, heat, hunger, thirst, bite of gadflies, mosquitoes, harsh speech, acute pain, etc. and thus he dispels/ drives away the cankers.

5.      By Avoidance (Parivajjana): Having reflected wisely, a monk avoids/refrains from fierce animals, dangerous places and depraved/debauched/evil companions, and thus drives away the cankers.

6.      By Elimination (Vinodana): Having reflected wisely, a monk eliminates or expels three kinds of evil thoughts, namely,

a).    Thought of sense-pleasures (Kàma-vitakka),

b).    Malevolent Thought (Byàpàda-vitakka), and

c).    Thought of harming others (Vihiçsà-vitakka),

and thus dispenses with / disposes of the cankers.

7.      By development (Bhàvanà): Having reflected wisely, a monk develops the Seven Constituents of Enlightenment (Bojjhaæga)÷

a).    Mindfulness (Sati-Sambhojjhaæga)

b).    Investigation of the Truth / Wisdom (Dhamma-vicaya-Sambhojjhaæga)

c).    Effort / Energy ( Vìriya-Sambhojjhaæga)

d).    Rapture / Zest (Pìti-Sambhojjhaæga)

e).    Serenity / Tranquility/ Quietude ( Passaddhi-Sambhojjhaæga)

f).     Concentration ( Samàdhi-Sambhojjhaæga)

g).    Equanimity ( Upekkhà-Sambhojjhaæga)

            By doing so, he has cut off craving (Taähà), done away with Fetters (Saçyojana) and overcome conceit (Màna), and made an end of suffering (Dukkha). Thus being spoken to, the monks were all delighted with the discourse of the Lord Buddha.