British Library Kharoṣṭhī Fragment 15 (Gandhārī)

The Saṃgītisūtra — "The Discourse on Chanting Together" — is one of the great systematic compendia of early Buddhist doctrine. In it, the elder Śāriputra enumerates groups of doctrinal items from ones through tens, creating a complete catalogue of the Buddha's teachings arranged by number. This commentary, written on birch bark in Gandhāri Prakrit and dating to the 1st century CE, is the earliest surviving exegetical work on any version of the Saṃgītisūtra.

The commentary's closest textual parallel is the Dharmaguptaka Chinese translation completed in 413 CE — the translators may well have worked from a Gandhāri original similar to the one underlying this text. The commentary employs a method of "categorial reduction," systematically reducing each doctrinal set to the standard framework of the Four Noble Truths (pain, origin, cessation, path) and the three factors of virtue, concentration, and understanding. After each major group of sets, a "Brief Statement" (S) maps the entire group onto these categories.

The surviving scroll preserves commentary on sets of threes (perceptions through abidings), fours (verbal behaviors through purities), fives (desires through persons), sixes (spheres through remembrances), and the beginning of sevens. Despite extensive damage to the birch bark, the text provides unprecedented evidence for how Buddhist scholastics in Gandhāra analyzed and taught the dharma two thousand years ago.

This is a Good Works Translation from Gandhāri Prakrit. Translated from the first critical edition published by Stefan Baums (LMU Munich, 2021). No prior freely available English translation existed.

Sets of Three

3.7–8 — Three Perceptions

Three perceptions: perception of desire, perception of malice, perception of injury. [...] It is to be done according to the bright side.

3.9–10 — Three Intentions

Three intentions: intention of desire, intention of malice, intention of injury. One intends action. Therefore it is called intention. [...] What is the difference between perceptions and intentions? Perceptions are like grasping; intentions are like causing to grow. Perceptions are opposed to virtue; intentions are opposed to development. [...] The thin plane.

Brief Statement: By the bad roots, the course of defilement is spoken of. By the actions and the bad practices, the course of action is spoken of. By the perceptions and the intentions, the course of pain is spoken of.

3.11 — Three Matters of Meritorious Action

Three matters of meritorious action: consisting of giving, consisting of virtue, consisting of development. [...]

3.12 — Three Feelings

Three feelings: pleasant feeling, painful, neither painful nor pleasant. [...] Some say as interjection: "Feeling is experience, pleasant, painful or neither painful nor pleasant." Why is that? Because feeling has experiencing as its characteristic.

Brief statement: Pleasant feeling — lust. Painful feeling — hate. Neither painful nor pleasant feeling — delusion. Pleasant — painful due to change for the worse. Painful — the painfulness of pain. Neither painful nor pleasant — the painfulness of determination.

3.13 — Three Cravings

Three cravings: craving for sense pleasure, craving for existence, craving for non-existence. [...] Craving for non-existence — the view of annihilation. [...] Craving for sense pleasure has craving as application, craving for annihilation has view as application. These are the two that have the roots as application.

3.14 — Three Taints

Three taints: taint of sense pleasure, taint of existence, taint of ignorance. What has the meaning "taint" has the meaning "collection." What has the meaning "taint" has the meaning "hearing." Also taint because of the state of having become ignorant. [...] Taint of ignorance — the origin. This is the root defilement. With the bonds: taint of sense pleasure — bond of sense pleasure; taint of existence — bond of existence; taint of ignorance — bond of view.

3.15 — Three Fires

Three fires: lust, hate, delusion. [...] Burns. In the same way hate, and in the same way delusion are bad behavior. Another way: the fruit of greed is among the hungry ghosts.

3.16 — Three Kinds of Searching

Three kinds of searching: searching for sense pleasure, searching for existence, searching for the religious life. What is searching? The same as seeking. [...] Searching for sense pleasure — the element of sense pleasure. Searching for existence — the element of form and the element of formlessness, that is, searching for the world of three elements is spoken of. [...] Searching for the religious life — evolution is spoken of. [...] Of great disciples, of those in training, searching for the religious life is to be spoken of.

3.17 — Three Controls

Three controls: control of the world, control of oneself, control of the dharma. What has the meaning "controller" has the meaning "master." [...] All are spoken of by the ancient ones. To be drawn out by shame and modesty; by the four fears.

3.18 — Three Elements (Part I)

Three elements: element of sense pleasure, element of malice, element of injury. What has the meaning "element" has the meaning "severing." Sense pleasure — those which are the five qualities of desire. By their change — malice. [...] With examination, with injury; without examination, with malice. These three elements are called the element of sense desire.

3.19–20 — Three Elements (Part II)

Also another three elements: element of renunciation, element of non-malice, element of non-injury. So the thinness of lust for sense-pleasure and malice is called. As one increases it further in the first meditation, as in the second, third, fourth, so the element of form. [...] As one emerges also from formlessness, so it is called the element of cessation.

[...] The eight liberations are spoken of. [...] Desires are not transcended. For them, perception of desire arises. Like the taking up, so also the increasing. [...] After the splitting of the body, he is reborn in hells. [...] "Element" is imbuing and application, a basis. "Element" is either the defilement element or the element of desirelessness. Imbuing is good or not good. Application is good or not good.

Brief Statement: By matters of meritorious action — the path. By the element of desirelessness and controls and searching for religious life — the path. By feelings and the element of desire and the element of form — pain is spoken of. By craving, taints, fires, two searchings and the element of injury — the origin is spoken of. By the element of cessation — cessation is spoken of.

3.21 — Three Factors

Three factors: factor of virtue, factor of concentration, factor of understanding. The state of a factor is the state of being separate.

[...] Factor of virtue — like abstention from destruction of life. Factor of concentration — like the four meditations. Factor of understanding — the body of understanding, the faculty of understanding, proper view, the part of awakening that is examination of the dharma.

"Concentration" because of constructing, or because the even is brought about from even the uneven. Understanding — full making known is to be called. It is called "understanding" because one sees either as a bystander or as another.

Lust, hate, delusion. Abandoning of lust is called concentration. Abandoning of hate is called virtue. Abandoning of delusion is called understanding.

Two kinds of abandoning: abandoning of accumulation and abandoning of inscribing. What is the simile: one makes a cow hide smeared with blood smeared with poison [...] the virtues and the concentrations are abstention from application; understanding is said to be destruction with regard to the roots. Second simile: like one opposes and screams about an enemy. [...] Fourth simile: a poisonous snake is grasped well by a man; in this way, defilement is grasped well [...] skilfulness in grasping.

3.22 — Three Trainings

Three trainings: training regarding virtue, regarding thought, regarding understanding. [...] "He trains with regard to virtue" is called regarding virtue. "He trains with regard to thought" is called regarding thought. "He trains with regard to understanding" is called regarding understanding.

3.23 — Three Concentrations

Three concentrations: concentration on emptiness, concentration on the baseless, concentration on the purposeless. "Concentration" is either from "constructing" or from "rest."

Concentration on emptiness — what is emptiness? Two statements: either emptiness of descending or from non-perception. From descending: just as in the first meditation lust for sense-pleasure and malice do not exist. [...] Both emptiness from dharmas and emptiness from dharmaness. What is emptiness from dharmas? That which [...] What is emptiness from dharmaness? That which in completeness does not exist.

Baseless — both baseless with transformation and baseless without transformation. [...] He directs his mind to the unconditioned sphere.

[...] All three concentrations are empty of sense-pleasure and malice. The emptiness which is the abandoning of that, that is baseless. Whichever ones one does not wish for, that is purposeless. [...] Two paths are spoken of: of emptiness and of insight.

3.24 — Three Objects

Three objects: the object of calm, the object of exertion, the object of equanimity. [...] One takes up an object for the calm of an agitated mind — the object of calm. One takes up an object for the exertion of a lax mind — the object of exertion.

3.25 — Three Knowledges

Three knowledges: the divine eye, earlier life, exhaustion of taints. Knowledge has the meaning "light" or has the meaning "intelligent." [...] Supported by development, a flesh eye becomes a divine eye. Earlier life — one directs attention also to what has happened previously. Exhaustion of taints — of the three taints.

Divine eye and earlier life — the gain called knowledge. Divine eye — indifference. Earlier life — disgust. Exhaustion of taints — [...] Divine eye and earlier life — the fruit is calm. Exhaustion of taints — the fruit is insight. [...] Divine eye and earlier life — abstention from application. Exhaustion of taints — destruction with regard to the roots.

3.26 — Three Miracles

Three miracles: miracle of supernormal power, miracle of mind reading, miracle of instruction. [...] For what reason do the divine eye and knowledge of earlier life not take the name "miracle"? Because [...] by these the name "miracle" is not taken.

3.27 — Three Arisings Due to Desire

Three arisings due to desire: there are beings who are under the power of present desires, such as some humans and some gods subject to ruin. There are beings who are under the power of created desires, such as the Gods Who Delight in Creation. There are beings who are under the power of completely created desires, such as the Gods under the Power of the Completely Created.

[...] Who are under the power of present desires — they now burn with pain. [...] Like a householder, being established in virtue, produces the thought of going forth and takes part in giving. He is under the power of present ones. Who, however, is troubled by the householder state [...] and attains seclusion, he is under the control of those emanating.

3.28 — Three Arisings of Pleasure

There are beings who experience pleasure and elation producing it repeatedly, such as the gods belonging to the Brahmā body. [...] There are beings who experience happiness and pleasure and utter the utterance "O pleasure, O pleasure!," such as the shining gods. There are beings who experience the calm, pleasant, and glad, such as the gods who shine purely.

For what reason "arisings of pleasure"? Lust for sense-pleasure and malice are painful thought. Its abandoning is "arising of pleasure." [...] The dejection faculty has been surmounted, and the pain faculty. [...] They experience happiness through abandoning of dejection; they experience pleasure through abandoning of the pain faculty.

[...] Who experience the calm, pleasant, and glad — they have surmounted three faculties: the dejection faculty and the pain faculty and the pleasure faculty. Inevitably indeed they experience the calm through abandoning of dejection, the pleasant through abandoning of pain, and the glad through abandoning of elation.

For what reason "who shine purely"? "Shine" means "much." Therefore either the pleasant is much, or the pure is much. Therefore "who shine purely."

3.29 — Three Painfulnesses

Three painfulnesses: painfulness of determination, painfulness of pain, painfulness of change. What is painfulness? Pain has strife as its characteristic, or it is oppression. [...] Painfulness of determination — birth. Painfulness of pain — old age and sickness. Painfulness of change — death. Painfulness of determination — arising. Painfulness of change — decay. Painfulness of pain — altered state of something stable.

3.30 — Three Faculties

Three faculties: the faculty "I will understand what is not understood," the understanding faculty, the having-understood-faculty.

[...] To-be-seen is the "I will understand what is not understood" faculty. Which one is seeing? The understanding faculty. [...] "This is pain," so for me, oh monks, [...] in previously unheard-of dharmas — the faculty "I will understand what is not understood." "It is to be diagnosed" — the understanding faculty. "It has been understood" — the having-understood-faculty.

The seven planes: the faculty "I will understand what is not understood" — the bright-insight, the being-of-the-clan, and the eighth-in-the-dharma plane. Understanding faculty — the plane of seeing and the thin plane, the plane of development. Having-understood-faculty — the plane of one who is accomplished.

3.31 — Three Abidings

Three abidings: divine abiding, religious, and noble. Divine — the four meditations. Religious — the four measureless states. Noble — possession of understanding.

"Abiding" from "bringing about," either developed by gods or developed by pleasure. [...] Divine — abandoning of lust. Religious — abandoning of hate. Noble — abandoning of delusion. Both divine and religious — abstention from application. Destruction with regard to the roots — noble.

3.32 — Three Accusations

Three accusations: by what is seen, by what is heard, by suspicion.

3.33 — Three Matters of Debate

Three matters of debate: one either debates concerning the past, or the future, or what is now present, without a fourth, without a fifth. [...] Without a fourth, without a fifth — there are exactly five wrong views.

3.34 — Three Groups

Three groups: the group fixed on wrongness, the group fixed on properness, the unfixed group. "Group" from the state of being separate. [...] Fixed on properness — like awakened ones and disciples. Unfixed — other ones. To be drawn out with the three persons: the blind, the one-eyed, the two-eyed.

3.35 — Three Purities

Three purities: purity of body, purity of speech, purity of mind. Purity is being undefiled. [...] The ones in training have good conduct in all matters; saints have purity. Liberation from defilement is called purity.

3.36 — Three Elders

Three elders: elder by age, elder by agreement, dharma elder. "Elder" because of the state of being firm. Elder by age — who is old. Elder by agreement — from how one is born.

3.37 — Three Eyes

Three eyes: divine eye, flesh eye, eye of understanding. "Eye" from seeing, that is, from eyeing. Flesh eye — clarity of the gross elements. A flesh eye supported by development becomes a divine eye. [...] The eye of understanding is that which is described as realization of dependent arising through contemplation of causes.

Brief Statement: Factors, trainings, concentrations, and eyes; objects, two knowledges, two miracles — by these the path is spoken of. Painfulnesses, and two sections on arisings — pain is spoken of. Matters of debate and the group fixed on wrongness — the origin is spoken of. By the miracle of instruction and exhaustion of taints and the having-understood faculty — the realization of cessation is spoken of. The elders do not belong to either any particular or all of this.

Sets of Four

4.1–2 — Verbal Behaviors

Four bad verbal behaviors: false speech, defamation, harsh speech, obscure prattle.

Four good verbal behaviors: true speech, gentle speech, state of considered speech, state of non-defamation. What here is speech? Of the considered one, the one with understanding.

4.3–4 — Noble and Ignoble Verbal Behaviors

Four ignoble verbal behaviors: saying one has seen what has not been seen, heard what has not been heard, sensed what has not been sensed, cognized what has not been cognized. "Ignoble" because of the state of not being without lust.

Not seen — not experienced by the eye consciousness. Not heard — not experienced by the ear consciousness. Not sensed — not experienced by the other three: the body, the tongue, the nose. Not cognized — by the mind. Another way: not seen — like by the divine eye. Not heard — like by the divine ear. [...] Cognized means both knowledge of the ways of the mind and knowledge of earlier life.

4.5 — Four Foods

These four are the foods either for the steadiness of existing beings or for the taking up of those wishing for an origin. What is food? As one fetches it or as it runs towards one, therefore they are called "foods."

Food making a morsel, either coarse or fine. Touch as second, activity of the mind as third, consciousness as fourth. [...] Where there is activity of the mind, there is consciousness. In this way the four foods are to be shown one with the other.

[...] Two kinds of food bring about existence. [...] One may connect two kinds of food with dependent arising, two one may connect with the bundle of reeds. Like "from the condition ignorance, determinations; from the condition determinations, consciousness" — thus one may connect with dependent arising. Like "from the condition consciousness, name and form; from the condition name and form, the six spheres; from the condition the six spheres, touch" — thus one may connect with the bundle of reeds.

4.6 — Four Dharma Undertakings

Four dharma undertakings: there is the dharma undertaking that is pain in the present and ripening of pain in the future. There is the one that is pain in the present and ripening of pleasure in the future. There is the one that is pleasure in the present and ripening of pain in the future. There is the one that is pleasure in the present and ripening of pleasure in the future.

[...] That is darkness ending in darkness. [...] Darkness ending in light. [...] Light ending in darkness. [...] Light ending in light.

Those humans occupied in sense-pleasure and happiness — among them there is pleasure in the present and ripening of pain in the future. Those humans occupied in exhaustion of themselves — among them there is pain in the present and ripening of pain in the future.

4.7 — Four Assumings

Four assumings: assuming of sense-pleasure, assuming of the doctrine of a self, assuming of virtue and observances, assuming of views. What is assuming? Assuming is putting on. [...] Assuming is abundance of craving. Assuming is taking.

[...] If he has the opinion "there is another world," he therefore clings to virtue and observances. What are virtue and observances? Virtue relates to the body and speech. Observance relates to the forest, to alms. [...] Assuming of sense-pleasure and assuming of the doctrine of a self are the side of craving. Assuming of virtue and observances and assuming of views are the side of views.

4.8 — Four Body Bonds

Four body bonds: the body bond "covetousness," the body bond "malice," the body bond "clinging to virtue and observance," the body bond "conviction that such is the truth." Body from doing. Bond from binding.

Brief statement: covetousness — greed. Malice — hate. Virtue and observance and conviction that such is the truth — delusion. Another way: covetousness and malice — the side of craving. Virtue and observance and conviction that such is the truth — the side of view.

4.9 — Four Barbs

Four barbs: the barb of lust, the barb of delusion, the barb of hate, the barb of view. What is a barb? A barb is a bad entrance. [...] Barb of lust and barb of hate mean craving. Barb of delusion and barb of view mean view.

4.10 — Four Origins

Four origins: born from an egg, born from an embryo skin, born with moisture, spontaneously arisen. Born from an egg — those who emerge splitting open an egg shell. Born from an embryo skin — those who are born from the womb of a mother, like bulls, donkeys, goats, and sheep. Born with moisture — those animals which are born being moist: hot feces, also other ways. Spontaneously arisen — [...] gods and hell-beings. "Origin" means a door. It is for the coming into existence of beings.

Also among humans there exist those who are born from an egg, like the Maurya. There are those who are born with an embryo skin, like presently. There are those who are born with moisture, like Māndhātr̥. There are those who are spontaneously arisen, like those of the first world age.

Brief Statement: Bad behaviors, ignoble verbal behaviors, foods, two undertakings, bonds, barbs, and assumings — the origin. Origins — pain. Good behaviors and two undertakings — the path. Four noble verbal behaviors — cessation.

4.11 — Four Presences of Mindfulness

Four presences of mindfulness: here a monk abides observing the body, with regard to the internal body and the external body. With internal and external feelings, thought, and dharmas.

Internal body — like one's own body. External body — like somebody else's body. Another way: internal body — like the fruit of craving. External body — like the fruit of action.

Ardent means the bravery faculty and the faith faculty. Understanding means the understanding faculty. Mindful means the mindfulness faculty. Removing covetousness in the world and dejectedness means the concentration faculty.

Why are there four presences of mindfulness, not five, not three? Because there are four matters of selfhood: body, feelings, thought, dharmas. [...] The perception of "pure" with regard to the body, the perception of "pleasant" with regard to feelings, the perception of "constant" with regard to thought, the perception of "the self" with regard to dharmas.

Another way: observing the body means cessation. Feeling means the origin. Observing thought means the path. Observing the dharmas means pain.

4.12 — Four Proper Exertions

Four proper exertions: he produces a wish for the non-arising of non-arisen evil bad dharmas, strives for it, undertakes bravery, applies his thought, abandons.

Produces a wish means the faith faculty. Strives and undertakes bravery mean the bravery faculty. Applies his thought means the mindfulness faculty and the concentration faculty. Abandons means the understanding faculty.

4.13 — Four Meditations

Four meditations: separated indeed from desires, separated from evil bad dharmas, with thought, with deliberation, he abides attaining the first meditation, separation-born, having happiness and pleasure.

Meditation is burning. Or meditation is reflection. Or meditation is a stop of the mind. Or meditation is constructing. "Separated indeed" — like withdrawn. [...] Thought has [...] as its characteristic. Deliberation has application as its characteristic. Thought is immersion. Thought is hankering after thoughts. Thought is challenge and discussion. Thought is transformed doubt.

Separation-born — born from separation. Having happiness and pleasure — pleasure that meets happiness. [...] After the calming of thoughts and deliberations: internal tranquility. One-pointed state of the mind, without thoughts and without deliberations.

[...] Like one might hear that on the earth a fire has blazed and even now it is hot — likewise when lust for sense-pleasure and malice have been surmounted, even now there is torment by sense-pleasure. That becomes calmed completely in the second meditation.

Concentration-born — born from concentration, from the first meditation. Happiness is mental; pleasure and things related to pleasure are bodily. [...] In the third meditation, after its abandoning, he abides equanimous. Mindful — calm. Understanding — insight.

He experiences pleasure with the body — bodily pleasure is full. "That the noble ones long for" — either showing or longing is meant. [...] After abandoning of the pleasure faculty, in the fourth meditation the equanimity faculty and the mindfulness faculty are developed.

Purity of equanimity and mindfulness — mindfulness is to be made present.

4.14 — Four Bases of Supernormal Power

Four bases of supernormal power: he develops the basis of supernormal power attended by the determination of effort towards concentration of wish, based on seclusion, based on indifference, based on cessation, release, change.

Basis means foundation. Wish — first, wish is to be wished for, then bravery, then thought, then inquiry. [...] Based on seclusion — having diagnosed suffering. Based on indifference — the diagnosis of the origin. Based on cessation — the realization of cessation. Change for relief means the path.

Wish means the faith faculty. Bravery means the bravery faculty. Thought means the concentration faculty. Inquiry means the understanding faculty.

4.15 — Four Measureless States

He abides having pervaded one region with thought accompanied by friendliness, then settled in it, up to having pervaded the entire world and settled in it. Likewise compassion. Likewise gentleness. Likewise equanimity.

4.16 — Four Attainments of Formlessness

After the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, after the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, after not keeping in mind the perceptions of difference, he abides having attained the sphere of the end of space with the thought "space is endless."

Perceptions of form means the fruit of action. Perceptions of resistance means the fruit of craving. [...] He is then pained by form. "Space is endless" — [...] there is injury of it: cutting off of hands, cutting off of feet. [...] Where there is space, there he delights.

[...] After surmounting the sphere of the end of space, he abides having attained the sphere of the end of consciousness. It occurs to him: this too is painful, consciousness is endless. Consciousness — this too is a bad plane. This is the root of all pains: touch is the root.

[...] "For perception is a disease, perception is a boil" — [...] He abides having attained the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. [...] Having completely surmounted the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, he abides having attained cessation of perception and feeling.

4.17 — Four Foundations of the Dharma

Four foundations of the dharma: non-covetousness, non-malice, proper mindfulness, proper concentration. What is "dharma"? Pain. Another way: cessation. Another way: these four foundations are the path. Non-covetousness and non-malice are in the virtue factor. Proper mindfulness is in the understanding factor. Proper concentration is in the concentration factor. These three factors are the path.

4.18 — Four Old Traditions of the Noble Ones

These four are the traditions of the noble ones, ancient, time-honored, original, old, unconfused. Here a monk is content with this or that robe, and he speaks the praise of contentedness, and when he does not obtain a robe he does not fear, and when he obtains a robe he enjoys it without lust, without craze, without greed, without infatuation, without transgression, having seen the danger, understanding the escape. Likewise with alms. Likewise with bed and seat. Likewise he is delighted by abandoning.

Old — practised by completely enlightened ones of old. [...] Time-honored — having lived through a year. Original — having lived through a night. Unconfused — not mixed up.

4.19 — Four Matters of Winning Over

Four matters of winning over: giving, dear speech, practice for profit, having the same purpose. Greedy beings are won over by giving. Hateful beings by dearness of speech. Deluded beings by having the same purpose. Practice for profit is for all three.

4.20 — Four Parts of Stream Entry

Parts of stream entry — the path is a stream. [...] Some parts of stream entry are of foods; some parts of stream entry are from the outcome. Parts of stream entry of foods: association with good men, listening to the good dharma.

[...] "Bhagavant" — he who has broken lust, or he who partakes of the faculties, powers, and parts of awakening, or he who partakes of the robe and begging bowl, or he who removes fears. [...] Saint — the state of liberation. Properly enlightened one — the state of being a knower. [...] Perfected in the dharma — dharma here means cessation. Perfected in the community — the community brings together.

4.21 — Four Things to Be Realized

Four things to be realized: forms are to be realized by the eye, earlier life by mindfulness, cessation by the body, exhaustion of the taints by understanding. By the eye — the divine eye. [...] Body — the state of realization by the body. By this is meant the perfection of quiet. By those other three is meant the perfection of insight.

"Attainment of knowledge and seeing." Earlier life — "to the opening of understanding." Exhaustion of the taints — "to the abandoning of lust." Body — "to a pleasant life in the present world."

4.22 — Four Ways

Four ways: the painful way that is slowly recognized, the painful way that is quickly recognized, the pleasant way that is slowly recognized, the pleasant way that is quickly recognized. What is "way"? One "undertakes" a "way." [...] Through earlier impression, there are four ways. [...] Two paths — calm and insight.

4.23 — Four Truths of the Noble Ones

Four truths of the noble ones: pain, the origin, the cessation, the path. Truths because of non-perversion. Pain has exertion as its characteristic. The origin has the origin of the pain of the way as its characteristic. The cessation has the calm as its characteristic. [...] There is only one truth. There is no second truth. Through the power of things there are four.

4.24 — Four Fruits of Asceticism

Four fruits of asceticism: the fruit of stream entry, the fruit of the once-returner, the fruit of the non-returner, sainthood. The path is asceticism. These are the fruits of it. [...] The fruit is one: cessation. Through the power of defilement the four take their name.

4.25 — Four Controls

Four controls: understanding control, truth control, generosity control, calming control. [...] Understanding control — the path. Truth control — pain. Generosity control — the origin. Calming control — the cessation.

4.26–27 — Four Knowledges

Four knowledges: knowledge of the dharma, knowledge of the origin, knowledge of conclusion, grasped knowledge. Pain is the dharma. The knowledge about it is called knowledge of the dharma.

Also four knowledges: knowledge of meaning, knowledge of the dharma, knowledge of expression, knowledge of confidence. [...] Knowledge of meaning and knowledge of the dharma — one's own well-being. Knowledge of confidence is said to be the well-being of others.

4.28 — Four Steadinesses of Consciousness

Four steadinesses of consciousness: consciousness becomes steady with form as means, form as object, form as foundation, pursuing joy, and attains increase, growth, and greatness. [...] The four steadinesses of consciousness are the fruit of craving. The seven steadinesses of consciousness are the fruit of action.

4.29–30 — Four Bonds and Unbondings

Four bonds: the bond of desire, the bond of existence, the bond of view, the bond of ignorance. [...] Bond of desire and bond of existence — craving. Bond of view and bond of ignorance — view.

4.31 — Four Purities

Four purities: virtue purity, thought purity, view purity, purity of explaining doubts. What is purity? Being without defilement, like a pure garment.

Virtue purity — the plane of seeing, the state of stream entry. Thought purity — the thin plane, the state of a once-returner. View purity — the plane of development, the state of a non-returner. Purity of explaining doubts with regard to non-attachment — the state of one who has accomplished, sainthood, the surmounting of all doubts.

Another way: virtue purity — the virtue factor. Thought purity — the concentration factor. View purity — the understanding factor. Purity of explaining doubts — the liberation factor.

4.32 — Four Supports

Here the monk considers and endures some. He considers and pursues some. He considers and dispels some. He considers and avoids some. [...] Enduring — to be abandoned by enduring. Dispelling — to be abandoned by seeing and by restraint and by development.

4.33–36 — Behaviors, Perceptions, Questions, Tathāgata

Four behaviors: standing, walking about, sitting down, lying down. Behavior means practice.

Four perceptions: perception of what is limited, perception of what is great, perception of what is measureless, perception of nothingness. Grasping is perception.

Four questions and answers: to be answered definitely, to be answered after deciding, to be answered with a counter-question, to be let alone. [...] Like "is the world eternal?" — to be let alone.

Four things that do not need to be guarded by the tathāgata: the tathāgata is endowed with bodily practice that does not need to be guarded. There is no bodily action of the tathāgata of which he would need to think "may nobody else know this about me."

Sets of Five

5.1 — Five Qualities of Desire

Five qualities of desire: forms to be cognized by the eye, wished for, beloved, charming, of dear form, combined with sense pleasure, exciting sense pleasure. [...] Wished for — sought. [...] Exciting sense pleasure — they produce lust.

5.2 — Five Hindrances

Wish for sense-pleasure and malice, sloth and drowsiness, agitation and remorse, uncertainty. [...] Wish for sense-pleasure means lust. Malice means hate. Sloth and drowsiness, agitation and remorse, uncertainty mean delusion. Going wrong of the three factors is spoken of. The eight wrongnesses are spoken of. The hindrances are all defilement. They hinder with regard to the bright dharmas.

5.3 — Five Factors

Five factors: form, feeling, perception, determinations, consciousness. Form has molesting as its characteristic. Feeling has experiencing as its characteristic. Perception has grasping as its characteristic. Determinations have accumulating as their characteristic. Consciousness has cognizing as its characteristic.

5.4 — Five Fetters Belonging to This Side

Five fetters belonging to this side: embodiment view, uncertainty, clinging to virtue and observances, wish for sense-pleasure, malice. [...] Only when lust is destroyed are they excluded. Because it brings about this side, they are called belonging to this side. This side is the desire element.

Five belonging to this side — the two roots. Embodiment view, uncertainty, clinging to virtue and observances mean view. Lust for sense-pleasure and malice mean craving.

5.5 — Five Fetters Belonging to the Upper Side

Five fetters belonging to the upper side: lust for form, lust for formlessness, covetousness, conceit, agitation. [...] Lust for form, lust for formlessness are the remainder from lust for sense-pleasure and malice. Conceit is the remainder from embodiment view. Covetousness is the remainder from uncertainty. Agitation is the remainder from virtue and observances.

By abandoning of three fetters — the fruit of stream entry. By thinness of lust for sense-pleasure and malice — the fruit of the once-returner.

5.6 — Five Faculties

Five faculties: faith faculty, bravery faculty, mindfulness faculty, concentration faculty, understanding faculty. What has the meaning "faculty" has the meaning "control."

Having faith, one undertakes bravery. For one who has undertaken bravery, mindfulness is present. Of one for whom mindfulness is present, the mind is concentrated. Those who have concentrated minds see and know as it is.

One should stand to the faith faculty like to a mother. One should stand to the bravery faculty like to a servant. One should stand to the mindfulness faculty like to a treasurer, to the concentration faculty like to a king, to the understanding faculty like to a general.

Faith faculty — proper intention, proper speech, proper action, proper livelihood. Bravery faculty — proper striving. Mindfulness faculty — proper mindfulness. Concentration faculty — proper concentration. Understanding faculty — proper view.

5.7 — Five Powers

Five powers: faith power, bravery power, mindfulness power, concentration power, understanding power. What is the difference between faculties and powers? The faculties are on all planes. The powers, however, starting from the state of lust gone away up to sainthood.

5.8 — Five Parts Related to Exertion

[...] Has faith in the awakening of the tathāgata. [...] He is of little distress, of healthy kind, [...] Without falsehood — abandoning of delusion. Not dishonest — abandoning of greed. Without deceit — abandoning of hate.

Faith means the virtue factor. Of little distress and without falsehood mean the concentration factor. Mindfulness and understanding mean the understanding factor.

5.9–10 — Non-Dharmic and Dharmic Accusations

Five non-dharmic accusations: at the wrong time, concerning what does not exist, connected to non-profit, harsh, with hate inside. [...] Five dharmic accusations: at the right time, concerning what has happened, gently, connected with profit, with friendliness.

Brief Statement: Desires, hindrances, those belonging to this side, those belonging to the upper side, non-dharmic accusations mean the origin. Factors mean pain. Faculties, powers, parts related to exertion, dharmic accusations mean the path. Those belonging to the upper side, those belonging to this side mean, through abandoning them, cessation.

5.11 — Five Jealousies

Five jealousies: jealousy of residence, jealousy of family, jealousy of possession, jealousy of color, jealousy of the dharma. What is jealousy? "It shall not indeed leave from here."

5.12 — Five Perceptions That Ripen Liberation

Five perceptions that ripen liberation: impure perception, perception of the disgusting in food, perception of the unpleasant in the entire world, perception of danger in all determinations, perception of death. [...] Perception of the impure and perception of the disgusting in food and perception of the unpleasant in the entire world mean calm. Perception of danger and perception of death mean insight.

5.13 — Five Elements Related to Escape

Here [...] of one remembering what is experienced through sense-pleasure, the thought does not jump forward through sense-pleasures, is not pleased, does not stand still, is not liberated. That thought becomes well-gone, well-developed, gone out, flown out, released, unbound.

[...] In this way malice. In this way injury. In this way of forms. In this way of embodiment. Renunciation — separation from sense-pleasure. [...] Sense-pleasures, malice, injury — escape from desire. Forms — from forms. Embodiment — from the formless.

5.14 — Five Liberation Spheres

Five liberation spheres: the teacher teaches the dharma, or another wise fellow follower of the religious life. [...] For him, knowing the meaning, knowing the dharma, delight is born. For the delighted one, happiness is born. For the one with a happy mind, the body becomes serene. With serene body, he feels happiness. The thought of the happy one is concentrated. In his concentrated thought, he knows as it is. Knowing as it is, he is disgusted. Disgusted, he is indifferent. From indifference, he is liberated.

[...] Knowing the meaning — insight. Knowing the dharma — calm. [...] Knowing as it is, he becomes disgusted — disgust from pain. He becomes disgusted, he is indifferent — abandoning of the origin. With indifferent thought, he is liberated — cessation. "The religious life has been lived" — the path has been developed. "What had to be done has been done" — realization of cessation. "There is no other hereness" — pain does not arise again: diagnosis of pain.

5.15 — Five Persons

Five persons: becoming completely extinguished in the intermediate space, becoming completely extinguished cutting short, becoming completely extinguished without determinations, becoming completely extinguished with determinations, streaming up going to the Akaniṣṭhas.

[...] Becoming completely extinguished without determinations — he who here attains the fruit of the non-returner does not strive at all further for the attainment of sainthood. [...] Of him the way is happy and either slow or quick. Becoming extinguished with determinations — he obtains the fruit of the non-returner here. He does not strive further. [...]

Sets of Six

6.1–2 — Six Internal and External Spheres

[...] In the eye faculty the fire element. In the ear faculty the space element. In the nose faculty the wind element. In the tongue faculty the water element. In the body faculty the earth element. [...] Like a road maker, so the internal ones. Like different people, so the external ones.

6.3–8 — Six Bodies

Six consciousness bodies: eye consciousness up to mind consciousness. Six touch bodies. Touch has [...] as its characteristic. Six feeling bodies. Feeling has experience as its characteristic. Six perception bodies. Perception has grasping as its characteristic. Six thinking bodies. Thinking has accumulating as its characteristic. Six craving bodies.

6.9 — Six Roots of Dispute

Angry, grudging; churlish, spiteful; envious, jealous; dishonest, deceitful; clinging to his own view, grasping insult; with wrong view, with evil wishes.

Angry, grudging — failure of the mind, of action of the body. Churlish, spiteful — failure of friendliness, of action of speech. Envious and jealous — failure of friendliness, of action of mind. Dishonest, deceitful — failure of virtue. Clinging to his own view — failure of view.

[...] The first four — lust and greed from desire. The latter two — lust and greed from view.

6.12 — Six Elements Related to Escape

[...] "I am" is gone for me. [...] The lord had called an escape for all barbs of uncertainty or doubt, namely the destruction of the I-am-conceit.

Friendliness — from malice. Compassion — from injury. Gentleness and equanimity — escape from the desires. Baseless — escape from forms.

6.13 — Six Highest Things

Six highest things: the highest of seeing, the highest of hearing, the highest of gain, the highest of training, the highest of attendance, the highest of remembrance. There is no further higher one — that is why it is called highest.

Highest of seeing — association with good men. Highest of hearing — listening to the good dharma. [...] Highest of remembrance — the plane of development and the once-returner and the non-returner. Highest of attendance — the plane of one who has accomplished, sainthood.

6.14 — Six Remembrances

Six remembrances: remembrance of the awakened one, remembrance of the dharma, remembrance of the community, remembrance of virtue, remembrance of generosity, remembrance of deities.

Brief Statement: [...] Craving bodies and roots of dispute and deliberations mean the origin. Those related to escape mean cessation. Highest things and remembrances mean the path.

Sets of Seven

7.1 — Seven Bad Dharmas

Seven bad dharmas: without faith, without shame, without modesty, inert, having forgotten mindfulness, with bad understanding. [...] Without shame — failure of [...]. Inert — failure of the bravery faculty. Having forgotten mindfulness [...] failure of the concentration factor.

7.2–3 — Seven Steadinesses of Consciousness

[...] With different bodies, perceiving uniformly [...] consciousness is steady [...] seven steadinesses of consciousness.

7.4 — Seven Good Dharmas

[...] Withdrawn. Mindful — with mindfulness arisen. With understanding. [...] The virtue factor. Withdrawing and bravery — the concentration factor. [...] Bravery means the bravery faculty. Mindfulness — the mindfulness faculty.

7.5 — Seven Perceptions

[...] Perception of the impermanent, perception of pain, perception of not-a-self, perception of the impure, perception of the disgusting in food. [...]

Colophon

Good Works Translation from Gandhāri Prakrit. Translated from British Library Kharoṣṭhī Fragment 15 (CKM 17), a birch-bark scroll dating to the 1st century CE from the Gandhāra region (modern northwest Pakistan/Afghanistan). First critical edition published by Stefan Baums in A Gāndhārī Commentary on the Saṃgītisūtra: British Library Kharoṣṭhī Fragment 15: Text, Translation, Parallels and Glossary (LMU Munich, 2021). This is the earliest surviving commentary on the Saṃgītisūtra in any language, systematically analyzing doctrinal sets from threes through sevens using the method of "categorial reduction." The root text's closest parallel is the Dharmaguptaka Chinese translation of 413 CE. Lacunae have been silently omitted in the Gospel Reading for clarity; consult the source publication for the full scholarly transliteration preserving all damaged portions. Selected source transliteration sections are available in the companion Scholarly Translation of the Verse Commentary (BL 4/13).

Translated and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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