The Buddha teaches a repeated formula on the four absorptions regarding hard work, showing how they are developed and cultivated to incline the mind toward extinguishment in this grouped discourse.

SN 53.23-34 Hard Work

(Balakaraṇīyavaggo vitthāretabbo.)

Tassuddānaṁ

Balaṁ bījañca nāgo ca,
rukkho kumbhena sūkiyā;
Ākāsena ca dve meghā,
nāvā āgantukā nadīti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

(Balakaraṇīyavaggo vitthāretabbo.)

(Tell in full as in the chapter on hard work at SN 45.149–160.)

Tassuddānaṁ

Balaṁ bījañca nāgo ca,

Hard work, seeds, and dragons,

rukkho kumbhena sūkiyā;

a tree, a pot, and a spike,

Ākāsena ca dve meghā,

the atmosphere, and two on clouds,

nāvā āgantukā nadīti.

a ship, a guest house, and a river.

Qualities:

Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026