➥ santusita, and santuṭṭha:

• for santusitaṁ:
  • inwardly at peace
• for santuṭṭha:
  • content [with what is paltry and easily gotten]
  • content
• for itarītarena santuṭṭha:
  • content [with what is paltry and easily gotten]
• for itarītarena cīvarena santuṭṭha:
  • content with any old robe whatsoever
• for asantuṭṭha:
  • discontented

PED definitions

Santusita and Santuṭṭha are past participles of santussati, says PED, which renders them:

• Santusita: ‘contented, pleased, happy.’
• Santuṭṭha: ‘pleased, happy.’

We explain below why we reject both definitions.

Santusita

Santusita is consistently associated with other words that indicate arahantship. To render it ‘content’ does not represent this situation. ‘Inwardly at peace’ accords better with its usual contexts:

• He is heroic, inwardly at peace, and has overcome his unsureness [about the excellence of the teaching].

vīro santusito vitiṇṇakaṅkho. (Tha 8)

• Being inwardly at peace, he is not agitated. Being not agitated, he realises the Untroubled for himself.

Santusitattā na paritassati. Aparitassaṁ paccattaṁ yeva parinibbāyati. (SN iii 54)

For further examples, see Illustrations.

Santuṭṭha: factor of asceticism (sāmaññaṅga)

As a ‘factor of asceticism’ santuṭṭha occurs in the phrase ‘content with what is paltry and easily gotten.’ See the following quote. It therefore does not mean ‘content with what one has got’:

• Four things are paltry, easily gotten, and blameless. Which four?

Cattārimāni bhikkhave appāni ca sulabhāni ca anavajjāni tāni ca. Katamāni cattāri?

1) In the category of robes, a rag-robe is paltry, easily gotten, and blameless.

Paṁsukūlaṁ bhikkhave cīvarānaṁ appañca sulabhañca tañca anavajjaṁ

2) In the category of meals, food gathered on almsround is paltry, easily gotten, and blameless.

Piṇḍiyālopo bhikkhave bhojanānaṁ appañca sulabhañca tañca anavajjaṁ

3) In the category of abodes, the root of a tree among abodes is paltry, easily gotten, and blameless.

Rukkhamūlaṁ bhikkhave senāsanānaṁ appañca sulabhañca tañca anavajjaṁ

4) In the category of remedies, concentrated urine is paltry, easily gotten, and blameless.

Pūtimuttaṁ bhikkhave bhesajjānaṁ appañca sulabhañca tañca anavajjaṁ

… These four things are paltry, easily gotten, and blameless.

Imāni kho bhikkhave cattāri appāni ca sulabhāni ca tāni anavajjāni

… When a bhikkhu is content with what is paltry and easily gotten, this is one of the factors of asceticism, I declare.

Yato kho bhikkhave bhikkhu appena ca santuṭṭho hoti sulabhena ca. Idamassāhaṁ aññataraṁ sāmaññaṅganti vadāmī ti. (AN ii 27)

Therefore where contexts indicate that ‘content’ or ‘contentment’ involve the factors of asceticism, appropriate parenthesis should be used. For example:

• Having spoken in dispraise of being discontented [with what is paltry and easily gotten]…

asantuṭṭhiyā avaṇṇaṁ bhāsitvā. (Vin.1.45)

• Having spoken in praise of being content [with what is paltry and easily gotten]…

santuṭṭhassa vaṇṇaṁ bhāsitvā. (Vin.1.45)

With itarītarena alone

In some cases the object of santuṭṭha is given as itarītarena. This could be rendered as ‘content with any old thing.’ PED renders itarītara as ‘one or the other, whatsoever, any;’ DOP says ‘one or another; whatsoever, any sort of.’ Norman says ‘whatever comes one’s way’ (Tha 230). But we render it by repeating the parenthesis given above. For example:

• One should be content [with what is paltry and easily gotten].

Itarītarena tusseyya. (Tha 230)

Rendering itarītarena as ‘with what is paltry and easily gotten’ has the following advantages:

1) it is precise

2) it avoids possible misinterpretation (‘content with anything whatsoever’). But, for example, even Sāriputta’s verses would deny a bhikkhu is ‘content with anything whatsoever’:

• [If] while seating cross-legged it does not rain on his knees, [this abode] is sufficient for the abiding in comfort of a resolute bhikkhu.

Pallaṅkena nisinnassa jaṇṇuke nābhivassati
Alaṁ phāsuvihārāya pahitattassa bhikkhuno. (Tha 985)

3) content [with what is paltry and easily gotten] anyway is the meaning of ‘content with any old thing.’

With itarītarena + explicit object

When itarītarena has an object, we say ‘any old… whatsoever.’ For example:

• In this regard a bhikkhu is content with any old robe, almsfood, abode, and therapeutic requisite whatsoever

Idha bhikkhave bhikkhu santuṭṭho hoti itarītarena cīvarena santuṭṭho hoti itarītarena piṇḍapātena santuṭṭho hoti itarītarena senāsanena santuṭṭho hoti itarītarena gilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhārena. (AN iii 146)

Itarītarena santuṭṭhiṁ: contentment in relation to one or the other

The Buddha has said:

• ‘Whoever wishes may be a rag-robe wearer; whoever wishes may use robes given by householders. And I praise contentment [with what is paltry and easily gotten] in relation to one or the other.’

Yo icchati paṁsukūliko hotu. Yo icchati gahapaticīvaraṁ sādiyatu. Itarītarenapahaṁ bhikkhave santuṭṭhiṁ vaṇṇemī ti. (Vin.1.280)

It makes sense even concerning robes from householders to render santuṭṭhiṁ as ‘contentment [with what is paltry and easily gotten],’ because even robes from householders may be paltry. It also makes sense to render itarītarena as ‘in relation to one or the other,’ not ‘with any old thing,’ because:

• 1) the dictionaries support it. PED: ‘one or the other, whatsoever, any;’ DOP: ‘one or another; whatsoever, any sort of’
• 2) it led the bhikkhus to think:

• Only one (kind of) robe is allowed by the Blessed One, not two (kinds).

ekaṁyeva bhagavatā cīvaraṁ anuññātaṁ. Na dve ti. (Vin.1.282)

This led to an extension of the allowance:

• ‘I allow him who uses robes given by householders to also use rag-robes. And I praise contentment [with what is paltry and easily gotten] in relation to both.’

Anujānāmi bhikkhave gahapaticīvaraṁ sādiyantena paṁsukūlampi sādiyituṁ. Tadubhayenapahaṁ bhikkhave santuṭṭhiṁ vaṇṇemī ti. . (Vin.1.282)

We must now discuss the meaning of tadubhayenapahaṁ santuṭṭhiṁ vaṇṇemī

Tadubhayenapahaṁ santuṭṭhiṁ vaṇṇemī

Tadubhayenapahaṁ santuṭṭhiṁ vaṇṇemī cannot mean ‘I praise contentment on account of having both,’ because:

• 1) It would make nonsense of the meaning of ‘contentment.’
• 2) It is not in accordance with the orthodox definition of santuṭṭhi, i.e. ‘contentment [with what is paltry and easily gotten].’
• 3) It does not correspond to the meaning we have given to itarītarena in this context, i.e. ‘And I praise contentment [with what is paltry and easily gotten] in relation to one or the other.’

With aveccappasādena: blameworthy

In relation to aveccappasādena, contentment is considered blameworthy:

• Content with that unshakeable faith in the Buddha, he does not make further effort for physical seclusion by day nor for solitary retreat at night.

So tena buddhe aveccappasādena santuṭṭho na uttariṁ vāyamati divā pavivekāya rattiṁ paṭisallānāya. (SN v 398)

Sadārasantuṭṭho

Sadārasantuṭṭho means ‘content with one’s wife,’ which we render as ‘happily married’:

• My paternal uncle Isidatta was not celibate but was happily married

Petteyyopi me bhante isidatto abrahmacārī ahosi sadārasantuṭṭho. (AN v 138)

Bodhi likewise says: ‘My paternal uncle Isidatta was not celibate but lived a contented married life.’

➥ santusito: (main article see: santusita)

Illustration: santusito, inwardly at peace

One whose conduct is [virtuously] restrained, who is tranquil and mindful, who meditates with thought restrained, who is diligently applied [to the practice], who finds inward delight, who is inwardly collected, who is unaccompanied [by craving], and who is inwardly at peace, him they [rightly] call a bhikkhu.

Yathācārī yathāsato satimā yatasaṅkappajjhāyi appamatto
Ajjhattarato samāhitatto eko santusito tamāhu bhikkhuṁ. (Tha 981)

Illustration: santusito, inwardly at peace

The bhikkhu who went to the Sītavana Wood is [now] unaccompanied [by craving], inwardly at peace, inwardly collected, victorious [over all unvirtuous, spiritually unwholesome factors], free of [fear and] terror, and resolutely fostering mindfulness of the body.

Yo sītavanaṁ upāgā bhikkhu eko santusito samāhitatto
Vijitāvī apetalomahaṁso rakkhaṁ kāyagatāsatiṁ dhitimā ti. (Tha 6)

COMMENT:

Eko: ‘unaccompanied [by craving].’ The significance of eko is shown in this quote:

• Craving is his partner, and he has abandoned it; therefore he is called ‘one living unaccompanied.’

Taṇhā hissa dutiyā sāssa pahīnā tasmā ekavihārī ti vuccatī ti. (SN iv 37)

➥ santuṭṭho: (main article see: santusita)

Illustration: santuṭṭho, content

Previously content with making sacrifices, led on by the phenomenon of sensuous pleasure, I subsequently rooted out desire and hatred, and delusion, too.

Pubbe yaññena santuṭṭho kāmadhātupurakkhato
Pacchā rāgañca dosañca mohaṁ cā pi samūhaniṁ. (Tha 378)

Illustration: santuṭṭho, content [with what is paltry and easily gotten]

And how is a bhikkhu content [with what is paltry and easily gotten]? Here, a bhikkhu is content with a robe to protect his body, and with almsfood to satisfy his stomach

Kathañca mahārāja bhikkhu santuṭṭho hoti? Idha mahārāja bhikkhu santuṭṭho hoti kāyaparihāriyena cīvarena kucchiparihāriyena piṇḍapātena. (DN i 71)

➥ asantuṭṭho: (main article see: santusita)

Illustration: asantuṭṭho, discontented

One who is discontented with his own wives, and is seen in the company of prostitutes and other mens’ wives, that is the cause of spiritual ruination.

Sehi dārehi asantuṭṭho vesiyāsu padissati
Dissati paradāresu taṁ parābhavato mukhaṁ. (Snp 108)

➥ santusse: (main article see: santusita)

Illustration: santusse, content

And he should be content with even mediocre [food] and not wish for other very flavoursome [food].

Lūkhena pi ca santusse nāññaṁ patthe rasaṁ bahuṁ. (Tha 580)