➥ saṅkappa:

• for saṅkappa:
  • thought
  • reflection
  • mind
  • intent
  • objective
• for manasaṅkappa:
  • thought
• for paripuṇṇasaṅkappo:
  • satisfied
  • objective fulfilled
• for sammāsaṅkappo:
  • right thought

Introduction: saṅkappa and vitakka

The following quotes show that saṅkappa and vitakka are synonyms:

1) Unvirtuous, spiritually unwholesome thoughts (vitakkā) are ‘flies.’… On him who does not guard the senses of sight and hearing, whose sense faculties are unrestrained [from grasping, through mindfulness], his thoughts (saṅkappā) bound up with attachment will attack him like flies.

Pāpakā akusalā vitakkā makkhikā… Aguttaṁ cakkhusotasmiṁ indriyesu asaṁvutaṁ makkhikā anupatissanti saṅkappā rāganissitā. (AN i 280)

2) But where, carpenter, are these spiritually wholesome thoughts (saṅkappā) stopped without remainder? Their ending is spoken of too. As to this, carpenter, a bhikkhu, with the subsiding of thinking (vitakka) and pondering… enters and abides in second jhāna. Here do these spiritually wholesome thoughts (saṅkappā) cease without remainder.

Ime ca thapati kusalasaṅkappā kuhiṁ aparisesā nirujjhanti. Nirodhopi nesaṁ vutto. Idha thapati bhikkhū vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁjhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Etthete kusalasaṅkappā aparisesā nirujjhanti. (MN ii 27-8)

3) Whatever thought (saṅkappaṁ) I wish to think, I think. Whatever thought I do not wish to think, I do not think. Indeed, brahman, I am master of the mind in the ways of thought (vitakkapathe).

yaṁ saṅkappaṁ ākaṅkhāmi saṅkappetuṁ taṁ saṅkappaṁ saṅkappemi. Yaṁ saṅkappaṁ nākaṅkhāmi saṅkappetuṁ na taṁ saṅkappaṁ saṅkappemi. Ahañhi brāhmaṇa cetovasippatto vitakkapathe. (AN ii 36)

➥ saṅkappo: (main article see: saṅkappa)

Illustration: saṅkappo, thought

Three spiritually unwholesome ways of thought: sensuous thought, unbenevolent thought, malicious thought.

Tayo akusalasaṅkappā: kāmasaṅkappo vyāpādasaṅkappo vihiṁsāsaṅkappo.

Three spiritually wholesome ways of thought: unsensuous thought, benevolent thought, compassionate thought.

Tayo kusalasaṅkappā: nekkhammasaṅkappo avyāpādasaṅkappo avihiṁsāsaṅkapo. (DN iii 215)

Because of mental imagery of visible objects, thought of visible objects arises

rūpasaññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati rūpasaṅkappo

Because of thought of visible objects, desire for visible objects arises

rūpasaṅkappaṁ paṭicca uppajjati rūpacchando. (SN ii 144)

For one who has right thought, wrong thought is purged away, and those many unvirtuous, spiritually unwholesome factors that arise due to wrong thought, those also are purged away from him, while those many spiritually wholesome factors that arise due to right thought reach perfection through spiritual cultivation.

Sammāsaṅkappassa bhikkhave micchāsaṅkappo viritto hoti ye ca micchāsaṅkappapaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti te cassa virittā honti. Sammāsaṅkappa paccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanā pāripūriṁ gacchanti. (AN v 218)

From right perception [of reality] arises right thought; from right thought arises right speech.

Sammādiṭṭhissa bho sammāsaṅkappo pahoti sammāsaṅkappassa sammāvācā pahoti sammāvācassa sammākammanto pahoti. (DN ii 217)

Since there is indeed a world beyond, one who thinks ‘There is no world beyond’ has wrong thought.

santaṁ yeva kho pana paraṁ lokaṁ natthi paro loko ti saṅkappeti svāssa hoti micchāsaṅkappo. (MN i 402)

Illustration: saṅkappa, thought

In whatever direction the one of extensive wisdom goes, in that very direction I am inclined also to go.

Yaṁ yaṁ disaṁ vajati bhūripañño sa tena teneva nato’hamasmi.

But I am old and feeble, therefore my body does not go there, but I go constantly through the mechanism of thought, for my mind, brahman, is joined to him.

Jiṇṇassa me dubbalathāmakassa teneva kāyo na paleti tattha
Saṅkappayantāya vajāmi niccaṁ mano hi me brāhmaṇa tena yutto. (Snp 1143-4)

➥ manasaṅkappo: (main article see: saṅkappa)

Illustration: manasaṅkappo, thought

He has an unbenevolent mind and hateful thoughts: “May those beings be killed, slaughtered, annihilated, or destroyed, or may they not exist at all.”

vyāpannacitto kho pana hoti paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo. Ime sattā haññantu vā vajjhantu vā ucchijjantu vā vinassantu vā mā vā ahesun ti. (MN iii 49)

But one who is perfect in virtue, free of attachment, inwardly collected, and whose thoughts are pure, is indeed worthy of the ochre [robe].

Yo ca sīlena sampanno vītarāgo samāhito
Odātamanasaṅkappo sa ve kāsāvamarahati. (Tha 972)

Illustration: saṅkappa, reflection (= parivitakko)

Knowing my reflection (saṅkappa), the Teacher, unsurpassed in the world, through his psychic power approached me with a mind-made body.

Mama saṅkappamaññāya satthā loke anuttaro
Manomayena kāyena iddhiyā upasaṅkami. (AN iv 235)

Comment:

The Anuruddha Sutta says while Venerable Anuruddha was alone in solitary retreat, this reflection (parivitakko) arose in his mind.

Atha kho āyasmato anuruddhassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi

‘This teaching is for those of few needs, not for those who are full of needs’ etc

Appicchassāyaṁ dhammo nāyaṁ dhammo mahicchassa

And the other eight thoughts of a Great Man (aṭṭha mahā purisavitakkā). (AN iv 228)

➥ saṅkappā: (main article see: saṅkappa)

Illustration: saṅkappā, mind

Bhikkhus, be diligently applied [to the practice], be mindful, virtuous, and have well-collected minds. Supervise your minds [with mindfulness].

Appamattā satimanto susīlā hotha bhikkhavo
Susamāhitasaṅkappā sacittamanurakkhatha. (DN ii 120)

Compare:

• The mind is collected and concentrated.

samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggaṁ. (SN iv 125)

Illustration: saṅkappo, mind

He who with restless mind talks much frivolous speech, whose mind is uncollected, who takes no delight in the true teaching, is a fool.

Yo uddhatena cittena samphañca bahubhāsati
Asamāhitasaṅkappo asaddhammarato mago. (AN ii 23)

Compare:

• uncollected mind

asamāhitañca cittaṁ. (MN i 105)

Illustration: saṅkappo, intent

Let both householders and ascetics think this was done by me. Let them be under my will in whatever their duties. Such is the intent of the fool. His desire and conceit grow.

Mameva kataṁ maññantū gihī pabbajitā ubho
Mameva ativasā assu kiccākiccesu kismiñci
Iti bālassa saṅkappo icchā māno ca vaḍḍhati. (Dhp 74)

Illustration: saṅkappo, objective

Long I wandered, objective unfulfilled, doubtful and uncertain [about the way of spiritual fulfilment, and of unfulfilment], in quest of the Perfect One.

Apariyositasaṅkappo vicikiccho kathaṅkathī
Vicariṁ dīghamaddhānaṁ anvesanto tathāgataṁ. (DN ii 287)

He has fulfilled the objectives and aspirations related to the fundamental principles of the religious life.

pariyositasaṅkappo ajjhāsayaṁ ādibrahmacariyaṁ. (DN ii 224)

If a bhikkhu intentionally deprives a human being of life or provides him with a means to die or glorifies the beauty of death or encourages him to die, saying “My good fellow, what use to you is this wretched and difficult life? Death for you is better than life”; or with this thought and objective in mind glorifies in various ways the beauty of death, or encourages him to die, he is pārājika, no longer in communion.

Yo pana bhikkhu sañcicca manussaviggahaṁ jīvitā voropeyya satthahārakaṁ vāssa pariyeseyya maraṇavaṇṇaṁ vā saṁvaṇṇeyya maraṇāya vā samādapeyya: ambho purisa kiṁ tuyhaminā pāpakena dujjīvitena matante jīvitā seyyo ti iti cittamano cittasaṅkappo anekapariyāyena maraṇavaṇṇaṁ vā saṁvaṇṇeyya maraṇāya vā samādapeyya ayampī pārājiko hoti asaṁvāso ti. (Vin.3.73)

The Word Commentary says:

• Objective in mind: aware of death, wishing for death, intending death

cittasaṅkappo ti maraṇasaññī maraṇacetano maraṇādhippāyo. (Vin.3.74)

Illustration: saṅkappā, objective

The objectives I had as my goal when I entered my hut have been accomplished.

Te me ijjhaṁsu saṅkappā yadattho pavisiṁ kuṭiṁ. (Tha 60)

➥ paripuṇṇasaṅkappo: (main article see: saṅkappa)

Illustration: paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, objectives are fulfilled

I am one whose objectives are fulfilled, like the full moon on the fifteenth day [of the half-month]. All my perceptually obscuring states are destroyed. There are now [for me] no renewed states of individual existence.

Sohaṁ paripuṇṇasaṅkappo cando pannaraso yathā
Sabbāsavaparikkhīṇo natthi dāni punabbhavo ti. (Tha 546)

➥ paripuṇṇasaṅkappā: (main article see: saṅkappa)

Illustration: paripuṇṇasaṅkappā, objectives fulfilled

Although these bhikkhunīs were pleased with Nandaka's explanation of the teaching, their objectives were not fulfilled…

tā bhikkhuniyo nandakassa dhammadesanāya attamanā ceva honti no ca kho paripuṇṇasaṅkappā ti. (MN iii 276)

Illustration: paripuṇṇasaṅkappā, satisfied

The six khattiyas were delighted and satisfied with their respective gains: ‘What we wanted, desired, aimed at and strove for, we have got.’

atha kho bho te cha khattiyā yathāsakena lābhena attamanā ahesuṁ paripuṇṇasaṅkappā yaṁ vata no ahosi icchitaṁ yaṁ ākaṅkhitaṁ yaṁ adhippetaṁ yaṁ adhipatthitaṁ taṁ no laddhanti. (DN ii 236)

➥ paripuṇṇasaṅkappo: (main article see: saṅkappa)

Illustration: paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, satisfied

When one is pleased and satisfied with certain visible objects, then one does not desire any other visible object higher or more sublime that those visible objects.

Yehi ca yo rūpehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo so tehi rūpehi aññaṁ rūpaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti. (SN i 80)

A woman or man examining the facial image in the mirror would endeavour to remove a speck or stain. When he no longer sees it he is pleased and satisfied, thinking, ‘How wonderful indeed for me. I am indeed clean.’

No ce tattha passati rajaṁ vā aṅgaṇaṁ vā tenevattamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo lābhā vata me paripuṇṇaṁ vata me ti. (AN v 92)