<p>Well those are all significant numbers in buddhism, especially utilized to remember teachings during oral transmission, but still hold significance sometimes in multiple ways. Like the 3 Poisons, but also the Triple Gem etc. Otherwise the significance could verywell be just that the numbers are there for structure and recall. It may be worth looking on Dharmaseed for a talk by Bhikku Bodhi on the sutta or someone/somewhere else.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T19:21:25.357Z
2020-06-25T19:21:25.357Z
Manjushri
<p>There's <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanananda/wheel183.html#fn-17" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a really long footnote here</a>, which starts with a paraphrase of the commentary ...</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This is a riddle verse the clue to which lies in the identification of the metaphors used. According to the comm., the root is craving; the two whirlpools (ie. 'dviraava.t.tam': rendered above as 'turning-twice') are the eternalist and annihilationist views; the three stains are lust, hatred and delusion; the five arenas are the five types of sense-pleasure; the ocean is craving itself in its insatiable aspect; the twelve eddies are the internal and external spheres (of sense) and the abyss is craving in its 'bottomless' aspect. (Note that craving plays a triple role in this interpretation).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>... and which then goes on to doubt the commentary by pointing out that some of these metaphors are used to refer to other things in other suttas.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-25T20:11:21.060Z
2020-06-25T20:11:21.060Z
ChrisW
<p>What are the sets of one, two, three, five and twelve things mentioned in the sutta below?</p>
<p>What does it mean?</p>
<p>From <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn1.44/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 1.44</a> (translated by Bhikkhu Sujato):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“One is the root, two are the whirlpools, three are the stains, five
the spreads, twelve the ocean’s whirlpools: such is the abyss crossed
over by the hermit.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>From <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn1.44/en/bodhi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 1.44</a> (translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The seer has crossed over
the abyss<br />
With its one root, two whirlpools,<br />
Three stains, five extensions,<br />
An ocean with twelve eddies.”</p>
</blockquote>

<pali-canon><sutras>
What are the sets of things in SN 1.44?
# What are the sets of things in SN 1.44?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-25)

What are the sets of one, two, three, five and twelve things mentioned in the sutta below?

What does it mean?

From [SN 1.44](https://suttacentral.net/sn1.44/en/sujato) (translated by Bhikkhu Sujato):

> “One is the root, two are the whirlpools, three are the stains, five
> the spreads, twelve the ocean’s whirlpools: such is the abyss crossed
> over by the hermit.”

From [SN 1.44](https://suttacentral.net/sn1.44/en/bodhi) (translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi):

> “The seer has crossed over
> the abyss  
> With its one root, two whirlpools,  
> Three stains, five extensions,  
> An ocean with twelve eddies.”

**Tags:** pali-canon, sutras


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-06-25. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

There's [a really long footnote here](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanananda/wheel183.html#fn-17), which starts with a paraphrase of the commentary ...

> This is a riddle verse the clue to which lies in the identification of the metaphors used. According to the comm., the root is craving; the two whirlpools (ie. 'dviraava.t.tam': rendered above as 'turning-twice') are the eternalist and annihilationist views; the three stains are lust, hatred and delusion; the five arenas are the five types of sense-pleasure; the ocean is craving itself in its insatiable aspect; the twelve eddies are the internal and external spheres (of sense) and the abyss is craving in its 'bottomless' aspect. (Note that craving plays a triple role in this interpretation).

... and which then goes on to doubt the commentary by pointing out that some of these metaphors are used to refer to other things in other suttas.


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### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-25. Score: 0

Well those are all significant numbers in buddhism, especially utilized to remember teachings during oral transmission, but still hold significance sometimes in multiple ways. Like the 3 Poisons, but also the Triple Gem etc. Otherwise the significance could verywell be just that the numbers are there for structure and recall. It may be worth looking on Dharmaseed for a talk by Bhikku Bodhi on the sutta or someone/somewhere else.


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