San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Sk 52Swaying (2nd)
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyakāyappacālaka
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THE DUTIYAKĀYAPPACĀLAKA SUTTA (The Second Explanation on Bodily Swaying)
Background
The Dutiyakāyappacālaka Sutta (Swaying, the second time) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, where rules of practice and conditions of observance in the community of monks and nuns are recorded. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the foundation of Buddhist discipline, not only establishing rules of conduct but also explaining the psychology and body of the practitioner.
This sutta is the second explanation of the phenomenon of "bodily swaying" (kāyappacālaka), a state in which the practitioner experiences vibrations or movements of the body during meditation. This is not a pathology, but a phenomenon related to the interaction between mental energy (citta) and the physical body (rūpa).
The context arose when the Buddha or senior teachers needed to guide disciples in recognizing and managing unusual states in mind and body during the cultivation of concentration.
Main Content
The sutta explains that when a monk or nun enters a deep meditative state, the elements of the body may undergo subtle transformations. The phenomenon of swaying (pacālana) is a state in which the body seems to move or become unstable, often occurring when:
First, concentration is not yet firm enough, so the mind still oscillates among meditation objects.
Second, mind-body energy has not yet been harmoniously balanced in the practice of concentration (samādhi).
Third, the practitioner does not yet understand the nature of this phenomenon and so becomes psychologically disturbed.
The sutta distinguishes swaying from signs of progress or decline in concentration. The important point is that the practitioner should recognize this as a normal stage in the development of concentration, not a sign of failure or illness. The Vinaya Piṭaka guides the adjustment of posture, breathing, and mindful attention (sati) in order to pass through this stage.
The proposed methods include balancing the factors of the five faculties (pañcindriyāni): faith (saddhā), energy (viriya), mindfulness (sati), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā).
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