A Sword · SN 1.21–1.30

SN 1.21 · A Sword

SN 1.21 · Sattisutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

“Like they’re struck by a sword,like their head was on fire,a mendicant, mindful, should go forth,to give up sensual desire.”

“Sattiyā viya omaṭṭho,ḍayhamānova matthake;Kāmarāgappahānāya,sato bhikkhu paribbaje”ti.

“Like they’re struck by a sword,like their head was on fire,a mendicant, mindful, should go forth,to give up substantialist view.”

“Sattiyā viya omaṭṭho,ḍayhamānova matthake;Sakkāyadiṭṭhippahānāya,sato bhikkhu paribbaje”ti.

SN 1.22 · Impact

SN 1.22 · Phusatisutta

“It doesn’t impact one who doesn’t impact others.It impacts one because they impact others.That’s why it impacts one who impacts,who wrongs one who’s done no wrong.”

“Nāphusantaṁ phusati ca,phusantañca tato phuse;Tasmā phusantaṁ phusati,appaduṭṭhapadosinan”ti.

“Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong,a pure man who has not a blemish,the evil backfires on the fool,like fine dust thrown upwind.”

“Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati,Suddhassa posassa anaṅgaṇassa;Tameva bālaṁ pacceti pāpaṁ,Sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṁva khitto”ti.

SN 1.23 · A Tangle

SN 1.23 · Jaṭāsutta

“Tangled within, tangled without:these people are tangled in tangles.I ask you this, Gotama:who can untangle this tangle?”

“Antojaṭā bahijaṭā,Jaṭāya jaṭitā pajā;Taṁ taṁ gotama pucchāmi,Ko imaṁ vijaṭaye jaṭan”ti.

“A wise person grounded in ethics,developing the mind and wisdom,a keen and alert mendicant—they can untangle this tangle.

“Sīle patiṭṭhāya naro sapañño,Cittaṁ paññañca bhāvayaṁ;Ātāpī nipako bhikkhu,So imaṁ vijaṭaye jaṭaṁ.

Those in whom greed, hate, and ignorancehave faded away;the perfected ones with defilements ended—they have untangled the tangle.

Yesaṁ rāgo ca doso ca,avijjā ca virājitā;Khīṇāsavā arahanto,tesaṁ vijaṭitā jaṭā.

And where name and formcease with no residue left behind;and impingement and perception of form:it’s here this tangle is cut.”

Yattha nāmañca rūpañca,asesaṁ uparujjhati;Paṭighaṁ rūpasaññā ca,etthesā chijjate jaṭā”ti.

SN 1.24 · Shielding the Mind

SN 1.24 · Manonivāraṇasutta

“Whatever you’ve shielded the mind fromcan’t cause you suffering.So you should shield the mind from everything,then you’re freed from all suffering.”

“Yato yato mano nivāraye,Na dukkhameti naṁ tato tato;Sa sabbato mano nivāraye,Sa sabbato dukkhā pamuccatī”ti.

“You need not shield the mind from everything,nor has the mind gained self-control.The mind need only be shieldedfrom where the bad things come.”

“Na sabbato mano nivāraye,Na mano saṁyatattamāgataṁ;Yato yato ca pāpakaṁ,Tato tato mano nivāraye”ti.

SN 1.25 · A Perfected One

SN 1.25 · Arahantasutta

“When a mendicant is perfected, well-versed,with defilements ended, bearing the final body:would they say, ‘I speak’,or even ‘they speak to me’?”

“Yo hoti bhikkhu arahaṁ katāvī,Khīṇāsavo antimadehadhārī;Ahaṁ vadāmītipi so vadeyya,Mamaṁ vadantītipi so vadeyyā”ti.

“When a mendicant is perfected, well-versed,with defilements ended, bearing the final body:they would say, ‘I speak’,and also ‘they speak to me’.Skillful, understanding the world’s labels,they’d use these terms as mere expressions.”

“Yo hoti bhikkhu arahaṁ katāvī,Khīṇāsavo antimadehadhārī;Ahaṁ vadāmītipi so vadeyya,Mamaṁ vadantītipi so vadeyya;Loke samaññaṁ kusalo viditvā,Vohāramattena so vohareyyā”ti.

“When a mendicant is perfected, well-versed,with defilements ended, bearing the final body:is such a mendicant drawing close to conceitif they’d say, ‘I speak’,or even ‘they speak to me’?”

“Yo hoti bhikkhu arahaṁ katāvī,Khīṇāsavo antimadehadhārī;Mānaṁ nu kho so upagamma bhikkhu,Ahaṁ vadāmītipi so vadeyya;Mamaṁ vadantītipi so vadeyyā”ti.

“Someone who has given up conceit has no ties,the ties of conceit are all dissipated.Though that intelligent person <j>has passed beyond conceiving,they’d still say, ‘I speak’,

“Pahīnamānassa na santi ganthā,Vidhūpitā mānaganthassa sabbe;Sa vītivatto maññataṁ sumedho,Ahaṁ vadāmītipi so vadeyya.

and also ‘they speak to me’.Skillful, understanding the world’s labels,they’d use these terms as mere expressions.”

Mamaṁ vadantītipi so vadeyya,Loke samaññaṁ kusalo viditvā;Vohāramattena so vohareyyā”ti.

SN 1.26 · Lamps

SN 1.26 · Pajjotasutta

“How many lamps are therethat light up the world?We’ve come to ask the worthy sir:how are we to understand this?”

“Kati lokasmiṁ pajjotā,Tehi loko pakāsati;Bhagavantaṁ puṭṭhumāgamma,Kathaṁ jānemu taṁ mayan”ti.

“There are four lamps in the world,a fifth is not found.The sun blazes by day,the moon radiates at night,

“Cattāro loke pajjotā,pañcamettha na vijjati;Divā tapati ādicco,rattimābhāti candimā.

while a fire illuminates bothby day and by night.But a Buddha is the best of blazes:this is the supreme radiance.”

Atha aggi divārattiṁ,tattha tattha pakāsati;Sambuddho tapataṁ seṭṭho,esā ābhā anuttarā”ti.

SN 1.27 · Streams

SN 1.27 · Sarasutta

“From where do streams recoil?Where does the cycle spin no more?Where does name and formcease with no residue left behind?”

“Kuto sarā nivattanti,kattha vaṭṭaṁ na vattati;Kattha nāmañca rūpañca,asesaṁ uparujjhatī”ti.

“Where water and earth,fire and air have no footing—

“Yattha āpo ca pathavī,tejo vāyo na gādhati;

from here the streams recoil;here the cycle spins no more;here name and formcease with no residue left behind.”

Ato sarā nivattanti,ettha vaṭṭaṁ na vattati;Ettha nāmañca rūpañca,asesaṁ uparujjhatī”ti.

SN 1.28 · Affluent

SN 1.28 · Mahaddhanasutta

“The affluent and the wealthy,even the aristocrats who rule the land,are jealous of each other,insatiable in sensual pleasures.

“Mahaddhanā mahābhogā,raṭṭhavantopi khattiyā;Aññamaññābhigijjhanti,kāmesu analaṅkatā.

Among those of such an avid nature,flowing along the stream of lives,who here has given up craving?Who in the world is not avid?”

Tesu ussukkajātesu,bhavasotānusārisu;Kedha taṇhaṁ pajahiṁsu,ke lokasmiṁ anussukā”ti.

“Having given up their home, their child, their cattle,and all that they love, they went forth.Having given up desire and hate,having dispelled ignorance,the perfected ones with defilements ended—they in the world are not avid.”

“Hitvā agāraṁ pabbajitā,hitvā puttaṁ pasuṁ piyaṁ;Hitvā rāgañca dosañca,avijjañca virājiya;Khīṇāsavā arahanto,te lokasmiṁ anussukā”ti.

SN 1.29 · Four Wheels

SN 1.29 · Catucakkasutta

“Four are its wheels, and nine its doors;it’s stuffed full, bound with greed,and born from a bog.Great hero, how will I keep going?”

“Catucakkaṁ navadvāraṁ,puṇṇaṁ lobhena saṁyutaṁ;Paṅkajātaṁ mahāvīra,kathaṁ yātrā bhavissatī”ti.

“Having cut the strap and harness—the wicked desire and greed—and having plucked out craving, root and all:that’s how you will keep going.”

“Chetvā naddhiṁ varattañca,icchā lobhañca pāpakaṁ;Samūlaṁ taṇhamabbuyha,evaṁ yātrā bhavissatī”ti.

SN 1.30 · Antelope Calves

SN 1.30 · Eṇijaṅghasutta

“O hero so lean, with antelope calves,not greedy, eating little,a giant, wandering alone like a lion,you’re not concerned for sensual pleasures.We’ve come to ask a question:How is one released from all suffering?”

“Eṇijaṅghaṁ kisaṁ vīraṁ,appāhāraṁ alolupaṁ;Sīhaṁvekacaraṁ nāgaṁ,kāmesu anapekkhinaṁ;Upasaṅkamma pucchāma,kathaṁ dukkhā pamuccatī”ti.

“The world has five kinds of sensual stimulation,and the mind is said to be the sixth.When you’ve discarded desire for these,you’re released from all suffering.”

“Pañca kāmaguṇā loke,manochaṭṭhā paveditā;Ettha chandaṁ virājetvā,evaṁ dukkhā pamuccatī”ti.