Saṃyutta Nikāya
V: Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saṃyutta
V. Papāta Vagga
Sutta 42
Papāta Suttaṃ
The Drop-off
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons
[1][pts][bodh] On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Rājagaha on Vulture Peak Mountain.
Then he said to the monks, "Come, monks, let's go to Inspiration [Paṭibhāna] Peak for the day's abiding."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded.
Then the Blessed One together with a large number of monks went to Inspiration Peak.
One of the monks saw the huge drop-off from Inspiration Peak and, on seeing it, said to the Blessed One, "Wow, what a huge drop-off!
What a really huge drop-off![1]
Is there any drop-off more huge and frightening than this?"
"There is, monk, a drop-off more huge and frightening than this."
"And which drop-off, lord, is more huge and frightening than this?"
"Any contemplatives or brahmans who do not know, as it has come to be, that 'This is stress'; who do not know, as it has come to be, that 'This is the origination of stress' ...
'This is the cessation of stress' ...
'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress':
They revel in fabrications leading to birth; they revel in fabrications leading to aging; they revel in fabrications leading to death; they revel in fabrications leading to sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
Reveling in fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair, they fabricate fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
Fabricating fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair, they drop over the drop-off of birth.
They drop over the drop-off of aging... the drop-off of death... the drop-off of sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
They are not totally released from birth, aging, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, and despairs.
They are not totally released, I tell you, from suffering and stress.
"But as for any contemplatives or brahmans who do know, as it has come to be, that 'This is stress'; who know, as it has come to be, that 'This is the origination of stress' ...
'This is the cessation of stress' ...
'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress':
They don't revel in fabrications leading to birth; don't revel in fabrications leading to aging; don't revel in fabrications leading to death; don't revel in fabrications leading to sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
Not reveling in fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair, they don't fabricate fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
Not fabricating fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair, they don't drop over the drop-off of birth.
They don't drop over the drop-off of aging, don't drop over the drop-off of death, don't drop over the drop-off of sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
They are totally released from birth, aging, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, and despairs.
They are totally released, I tell you, from suffering and stress.
"Therefore, monks, your duty is the contemplation, 'This is stress ...
This is the origination of stress ...
This is the cessation of stress.'
Your duty is the contemplation, 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.'"
[1] The Thai edition has "really huge drop-off" here. The Burmese and PTS editions have "really frightening drop-off." Both readings are found in parallel passages in other suttas in this section in all three editions, so it's hard to decide which reading is more likely to be the original one.
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