Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
15. Anamat'agga-Saṃyuttaṃ
I. Paṭhama Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
II. The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga
Containing Kindred sayings on Cause
and Other Subjects
15. Kindred Sayings on the Incalculable Beginning
1. [Untitled]
Sutta 3
Assu Suttaṃ
Tears
Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by F. L. Woodward
Originally Published by
The Pali Text Society
Public Domain
The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī
at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren!"
"Master!" responded those brethren.
The Exalted One said:
2. "Incalculable is the beginning, brethren, of this faring on.
The earliest point is not revealed
of the running on, the faring on,
of beings cloaked in ignorance,
tied to craving.
3. As to that what think ye, brethren?
Which is greater: -
the flood of tears[1] shed by you
crying and weeping
as ye fare on,
run on this long while,[2]
united as ye have been
with the undesirable,
sundered as ye have been
from the desirable,
or the waters in the four seas?"
4. "As we allow, lord,
that we have been taught by the Exalted One,
it is this that is greater:
the flood of tears shed by us
crying and weeping
as we fare on,
run on this long while,
united as we have been
with the undesirable,
separated as we have been
from the desirable -
not the waters in the four seas."
5. "Well said!
Well said, brethren!
Well do ye allow that so
has the doctrine been taught by me.
6. Truly the flood of tears shed by you
crying and weeping
as ye fare on,
run on this long while,
united as ye have been
with the undesirable,
sundered as ye have been
from the desirable is greater -
not the waters in the four seas.
■
7. For many a long day, brethren,
have ye experienced the death of mother.[ed1]
Greater is the flood of tears shed by you
crying and weeping over the death of mother,
as ye fare on,
run on this many a long day,
united with the undesirable,
sundered from the desirable,
than are the waters in the four seas.
■
8. For many a long day, brethren,
have ye experienced the death of father.
Greater is the flood of tears shed by you
crying and weeping over the death of father,
as ye fare on,
run on this many a long day,
united with the undesirable,
sundered from the desirable,
than are the waters in the four seas.
■
9. For many a long day, brethren,
have ye experienced the death of brother.
Greater is the flood of tears shed by you
crying and weeping over the death of brother,
as ye fare on,
run on this many a long day,
united with the undesirable,
sundered from the desirable,
than are the waters in the four seas.
■
10. For many a long day, brethren,
have ye experienced the death of sister.
Greater is the flood of tears shed by you
crying and weeping over the death of sister,
as ye fare on,
run on this many a long day,
united with the undesirable,
sundered from the desirable,
than are the waters in the four seas.
■
11. For many a long day, brethren,
have ye experienced the death of son.
Greater is the flood of tears shed by you
crying and weeping over the death of son,
as ye fare on,
run on this many a long day,
united with the undesirable,
sundered from the desirable,
than are the waters in the four seas.
■
12. For many a long day, brethren,
have ye experienced the death of daughter.
Greater is the flood of tears shed by you
crying and weeping over the death of daughter,
as ye fare on,
run on this many a long day,
united with the undesirable,
sundered from the desirable,
than are the waters in the four seas.
■
13. For many a long day, brethren,
have ye experienced the the ruin of kinsfolk.
Greater is the flood of tears shed by you
crying and weeping over the the ruin of kinsfolk,
as ye fare on,
run on this many a long day,
united with the undesirable,
sundered from the desirable,
than are the waters in the four seas.
■
14. For many a long day, brethren,
have ye experienced the the ruin of wealth.
Greater is the flood of tears shed by you
crying and weeping over the the ruin of wealth,
as ye fare on,
run on this many a long day,
united with the undesirable,
sundered from the desirable,
than are the waters in the four seas.
■
15. For many a long day, brethren,
have ye experienced the the calamity of disease.
Greater is the flood of tears shed by you
crying and weeping over the the calamity of disease,
as ye fare on,
run on this many a long day,
united with the undesirable,
sundered from the desirable,
than are the waters in the four seas.
16. Why is that?
Incalculable is the beginning, brethren, of this faring on.
The earliest point is not revealed
of the faring on, running on,
of beings cloaked in ignorance,
tied to craving.
17. Thus far enough is there, brethren,
for you to be repelled
by all the things of this world,
enough to lose all passion for them,
enough to be delivered therefrom."
[1] Assu-pasanna.
[2] Cf. Pss. of the Sisters, verses 496, 497: -
"Call ye to mind how it was said that tears
And milk and blood flow on world without end.
Remember the four oceans as compared
With all the flow of tears and milk and blood."
The 'milk' Sutta follows; the 'blood' Sutta (overlooked in that translation) is the one called Just thirty, § 13.
[ed1] This has been expanded in accordance with the CSCD version of this sutta. The PTS version has: Mātu-, Putta-, Dhitu-, Ñativyasanam; Bhogavyasanam; rogavyasanam: Mother, son daughter, kinsfolk, wealth, disese. The CSCD: mātu-, pitu-, bhātu-, bhagini-, putta-, dhītu-, ñātibyasanaṃ-, bhogabyasanaṃ-, rogabyasanaṃ.
