Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
4. Na Tumhāka Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
3. The Book Called the Khandhā-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the Elements of Sensory Existence and other Subjects
22. Kindred Sayings on Elements
4. On Not Yours
Sutta 36
Dutiya Bhikkhu Suttaṃ
The Mendicant (2)
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1][than][bodh] Thus have I heard:—
The Exalted One was staying at Sāvatthī.
I
Then a certain brother came to the Exalted One,
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
So seated, that brother thus addressed the Exalted One:
"Well for me, lord,
if the Exalted One would teach me a doctrine in a few words,
so that hearing the teaching of the Exalted One
I might dwell solitary,
secluded,
zealous,
ardent
and aspiring."
(The Exalted One said):
"That for which one has a bias,
one takes as measure.[1]
That which one takes as measure,
by that he is reckoned.
That for which one has a no bias,
one takes not as measure.
That which one takes not as measure,
by that he is not reckoned."
"I understand, 0 Exalted One!
I understand, 0 Well-farer!"
"But how far, brother, do you understand in full
the meaning of what I have thus concisely stated?"
"If one cleave to body, lord,
that one takes as a measure.[ed1]
That which he takes as a measure,
by that he gets a name.
If one cleave to feeling,
that one takes as a measure.
That which he takes as a measure,
by that he gets a name.
If one cleave to perception,
that one takes as a measure.
That which he takes as a measure,
by that he gets a name.
If one cleave to the activities,
that one takes as a measure.
That which he takes as a measure,
by that he gets a name.
If one cleave to consciousness,
that one takes as a measure.
That which he takes as a measure,
by that he gets a name.
■
If one cleave not to body, lord,
that one takes not as a measure.
That which he takes not as a measure,
he gets no name thereby.
If one cleave not to feeling,
that one takes not as a measure.
That which he takes not as a measure,
he gets no name thereby.
If one cleave not to perception,
that one takes not as a measure.
That which he takes not as a measure,
he gets no name thereby.
If one cleave not to the activities,
that one takes not as a measure.
That which he takes not as a measure,
he gets no name thereby.
If one cleave not to consciousness,
that one takes not as a measure.
That which he takes not as a measure,
he gets no name thereby."
■
"Well said! Well said, brother!
Well do you understand in full
the meaning of what I concisely stated.
If one cleave to body,
that one takes as a measure.
That which one takes as a measure,
by that one gets a name.
If one cleave to feeling,
that one takes as a measure.
That which one takes as a measure,
by that one gets a name.
If one cleave to perception,
that one takes as a measure.
That which one takes as a measure,
by that one gets a name.
If one cleave to the activities,
that one takes as a measure.
That which one takes as a measure,
by that one gets a name.
If one cleave to consciousness,
that one takes as a measure.
That which one takes as a measure,
by that one gets a name.
If one cleave not to body, lord,
that one takes not as a measure.
That which one takes not as a measure,
one gets no name thereby.
If one cleave not to feeling,
that one takes not as a measure.
That which one takes not as a measure,
one gets no name thereby.
If one cleave not to perception,
that one takes not as a measure.
That which one takes not as a measure,
one gets no name thereby.
If one cleave not to the activities,
that one takes not as a measure.
That which one takes not as a measure,
one gets no name thereby.
If one cleave not to consciousness,
that one takes not as a measure.
That which one takes not as a measure,
one gets no name thereby.
That is how to understand in full
the meaning of what I concisely stated."
Then that brother welcomed the saying of the Exalted One,
and was pleased thereat,
and he rose from his seat,
saluted the Exalted One by the right
and departed.
II.
Thereupon that brother,
living solitary,
secluded,
zealous,
ardent and aspiring,
in no long time attained that goal
for which the clansmen rightly leave home
for the homeless life,
even that unrivalled goal of righteous living;
attained it even in that very life:
and knowing it for himself,
realizing it for himself,
abode therein,
so that he came to know:
"Destroyed is rebirth,
lived is the righteous life,
done is my task,
for life in these conditions
there is no hereafter!"
And that brother was now one of the saints.
[1] Comy. 'That body which one cleaves to ... perishes when the cleaving dies away. When the object dissolves, the objective states no longer hold together.' So we read (K.S. ii, 45), 'if we are occupied about something, this becomes an object for the persistence of consciousness, whence birth takes place.'
[ed1] Woodward's abridgment leaves us without knowing how he would have constructed the following which is not identical to the previous sutta. I have reconstructed it as I believe he might have done using his terminology.
