Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
10. Puppha 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
10. On Flowers
Sutta 93
Nadi Suttaṃ
The River
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1][than][olds][bodh] Thus have I heard:
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:
"Suppose a stream, brethren,
a mountain-torrent,
down-drawing,
rising from afar,
swift-flowing,
and on both its banks are growing
grasses which overhang the stream,
kusa-grass there might be that overhangs,
reeds and creepers
and over-hanging shrubs;
and a man is swept away by that stream
and clutches at the grasses,
but they might break away,[1]
and owing to that
he might come by his destruction.
He might clutch at the kusa grass,
at the reeds,
at the creepers;
he might clutch at the shrubs,
but they might break away,
and owing to that he might come by his destruction.
Even so, brethren,
the untaught manyfolk,
who discerns not those who are Ariyans;
who is unskilled in the Ariyan Norm,
untrained in the Ariyan Norm;
who discerns not the worthy ones,
who is unskilled in the worthy Norm,
untrained in the worthy Norm,
regard the body as the self,
or the self as having body,
or the body as being in the self,
or the self as being in the body.|| ||
Then body breaks away,
and owing to that
they come by their destruction.
■
They regard feeling as the self,
or the self as having feeling,
or feeling as being in the self,
or the self as being in feeling.|| ||
Then feeling breaks away,
and owing to that
they come by their destruction.
■
They regard perception as the self,
or the self as having perception,
or perception as being in the self,
or the self as being in perception.|| ||
Then perception breaks away,
and owing to that
they come by their destruction.
■
They regard the activities as the self,
or the self as having the activities,
or the activities as being in the self,
or the self as being in the activities.|| ||
Then the activities break away,
and owing to that
they come by their destruction.
■
They regard consciousness as the self,
or the self as having consciousness,
or consciousness as being in the self,
or the self as being in consciousness.|| ||
Then consciousness breaks away,
and owing to that
they come by their destruction.
§
"Now as to that, what think you, brethren?
Is body permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"But that which is impermanent,
woeful,
unstable in nature,
is it right to regard it thus:
'This is mine,
this am I
this is the Self of me?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is feeling permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"But that which is impermanent,
woeful,
unstable in nature,
is it right to regard it thus:
'This is mine,
this am I
this is the Self of me?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is perception permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"But that which is impermanent,
woeful,
unstable in nature,
is it right to regard it thus:
'This is mine,
this am I
this is the Self of me?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Are the activities permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"But that which is impermanent,
woeful,
unstable in nature,
is it right to regard it thus:
'This is mine,
this am I
this is the Self of me?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"But that which is impermanent,
woeful,
unstable in nature,
is it right to regard it thus:
'This is mine,
this am I
this is the Self of me?'"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Therefore, brethren, every body whatever,
be it past,
future
or present,
be it inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or high,
far or near, -
every body should be thus regarded,
as it really is,
by right insight:
'This is not mine.
This I am not.
This is not the Self of me.'
■
Every feeling whatever,
be it past,
future
or present,
be it inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or high,
far or near, -
every feeling should be thus regarded,
as it really is,
by right insight:
'This is not mine.
This I am not.
This is not the Self of me.'
■
Every perception whatever,
be it past,
future
or present,
be it inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or high,
far or near, -
every perception should be thus regarded,
as it really is,
by right insight:
'This is not mine.
This I am not.
This is not the Self of me.'
■
Every activity whatever,
be it past,
future
or present,
be it inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or high,
far or near, -
every activity should be thus regarded,
as it really is,
by right insight:
'This is not mine.
This I am not.
This is not the Self of me.'
■
Every consciousness whatever,
be it past,
future
or present,
be it inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or high,
far or near, -
every consciousness should be thus regarded,
as it really is,
by right insight:
'This is not mine.
This I am not.
This is not the Self of me.'
§
[117] "Wherefore, brethren, he who thus sees
conceives disgust at body,
at feeling,
at perception,
at the activities,
at consciousness.
Being disgusted
he is repelled by them;
by that repulsion he is released;
by that release he is set free;
knowledge arises:
in the freed man is the freed thing,
and he knows:
"Destroyed is rebirth;
lived is the righteous life;
done is the task;
for life in these conditions
there is no hereafter."
[1] Palujeyyuṇ.
