Saɱyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saɱyutta
1. Samādhi Vagga

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha
V. The Great Book
56. Connected Discourses on the Truths
I. Concentration

Sutta 8

Cintā Suttaɱ

Reflection

Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Copyright Bhikkhu Bodhi 2000, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2000)
This selection from The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saɱyutta Nikāya by Bhikkhu Bodhi is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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[1][pts] At Sāvatthī.

"Bhikkhus, do not reflect in an evil unwholesome way:

'The world is eternal' or 'The world is not eternal';

or 'The world is finite' or 'The world is infinite';

or 'The soul and the body are the same' or 'The soul is one thing, the body is another';

or 'The Tathāgata exists after death,' or 'The Tathāgata does not exist after death,' or 'The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death,' or 'The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.'

For what reason?

Because, bhikkhus, this reflection is unbeneficial, irrelevant to the fundamentals of the holy life, and does not lead to revulsion, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.

"When you reflect, bhikkhus, you should reflect:

'This is suffering';

you should reflect:

'This is the origin of suffering';

you should reflect:

'This is the cessation of suffering';

you should reflect:

'This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.'

For what reason?

Because, bhikkhus, this reflection is beneficial, relevant to the fundamentals of the holy life, and leads to revulsion, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.

"Therefore, bhikkhus, an exertion should be made to understand:

'This is suffering.'...

An exertion should be made to understand:

'This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.'"