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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

Vol 1:
Verses
SN1-11
Vol 2:
Causation
SN12-21
Vol 3:
Aggregates
SN22-34
Vol 4:
Sense Bases
SN35-44
Vol 5:
Great Book
SN45-56

35. Saḷāyatanasaṁyutta: On the Six Sense Fields

XV. The Old and the New — SN35.152: What’s the Purpose of the Spiritual Life?

1“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow another path were to ask you: ‘Reverends, what’s the purpose of living the spiritual life with the ascetic Gotama?’

You should answer them: ‘The purpose of living the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand suffering.’

If wanderers who follow other paths were to ask you: ‘Reverends, what is that suffering?’

You should answer them:


2‘The eye is suffering. The purpose of living the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand this. Sights … Eye consciousness … Eye contact … The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises conditioned by eye contact is also suffering. The purpose of living the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand this. The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises conditioned by mind contact is also suffering. The purpose of living the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand this. This is that suffering. The purpose of living the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand this.’

When questioned by wanderers who follow other paths, that’s how you should answer them.”

1"Sace vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘kimatthiyaṁ, āvuso, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti?

Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘dukkhassa kho, āvuso, pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti.

Sace pana vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘katamaṁ panāvuso, dukkhaṁ, yassa pariññāya samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti?

Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: 


2‘Cakkhu kho, āvuso, dukkhaṁ; tassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. Rūpā dukkhā; tesaṁ pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. Cakkhuviññāṇaṁ dukkhaṁ; tassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. Cakkhusamphasso dukkho; tassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. Yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi dukkhaṁ; tassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati … pe … jivhā dukkhā … mano dukkho; tassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati … yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi dukkhaṁ; tassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. Idaṁ kho, āvuso, dukkhaṁ; yassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti.

Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyāthā"ti.

Sattamaṁ.