Light/Dark

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

XVIII. The Ocean — SN35.231: The Simile of the Latex-Producing Tree

1“Mendicants, take any monk or nun who, when it comes to sights known by the eye, still has greed, hate, and delusion, and has not given them up. If even trivial sights come into their range of vision they overcome their mind, let alone those that are compelling. Why is that? Because they still have greed, hate, and delusion, and have not given them up.


2-3When it comes to sounds … smells … tastes … touches … thoughts known by the mind, they still have greed, hate, and delusion, and have not given them up. If even trivial thoughts come into the range of the mind they overcome their mind, let alone those that are compelling. Why is that? Because they still have greed, hate, and delusion, and have not given them up.


4Suppose there was a latex-producing tree — such as a bodhi, a banyan, a wavy leaf fig, or a cluster fig — that’s a tender young sapling. If a man were to chop it here and there with a sharp axe, would latex come out?”


“Yes, sir.”

Why is that?

Because it still has latex.”


5“In the same way, take any monk or nun who, when it comes to sights known by the eye, still has greed, hate, and delusion, and has not given them up. If even trivial sights come into their range of vision they overcome their mind, let alone those that are compelling. Why is that? Because they still have greed, hate, and delusion, and have not given them up.

6-7When it comes to sounds … smells … tastes … touches … thoughts known by the mind, they still have greed, hate, and delusion, and have not given them up. If even trivial thoughts come into the range of the mind they overcome their mind, let alone those that are compelling. Why is that? Because they still have greed, hate, and delusion, and have not given them up.


8Take any monk or nun who, when it comes to sights known by the eye, has no greed, hate, and delusion left, and has given them up. If even compelling sights come into their range of vision they don’t overcome their mind, let alone those that are trivial. Why is that? Because they have no greed, hate, and delusion left, and have given them up.

9When it comes to sounds … smells … tastes … touches … thoughts known by the mind, they have no greed, hate, and delusion left, and have given them up. If even compelling thoughts come into the range of the mind they don’t overcome their mind, let alone those that are trivial. Why is that? Because they have no greed, hate, and delusion left, and have given them up.

Suppose there was a latex-producing tree — such as a bodhi, a banyan, a wavy leaf fig, or a cluster fig — that’s dried up, withered, and decrepit. If a man were to chop it here and there with a sharp axe, would latex come out?”

“No, sir. Why is that? Because it has no latex left.”


10“In the same way, take any monk or nun who, when it comes to sights known by the eye, has no greed, hate, and delusion left, and has given them up. If even compelling sights come into their range of vision they don’t overcome their mind, let alone those that are trivial. Why is that? Because they have no greed, hate, and delusion left, and have given them up.

When it comes to sounds … smells … tastes … touches … thoughts known by the mind, they have no greed, hate, and delusion left, and have given them up. If even compelling thoughts come into the range of the mind they don’t overcome their mind, let alone those that are trivial. Why is that? Because they have no greed, hate, and delusion left, and have given them up.”

1"Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu yo rāgo so atthi, yo doso so atthi, yo moho so atthi, yo rāgo so appahīno, yo doso so appahīno, yo moho so appahīno tassa parittā cepi cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā cakkhussa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti pariyādiyantevassa cittaṁ; ko pana vādo adhimattānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yo, bhikkhave, rāgo, so atthi, yo doso so atthi, yo moho so atthi, yo rāgo so appahīno, yo doso so appahīno, yo moho so appahīno … pe … .


2Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā jivhāviññeyyesu rasesu yo rāgo so atthi … pe … .

3Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā manoviññeyyesu dhammesu yo rāgo so atthi, yo doso so atthi, yo moho so atthi, yo rāgo so appahīno, yo doso so appahīno, yo moho so appahīno, tassa parittā cepi manoviññeyyā dhammā manassa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti pariyādiyantevassa cittaṁ; ko pana vādo adhimattānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yo, bhikkhave, rāgo, so atthi, yo doso so atthi, yo moho so atthi, yo rāgo so appahīno, yo doso so appahīno, yo moho so appahīno.


4Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, khīrarukkho assattho vā nigrodho vā pilakkho vā udumbaro vā daharo taruṇo komārako. Tamenaṁ puriso tiṇhāya kuṭhāriyā yato yato ābhindeyya āgaccheyya khīran"ti?


"Evaṁ, bhante".

"Taṁ kissa hetu"?

"Yañhi, bhante, khīraṁ taṁ atthī"ti.


5"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu yo rāgo so atthi, yo doso so atthi, yo moho so atthi, yo rāgo so appahīno, yo doso so appahīno, yo moho so appahīno, tassa parittā cepi cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā cakkhussa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti pariyādiyantevassa cittaṁ; ko pana vādo adhimattānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yo, bhikkhave, rāgo so atthi, yo doso so atthi, yo moho so atthi, yo rāgo so appahīno, yo doso so appahīno, yo moho so appahīno … pe … .

6Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā jivhāviññeyyesu rasesu yo rāgo so atthi … pe … .

7Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā manoviññeyyesu dhammesu yo rāgo so atthi, yo doso so atthi, yo moho so atthi, yo rāgo so appahīno, yo doso so appahīno, yo moho so appahīno, tassa parittā cepi manoviññeyyā dhammā manassa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti pariyādiyantevassa cittaṁ; ko pana vādo adhimattānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yo, bhikkhave, rāgo so atthi, yo doso so atthi, yo moho so atthi, yo rāgo so appahīno, yo doso so appahīno, yo moho so appahīno.


8Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu yo rāgo so natthi, yo doso so natthi, yo moho so natthi, yo rāgo so pahīno, yo doso so pahīno, yo moho so pahīno, tassa adhimattā cepi cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā cakkhussa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti nevassa cittaṁ pariyādiyanti; ko pana vādo parittānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yo, bhikkhave, rāgo so natthi, yo doso so natthi, yo moho so natthi, yo rāgo so pahīno, yo doso so pahīno, yo moho so pahīno … pe … .

9Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā jivhāviññeyyesu rasesu … pe … manoviññeyyesu dhammesu yo rāgo so natthi, yo doso so natthi, yo moho so natthi, yo rāgo so pahīno, yo doso so pahīno, yo moho so pahīno, tassa adhimattā cepi manoviññeyyā dhammā manassa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti nevassa cittaṁ pariyādiyanti; ko pana vādo parittānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yo, bhikkhave, rāgo so natthi, yo doso so natthi, yo moho so natthi, yo rāgo so pahīno, yo doso so pahīno, yo moho so pahīno.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, khīrarukkho assattho vā nigrodho vā pilakkho vā udumbaro vā sukkho kolāpo terovassiko. Tamenaṁ puriso tiṇhāya kuṭhāriyā yato yato ābhindeyya āgaccheyya khīran"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante". "Taṁ kissa hetu"? "Yañhi, bhante, khīraṁ taṁ natthī"ti.


10"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu yo rāgo so natthi, yo doso so natthi, yo moho so natthi, yo rāgo so pahīno, yo doso so pahīno, yo moho so pahīno, tassa adhimattā cepi cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā cakkhussa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti nevassa cittaṁ pariyādiyanti; ko pana vādo parittānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yo, bhikkhave, rāgo so natthi, yo doso so natthi, yo moho so natthi, yo rāgo so pahīno, yo doso so pahīno, yo moho so pahīno … pe … .

11Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā jivhāviññeyyesu rasesu … pe … .

12Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā manoviññeyyesu dhammesu yo rāgo so natthi, yo doso so natthi, yo moho so natthi, yo rāgo so pahīno, yo doso so pahīno, yo moho so pahīno, tassa adhimattā cepi manoviññeyyā dhammā manassa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti, nevassa cittaṁ pariyādiyanti; ko pana vādo parittānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yo, bhikkhave, rāgo so natthi, yo doso so natthi, yo moho so natthi, yo rāgo so pahīno, yo doso so pahīno, yo moho so pahīno"ti.

Catutthaṁ.