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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

XIX. The Simile of the Vipers — SN35.248: The Sheaf of Barley

1“Mendicants, suppose a sheaf of barley was placed at a crossroads. Then six people would come along carrying flails, and started threshing the sheaf of barley. So that sheaf of barley would be thoroughly threshed by those six flails. Then a seventh person would come along carrying a flail, and they’d give the sheaf of barley a seventh threshing. So that sheaf of barley would be even more thoroughly threshed by that seventh flail.

In the same way, an uneducated ordinary person is struck in the eye by both pleasant and unpleasant sights. They’re struck in the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind by both pleasant and unpleasant thoughts. And if that uneducated ordinary person has intentions regarding rebirth into a new state of existence in the future, that foolish person is even more thoroughly struck, like that sheaf of barley threshed by the seventh person.


2Once upon a time, a battle was fought between the gods and the demons. Then Vepacitti, lord of demons, addressed the demons, ‘My good sirs, if the demons defeat the gods in this battle, bind Sakka, the lord of gods, by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the castle of demons.’

Meanwhile, Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the Thirty-Three, ‘My good sirs, if the gods defeat the demons in this battle, bind Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the Sudhamma hall of the gods.’

In that battle the gods won and the demons lost. So the gods of the Thirty-Three bound Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and brought him to Sakka’s presence in the Sudhamma hall of the gods.

And there Vepacitti remained bound by his limbs and neck. That is, until he thought, ‘It’s the gods who are principled, while the demons are unprincipled. Now I belong right here in the castle of the gods.’ Then he found himself freed from the bonds on his limbs and neck. He entertained himself, supplied and provided with the five kinds of heavenly sensual stimulation.

But when he thought, ‘It’s the demons who are principled, while the gods are unprincipled. Now I will go over there to the castle of the demons,’ he found himself bound by his limbs and neck, and the five kinds of heavenly sensual stimulation disappeared.

That’s how subtly Vepacitti was bound. But the bonds of Māra are even more subtle than that. When you identify, you’re bound by Māra. Not identifying, you’re free from the Wicked One.


3These are all forms of identifying: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’, ‘I will not be’, ‘I will have form’, ‘I will be formless’, ‘I will be percipient’, ‘I will be non-percipient’, ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient.’ Conceit is a disease, a boil, a dart. So mendicants, you should train yourselves like this: ‘We will live with a heart that does not identify.’

4These are all disturbances: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’, ‘I will not be’, ‘I will have form’, ‘I will be formless’, ‘I will be percipient’, ‘I will be non-percipient’, ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient.’ Disturbances are a disease, a boil, a dart. So mendicants, you should train yourselves like this: ‘We will live with a heart free of disturbances.’

5These are all tremblings: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’, ‘I will not be’, ‘I will have form’, ‘I will be formless’, ‘I will be percipient’, ‘I will be non-percipient’, ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient.’ Trembling is a disease, a boil, a dart. So mendicants, you should train yourselves like this: ‘We will live with a heart free of tremblings.’

6These are all proliferations: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’, ‘I will not be’, ‘I will have form’, ‘I will be formless’, ‘I will be percipient’, ‘I will be non-percipient’, ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient.’ Proliferation is a disease, a boil, a dart. So mendicants, you should train yourselves like this: ‘We will live with a heart free of proliferation.’


7These are all conceits: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’, ‘I will not be’, ‘I will have form’, ‘I will be formless’, ‘I will be percipient’, ‘I will be non-percipient’, ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient.’ Conceit is a disease, a boil, a dart. So mendicants, you should train yourselves like this: ‘We will live with a heart that has struck down conceit.’”

1"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yavakalāpī cātumahāpathe nikkhittā assa. Atha cha purisā āgaccheyyuṁ byābhaṅgihatthā. Te yavakalāpiṁ chahi byābhaṅgīhi haneyyuṁ. Evañhi sā, bhikkhave, yavakalāpī suhatā assa chahi byābhaṅgīhi haññamānā. Atha sattamo puriso āgaccheyya byābhaṅgihattho. So taṁ yavakalāpiṁ sattamāya byābhaṅgiyā haneyya. Evañhi sā bhikkhave, yavakalāpī suhātatarā assa, sattamāya byābhaṅgiyā haññamānā.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano cakkhusmiṁ haññati manāpāmanāpehi rūpehi … pe … jivhāya haññati manāpāmanāpehi rasehi … pe … manasmiṁ haññati manāpāmanāpehi dhammehi. Sace so, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano āyatiṁ punabbhavāya ceteti, evañhi so, bhikkhave, moghapuriso suhātataro hoti, seyyathāpi sā yavakalāpī sattamāya byābhaṅgiyā haññamānā.


2Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo asure āmantesi: ‘Sace, mārisā, devāsurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe asurā jineyyuṁ devā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha asurapuran’ti.

Sakkopi kho, bhikkhave, devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse āmantesi: ‘Sace, mārisā, devāsurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe devā jineyyuṁ asurā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha sudhammaṁ devasabhan’ti.

Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājiniṁsu. Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā sakkassa devānamindassa santike ānesuṁ sudhammaṁ devasabhaṁ.

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi baddho hoti. Yadā kho, bhikkhave, vepacittissa asurindassa evaṁ hoti: ‘dhammikā kho devā, adhammikā asurā, idheva dānāhaṁ devapuraṁ gacchāmī’ti. Atha kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi muttaṁ attānaṁ samanupassati, dibbehi ca pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappito samaṅgībhūto paricāreti.

Yadā ca kho, bhikkhave, vepacittissa asurindassa evaṁ hoti: ‘dhammikā kho asurā, adhammikā devā, tattheva dānāhaṁ asurapuraṁ gamissāmī’ti, atha kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi baddhaṁ attānaṁ samanupassati. Dibbehi ca pañcahi kāmaguṇehi parihāyati.

Evaṁ sukhumaṁ kho, bhikkhave, vepacittibandhanaṁ. Tato sukhumataraṁ mārabandhanaṁ. Maññamāno kho, bhikkhave, baddho mārassa, amaññamāno mutto pāpimato.


3‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, maññitametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘Na bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘saññī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ, ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti maññitametaṁ. Maññitaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, maññitaṁ gaṇḍo, maññitaṁ sallaṁ. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘amaññamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti – evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

4‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, iñjitametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘Na bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘saññī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ, ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti iñjitametaṁ. Iñjitaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, iñjitaṁ gaṇḍo, iñjitaṁ sallaṁ. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘aniñjamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti – evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

5‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, phanditametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti phanditametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti … pe … ‘Na bhavissan’ti … ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti … ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti … ‘saññī bhavissan’ti … ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti … ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti phanditametaṁ. Phanditaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, phanditaṁ gaṇḍo, phanditaṁ sallaṁ. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘aphandamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti – evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

6‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, papañcitametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti papañcitametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti … pe … ‘Na bhavissan’ti … ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti … ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti … ‘saññī bhavissan’ti … ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti … ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti papañcitametaṁ. Papañcitaṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, papañcitaṁ gaṇḍo, papañcitaṁ sallaṁ. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘nippapañcena cetasā viharissāmā’ti – evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.


7‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhave, mānagatametaṁ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘Na bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘rūpī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘arūpī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘saññī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘asaññī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ, ‘nevasaññīnāsaññī bhavissan’ti mānagatametaṁ. Mānagataṁ, bhikkhave, rogo, mānagataṁ gaṇḍo, mānagataṁ sallaṁ. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘nihatamānena cetasā viharissāmā’ti – evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban"ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.
Āsīvisavaggo catuttho.

8Āsīviso ratho kummo,
dve dārukkhandhā avassuto;
Dukkhadhammā kiṁsukā vīṇā,
chappāṇā yavakalāpīti.

Saḷāyatanavagge catutthapaṇṇāsako
samatto.

9Nandikkhayo saṭṭhinayo,
samuddo uragena ca;
Catupaṇṇāsakā ete,
nipātesu pakāsitāti.

Saḷāyatanasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.