Saṁyutta Nikāya
III. Khandha Vagga
22: Khandha Saṁyutta
5. Attadīpa Vagga
III: The Book Called The Khandhā-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings
on the Elements of Sensory Existence
and Other Subjects
XXII: Kindred Sayings on Elements (Khandhā)
5: On Being an Island to Self
Sutta 50
Dutiya Soṇa Suttaṁ
Soṇa (2)
[50] [44]
Thus have I heard:—
Once the Exalted One was staying near Rājagaha
in the Bamboo Grove
at the Squirrels' Feeding-Ground.
Then Soṇa,
the house-father's son,
came to the Exalted One
and sat down.
As he thus sat,
the Exalted One thus addressed Soṇa,
the house-father's son:
"Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
know not body,
know not its uprising,
know not its ceasing,
know not the way going to its ceasing those recluses or brahmins, Soṇa,
are approved neither among recluses as such,
nor among brahmins as such:
nor have those venerable ones
in this very life
understood of themselves,
nor have they realized
the good of being recluses,
the good of being brahmins,
nor do they live in the attainment thereof.
■
"Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
know not feeling,
know not its uprising,
know not its ceasing,
know not the way going to its ceasing those recluses or brahmins, Soṇa,
are approved neither among recluses as such,
nor among brahmins as such:
nor have those venerable ones
in this very life
understood of themselves,
nor have they realized
the good of being recluses,
the good of being brahmins,
nor do they live in the attainment thereof.
■
"Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
know not perception,
know not its uprising,
know not its ceasing,
know not the way going to its ceasing those recluses or brahmins, Soṇa,
are approved neither among recluses as such,
nor among brahmins as such:
nor have those venerable ones
in this very life
understood of themselves,
nor have they realized
the good of being recluses,
the good of being brahmins,
nor do they live in the attainment thereof.
■
"Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
know not the activities,
know not their uprising,
know not their ceasing,
know not the way going to their ceasing those recluses or brahmins, Soṇa,
are approved neither among recluses as such,
nor among brahmins as such:
nor have those venerable ones
in this very life
understood of themselves,
nor have they realized
the good of being recluses,
the good of being brahmins,
nor do they live in the attainment thereof.
■
"Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
know not consciousness,
know not its uprising,
know not its ceasing,
know not the way going to its ceasing those recluses or brahmins, Soṇa,
are approved neither among recluses as such,
nor among brahmins as such:
nor have those venerable ones
in this very life
understood of themselves,
nor have they realized
the good of being recluses,
the good of being brahmins,
nor do they live in the attainment thereof.
And whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,||
do know body,||
do know the arising of body,||
do know its ceasing||
and the way going to its ceasing:||
those recluses or brahmins, Soṇa,||
are approved both among recluses as such,||
and among brahmins as such||
and those venerable ones have||
in this very life||
understood of themselves||
and have realized||
the good of being recluses||
the good of being brahmins,||
and they do live in the attainment thereof."
■
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,||
do know feeling,||
do know the arising of feeling,||
do know its ceasing||
and the way going to its ceasing:||
those recluses or brahmins, Soṇa,||
are approved both among recluses as such,||
and among brahmins as such||
and those venerable ones have||
in this very life||
understood of themselves||
and have realized||
the good of being recluses||
the good of being brahmins,||
and they do live in the attainment thereof."
■
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,||
do know perception,||
do know the arising of perception,||
do know its ceasing||
and the way going to its ceasing:||
those recluses or brahmins, Soṇa,||
are approved both among recluses as such,||
and among brahmins as such||
and those venerable ones have||
in this very life||
understood of themselves||
and have realized||
the good of being recluses||
the good of being brahmins,||
and they do live in the attainment thereof."
■
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,||
do know the activities,||
do know the arising of the activities,||
do know their ceasing||
and the way going to their ceasing:||
those recluses or brahmins, Soṇa,||
are approved both among recluses as such,||
and among brahmins as such||
and those venerable ones have||
in this very life||
understood of themselves||
and have realized||
the good of being recluses||
the good of being brahmins,||
and they do live in the attainment thereof."
■
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,||
do know consciousness,||
do know the arising of consciousness,||
do know its ceasing||
and the way going to its ceasing:||
those recluses or brahmins, Soṇa,||
are approved both among recluses as such,||
and among brahmins as such||
and those venerable ones have||
in this very life||
understood of themselves||
and have realized||
the good of being recluses||
the good of being brahmins,||
and they do live in the attainment thereof."1
1 Cf. S. ii, 14; K.S. ii, 11, where the same words are used of 'decay and death.'