Saṁyutta Nikāya:
IV. Saḷāyatana Vagga
36: Vedanā Saṁyutta
II. Rahogata Vagga

36: Kindred Sayings about Feeling
Book II: The Chapter on Solitude

Sutta 12

Ākāsam Suttaṁ

The Sky (i)

 

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Thus have I heard:

The Exalted One once addressed the brethren, saying:

"Brethren."

"Lord," responded those brethren to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One thus spoke:

"Just as, Brethren, divers winds blow in the sky, -
some winds blow from the east,
some from the west,
some from the north,
[147] some from the south, -
winds, dusty,
winds dustless,
cool winds
and hot winds,
winds soft
and winds boisterous, -
even so in this body arise divers feelings, -
feelings pleasant,
feelings painful,
also neutral feelings.

As many divers winds blow through the sky, -
From east and west and north and south they blow.
Winds dusty, dustless, cool and hot as well,
Winds boisterous and low, of many kinds, -
So in this body many a feeling rises,
Pleasant and painful, feeling that is neither.
A brother who is ardent, self-possessed,
And from the substrate free,¹ well understands
In his awareness feelings of all kinds.
He, understanding feelings, in this life
Is drug-immune and, when the body dies,
A saint, lore-perfect, past our reckoning.²

 

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¹ Nirūpadhi.

² Cf. xxxvi, § 3.