Saṁyutta Nikāya,
V: Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saṁyutta
I. Samādhi Vaggo

Part V: The Great Chapter
56: Kindred Sayings about the Truths
I. Concentration

Sutta 10

Tiracchāna-Kathā Suttaṁ

Talk

 

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Thus have I heard:

On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.

Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One said:

"Monks, talk ye not childish¹ talk of divers kinds,
such as:

talk about rajahs,
robbers,
great ministers:
talk of armies,
panic and battle:² talk of food and drink and clothes,
beds,
flowers,
garlands and perfumes:
talk of relatives,
vehicles,
villages,
suburbs,
towns and districts:
talk about women³
and champions:⁴
talk about streets⁵
and gossip at the well:
ghost- [356] stories,
desultory talk and fabulous⁶ talk
about (the origin of) land and sea:
talk of being and not-being.

Why do I say this?

Because, monks,
such talk is not concerned with profit,
they are not the rudiments of the holy life,
they conduce not to revulsion,
to dispassion,
to cessation,
to tranquillity,
to full understanding,
to the perfect wisdom,
they conduce not to Nibbāna.

 

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When ye talk, monks, talk about:

'This is ill.

This is the arising of ill.

This is the ceasing of ill.

This is the practice
that leads to the ceasing of ill.'

Why do I say this?

Because, monks,
such talk is concerned with profit,
they are rudiments of the holy life,
they conduce to revulsion,
to dispassion,
to cessation,
to tranquillity,
to full understanding,
to the perfect wisdom,
they conduce to Nibbāna.

Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:

'This is ill.'

'This is the arising of ill.'

'This is the ceasing of ill.'

'This is the practice
that leads to the ceasing of ill.'"

 

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¹ Cf. Dialogue. iii, 33 n.; DA. i, 89 (repeated here by Comy.). Here tiracchānakathā ('animal talk') is paraphrase by Comy. as 'not conducive to the path to heaven or to release.'

² Text should read yuddhaka.

³ Text adds purisa- [of B. MSS.]. See Dialogue. n. ad loc

⁴ Sūra-k. Our Comy. adds to DA. saying 'there is a reading sūra-k. {"about drunkards").'

⁵ Not in the sense of 'street-gossip,' but as Comy. 'Talk of this or that street, as well or badly built, or inhabited by so and so.'

⁶ Akkhāyika, 'fabulous narratives.'