Saṁyutta Nikāya,
V: Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saṁyutta
IV. Siṅsapā Vagga

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

IV. Siṅsapā Grove

Sutta 31

Siṅsapā Suttaṁ

Siṅsapā¹

 

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THUS have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was staying at Kosambī in Siṅsapā Grove.

Then the Exalted One,
gathering up a few sinsapa leaves in his hand,
said to the monks:

What think ye, monks?

Which are the more numerous,
just this mere handful of Siṅsapā leaves I have here,
or those in the grove overhead?"

"Very few in number, lord,
are the leaves in the handful
gathered up by the Exalted One:
much more in number
are those in the grove overhead."

"Just so, monks,
much more in number
are those things I have found out,
but not revealed;
very few
are the things I have revealed.

And why, monks, have I not revealed them?

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

That is why I have not revealed them.²

And what is it, monks, that I have revealed?

Just that

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.

And why so?

Because, monks,
this is concerned with profit.

It is the rudiments of the holy life.

It does conduce to revulsion,
to dispassion,
to cessation,
to tranquillity,
to full comprehension,
to the perfect wisdom.

It does conduce to Nibbāna.

Therefore have I revealed it.

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 Of the tree Dalbergia Sisu or the Asoka tree. Cf. A. i, 136; D. ii, 316; M.P. 413.

² Cf. D. ii, 100.