SN 22.99

Gaddulabaddhasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. “Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro. Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ. Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ mahāsamuddo ussussati visussati na bhavati; na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ dukkhassa antakiriyaṁ vadāmi. Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ sineru pabbatarājā ḍayhati vinassati na bhavati; na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ dukkhassa antakiriyaṁ vadāmi. Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ mahāpathavī ḍayhati vinassati na bhavati; na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ dukkhassa antakiriyaṁ vadāmi.

A Leash

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, this transmigration has no known beginning. No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving. There comes a time when the ocean dries up and evaporates and is no more. But in any case, there is no making an end of suffering for sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving, I say. There comes a time when Sineru the king of mountains is burned up and destroyed, and is no more. But in any case, there is no making an end of suffering for sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving, I say. There comes a time when the great earth is burned up and destroyed, and is no more. But in any case, there is no making an end of suffering for sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving, I say.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sā gaddulabaddho daḷhe khīle vā thambhe vā upanibaddho tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā anuparidhāvati anuparivattati; evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī …pe… sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṁ attato samanupassati …pe… vedanaṁ attato samanupassati … saññaṁ attato samanupassati … saṅkhāre attato samanupassati … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ; attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. So rūpaññeva anuparidhāvati anuparivattati, vedanaññeva …pe… saññaññeva … saṅkhāreyeva … viññāṇaññeva anuparidhāvati anuparivattati. So rūpaṁ anuparidhāvaṁ anuparivattaṁ, vedanaṁ …pe… saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ anuparidhāvaṁ anuparivattaṁ, na parimuccati rūpamhā, na parimuccati vedanāya, na parimuccati saññāya, na parimuccati saṅkhārehi, na parimuccati viññāṇamhā, na parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Na parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

Suppose a hound on a leash was tethered to a strong post or pillar. It would just keep running and circling around that post or pillar. In the same way, take an unlearned ordinary person who has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in their teaching. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in their teaching. They regard form … feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. They just keep running and circling around form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. Doing so, they’re not freed from form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. They’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not freed from suffering, I say.

Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī …pe… sappurisadhamme suvinīto, na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati …pe… na vedanaṁ … na saññaṁ … na saṅkhāre … na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ; na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. So rūpaṁ nānuparidhāvati nānuparivattati, vedanaṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ nānuparidhāvati nānuparivattati. So rūpaṁ ananuparidhāvaṁ ananuparivattaṁ, vedanaṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ ananuparidhāvaṁ ananuparivattaṁ; parimuccati rūpamhā, parimuccati vedanāya, parimuccati saññāya, parimuccati saṅkhārehi, parimuccati viññāṇamhā, parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmī”ti.

A learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons. They don’t regard form … feeling … perception … choices … or consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. They don’t keep running and circling around form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. By not doing so, they’re freed from form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. They’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re freed from suffering, I say.”