SN 23.2

Sattasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā rādho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “‘satto, satto’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sattoti vuccatī”ti? “Rūpe kho, rādha, yo chando yo rāgo yā nandī yā taṇhā, tatra satto, tatra visatto, tasmā sattoti vuccati. Vedanāya … saññāya … saṅkhāresu … viññāṇe yo chando yo rāgo yā nandī yā taṇhā, tatra satto, tatra visatto, tasmā sattoti vuccati.

Sentient Beings

At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, Venerable Rādha said to the Buddha: “Sir, they speak of this thing called a ‘sentient being’. How is a sentient being defined?” “Rādha, when you cling, strongly cling, to desire, greed, relishing, and craving for form, then a being is spoken of. When you cling, strongly cling, to desire, greed, relishing, and craving for feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, then a being is spoken of.

Seyyathāpi, rādha, kumārakā vā kumārikāyo vā paṁsvāgārakehi kīḷanti. Yāvakīvañca tesu paṁsvāgārakesu avigatarāgā honti avigatacchandā avigatapemā avigatapipāsā avigatapariḷāhā avigatataṇhā, tāva tāni paṁsvāgārakāni allīyanti keḷāyanti dhanāyanti mamāyanti. Yato ca kho, rādha, kumārakā vā kumārikāyo vā tesu paṁsvāgārakesu vigatarāgā honti vigatacchandā vigatapemā vigatapipāsā vigatapariḷāhā vigatataṇhā, atha kho tāni paṁsvāgārakāni hatthehi ca pādehi ca vikiranti vidhamanti viddhaṁsenti vikīḷaniyaṁ karonti. Evameva kho, rādha, tumhepi rūpaṁ vikiratha vidhamatha viddhaṁsetha vikīḷaniyaṁ karotha taṇhākkhayāya paṭipajjatha. Vedanaṁ vikiratha vidhamatha viddhaṁsetha vikīḷaniyaṁ karotha taṇhākkhayāya paṭipajjatha. Saññaṁ … saṅkhāre vikiratha vidhamatha viddhaṁsetha vikīḷaniyaṁ karotha taṇhākkhayāya paṭipajjatha. Viññāṇaṁ vikiratha vidhamatha viddhaṁsetha vikīḷaniyaṁ karotha taṇhākkhayāya paṭipajjatha. Taṇhākkhayo hi, rādha, nibbānan”ti.

Suppose some boys or girls were playing with sandcastles. As long as they’re not rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for those sandcastles, they cling to them, dally with them, treasure them, and treat them as their own. But when they are rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for those sandcastles, they scatter, smash, and destroy them with their hands and feet, making them unplayable. In the same way, you should scatter, smash, and destroy form, making it unplayable. And you should practice for the ending of craving. You should scatter, smash, and destroy feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, making it unplayable. And you should practice for the ending of craving. For the ending of craving is extinguishment.”