sutta » sn » sn22 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.100

Dutiyagaddulabaddhasutta

A Leash (2nd)

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.

“Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.
“Mendicants, transmigration has no known beginning.

Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ.
No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sā gaddulabaddho daḷhe khīle vā thambhe vā upanibaddho. So gacchati cepi tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā upagacchati; tiṭṭhati cepi tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā upatiṭṭhati; nisīdati cepi tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā upanisīdati; nipajjati cepi tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā upanipajjati.
Suppose a dog on a leash was tethered to a strong post or pillar. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, it stays right beside that post or pillar.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano rūpaṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati.
In the same way, an unlearned ordinary person regards form like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’

Vedanaṁ …
They regard feeling …

saññaṁ …
perception …

saṅkhāre …
choices …

viññāṇaṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati.
consciousness like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’

So gacchati cepi ime pañcupādānakkhandhe upagacchati;
When walking, they walk right beside the five grasping aggregates.

tiṭṭhati cepi ime pañcupādānakkhandhe upatiṭṭhati;
When standing …

nisīdati cepi ime pañcupādānakkhandhe upanisīdati;
sitting …

nipajjati cepi ime pañcupādānakkhandhe upanipajjati.
lying down, they lie down right beside the five grasping aggregates.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, abhikkhaṇaṁ sakaṁ cittaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ:
So you should regularly check your own mind:

‘dīgharattamidaṁ cittaṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ rāgena dosena mohenā’ti.
‘For a long time this mind has been corrupted by greed, hate, and delusion.’

Cittasaṅkilesā, bhikkhave, sattā saṅkilissanti;
Sentient beings are corrupted because the mind is corrupted.

cittavodānā sattā visujjhanti.
Sentient beings are purified because the mind is purified.

Diṭṭhaṁ vo, bhikkhave, caraṇaṁ nāma cittan”ti?
Mendicants, have you seen the picture called ‘Conduct’?”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, sir.”

“Tampi kho, bhikkhave, caraṇaṁ nāma cittaṁ citteneva cittitaṁ. Tenapi kho, bhikkhave, caraṇena cittena cittaññeva cittataraṁ.
“That picture was elaborated by the mind, but the mind is even more elaborate than that.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, abhikkhaṇaṁ sakaṁ cittaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ:
So you should regularly check your own mind:

‘dīgharattamidaṁ cittaṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ rāgena dosena mohenā’ti.
‘For a long time this mind has been corrupted by greed, hate, and delusion.’

Cittasaṅkilesā, bhikkhave, sattā saṅkilissanti;
Sentient beings are corrupted because the mind is corrupted.

cittavodānā sattā visujjhanti.
Sentient beings are purified because the mind is purified.

Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, aññaṁ ekanikāyampi samanupassāmi evaṁ cittaṁ yathayidaṁ, bhikkhave, tiracchānagatā pāṇā.
I don’t see any other order of beings as elaborate as the animal realm.

tepi kho, bhikkhave, tiracchānagatā pāṇā citteneva cittitā, tehipi kho, bhikkhave, tiracchānagatehi pāṇehi cittaññeva cittataraṁ.
The creatures in the animal realm were elaborated by the mind, but the mind is even more elaborate than that.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, abhikkhaṇaṁ sakaṁ cittaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ:
So you should regularly check your own mind:

‘dīgharattamidaṁ cittaṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ rāgena dosena mohenā’ti.
‘For a long time this mind has been corrupted by greed, hate, and delusion.’

Cittasaṅkilesā, bhikkhave, sattā saṅkilissanti;
Sentient beings are corrupted because the mind is corrupted.

cittavodānā sattā visujjhanti.
Sentient beings are purified because the mind is purified.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, rajako vā cittakārako vā rajanāya vā lākhāya vā haliddiyā vā nīliyā vā mañjiṭṭhāya vā suparimaṭṭhe phalake vā bhittiyā vā dussapaṭṭe vā itthirūpaṁ vā purisarūpaṁ vā abhinimmineyya sabbaṅgapaccaṅgiṁ;
Suppose an artist or painter had some dye, red lac, turmeric, indigo, or rose madder. And on a polished plank or a wall or a canvas they’d create the image of a woman or a man, complete in all its various parts.

evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano rūpaññeva abhinibbattento abhinibbatteti, vedanaññeva …pe… saññaññeva … saṅkhāreyeva … viññāṇaññeva abhinibbattento abhinibbatteti.
In the same way, when an unlearned ordinary person creates a future life, all they create is form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
What do you think, mendicants?

rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
Is form permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.
“Impermanent, sir.”

“Vedanā …
“Is feeling …

saññā …
perception …

saṅkhārā …
choices …

viññāṇaṁ …pe…
consciousness permanent or impermanent?” …

“tasmātiha, bhikkhave …pe…
“So you should truly see …

evaṁ passaṁ …pe…
Seeing this …

nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānātī”ti.
They understand: ‘… there is no return to any state of existence.’”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.