sutta » sn » sn35 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.233

Kāmabhūsutta

With Kāmabhū

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca ānando āyasmā ca kāmabhū kosambiyaṁ viharanti ghositārāme.
At one time the venerables Ānanda and Kāmabhū were staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery.

Atha kho āyasmā kāmabhū sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Kāmabhū came out of retreat, went to Venerable Ānanda, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā kāmabhū āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Ānanda:

“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso ānanda, cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ …pe…
“Reverend Ānanda, which is it? Is the eye the fetter of sights, or are sights the fetter of the eye?

jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ …pe…
Is the ear … nose … tongue … body …

mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, dhammā manassa saṁyojanan”ti?
mind the fetter of ideas, or are ideas the fetter of the mind?”

“Na kho, āvuso kāmabhū, cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ.
“Reverend Kāmabhū, the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye.

Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ …pe…
The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.

na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ …pe…
The ear … nose … tongue … body …

na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ.
mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind.

Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.
The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kāḷo ca balībaddo odāto ca balībaddo ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā assu.
Suppose there was a black ox and a white ox yoked by a single harness or yoke.

Yo nu kho evaṁ vadeyya:
Would it be right to say that

‘kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanan’ti, sammā nu kho so vadamāno vadeyyā”ti?
the black ox is the yoke of the white ox, or the white ox is the yoke of the black ox?”

“No hetaṁ, āvuso”.
“No, reverend.

“Na kho, āvuso, kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, napi odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ.
The black ox is not the yoke of the white ox, nor is the white ox the yoke of the black ox.

Yena ca kho te ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.
The yoke there is the single harness or yoke that they’re yoked by.”

Evameva kho, āvuso, na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ …pe…
“In the same way, the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye.

na jivhā …pe…
The ear … nose … tongue … body …

na mano …pe…
mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind.

yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanan”ti.
The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.