sutta » sn » sn45 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.154

Sūkasutta

A Spike

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sālisūkaṁ vā yavasūkaṁ vā sammāpaṇihitaṁ hatthena vā pādena vā akkantaṁ hatthaṁ vā pādaṁ vā bhindissati lohitaṁ vā uppādessatīti—ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.
“Mendicants, suppose a spike of rice or barley was pointing the right way. If you trod on it with hand or foot, it may well break the skin and produce blood.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Sammāpaṇihitattā, bhikkhave, sūkassa.
Because the spike is pointing the right way.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammāpaṇihitāya diṭṭhiyā sammāpaṇihitāya maggabhāvanāya avijjaṁ bhindissati, vijjaṁ uppādessati, nibbānaṁ sacchikarissatīti—ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.
In the same way, a mendicant whose view and development of the path is pointing the right way may well break ignorance, produce knowledge, and realize extinguishment.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Sammāpaṇihitattā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā.
Because their view is pointing the right way.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammāpaṇihitāya diṭṭhiyā sammāpaṇihitāya maggabhāvanāya avijjaṁ bhindati, vijjaṁ uppādeti, nibbānaṁ sacchikaroti?
And how does a mendicant whose view and development of the path is pointing the right way break ignorance, give rise to knowledge, and realize extinguishment?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ …
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammāpaṇihitāya diṭṭhiyā sammāpaṇihitāya maggabhāvanāya avijjaṁ bhindati, vijjaṁ uppādeti, nibbānaṁ sacchikarotī”ti.
That’s how a mendicant whose view and development of the path is pointing the right way breaks ignorance, gives rise to knowledge, and realizes extinguishment.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.