Saɱyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
35. Saḷāyatana Saɱyutta
§ I: Mūla-Paññāsa
3. Sabba Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
35. Kindred Sayings the Sixfold Sphere of Sense
§ I: The First Fifty Suttas
3. The Chapter on The All
Sutta 23
Sabba Suttaɱ
The All[1]
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1][olds][than][bodh] Thus have I heard:
The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī, at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren."
"Lord," responded those brethren to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said:
"Brethren, I will teach you the all.
Do you listen to it.
And what, Brethren, is the all?
It is eye and object,
ear and sound,
nose and scent,
tongue and savour,
body and things tangible,
mind and mind-states.
That, Brethren, is called 'the all.'
Whoso, Brethren, should say:
'Rejecting this all,
I will proclaim another all', -
it would be mere talk[2] on his part,
and when questioned
he could not make good his boast,
and further would come to an ill pass.
Why so?
Because, Brethren, it would be beyond his scope[3] to do so."
[1] See Buddh. Psych., 74; Pts of Controv., 85 n. At K.S. ii, 52, sabbaɱ means 'the universe ' (as existing in reality).
[2] Vāca-vatthu, 'based on talk.' Vācāya vattabba vatthu-mattakam eva bhaveyya. Comy.
[3] 'He might just as well try to lift a roof-pinnacle on his head, or ford a deep water, or pull down sun and moon.' Comy.
