Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
24. Diṭṭhi Saṃyutta
1. Sotāpatti Vagga
The Constituent Aspects of Individuality
Sutta 13
Taṃ Jīvan, Taṃ Sarīra[1] Suttaṃ
The Self and the Body are One and the Same
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time, The Lucky man,
Sāvatthi-town revisiting,
Jeta Grove,
Anathapiṇḍika's Sporting Grounds.
There then The Lucky Man addressed the beggars, saying:
"Beggars!"
And the beggars responding "Bhante!"
The Lucky Man said this to them:
"There being what, beggars,
bound to what
adhering to what
does this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same'"?
"For us Bhante,
things are best resorted to
rooted in The Lucky Man,
channeled through The Lucky Man.
It would be good, Bhante,
if further explanation of this point
were given by The Lucky Man.
That which is said
by the Lucky Man
will be held in memory
by the beggars."
"Then give ear, beggars,
pay good attention!
I will speak!"
Then, the beggars saying
"Even so, Bhante!"
in response,
the Lucky Man said this to them:
"There being form, beggars,
bound to form,
adhering to form,
even thus does this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same.'
There being sense-experience, beggars,
bound to sense-experience,
adhering to sense-experience,
even thus does this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same.'
There being perception, beggars,
bound to perception,
adhering to perception,
even thus does this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same.'
There being own-making, beggars,
bound to own-making,
adhering to own-making,
even thus does this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same.'
There being consciousness, beggars,
bound to consciousness,
adhering to consciousness,
even thus does this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same.'
■
What do you think, beggars?
Is form permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is sense-experience permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is perception permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is own-making permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
■
"That which is seen,
heard,
sensed,
cognized,
attained,
yearned after,
pondered over in mind —
is that permanent
or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent —
painful or
pleasant?"
"Unpleasant, Bhante."
"That which is impermanent,
painful,
a thing subject to change —
without being bound to that —
can this view arise:
'The Self and the Body are One and the Same'?"
"No indeed, Bhante."
§
"So then, beggars,
when in the student of the aristocrats
doubt as to these six positions has been abandoned,
doubt as to pain[2] has been abandoned,
doubt as to the arising of pain has been abandoned,
doubt as to the ending of pain has been abandoned,
doubt as to the walk-to-walk to the ending of pain has been abandoned —
this is said to be, beggars,
a student of the aristocrats
a stream-winner
one aimed at self-awakening."
[1] "That Life, That Body" I see the meaning as having been given primarily by way of pointing. PED: "taṃ jīvaṃ taṃ sarīraṃ udāhu aññaṃ j. aññaṃ s." (is the body the soul, or is the body one thing and the soul another?) see D I Pāḷi pages 157, 188; II Pāḷi pages 333, 336, 339; S IV 392f.; M I 157, 426
[2] For details see my translation of SN 3.24.1 footnotes. All the suttas of SN.24 should be read (slowly!) together.