Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
14. Dhātu-Saṃyuttaṃ
II. Dutiya Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
II. The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga
Containing Kindred sayings on Cause
and Other Subjects
14. The Kindred Sayings on Element
Sutta 13
Giñjak-ā-Vasatha Suttaṃ
Brick Hall[1]
Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by F. L. Woodward
Originally Published by
The Pali Text Society
Public Domain
The Exalted One was once staying in Ñātika at the Brick Hall.
There he addressed the brethren:
"Brethren!"
"Even so, lord," they responded.
The Exalted One said this:-
"Because of [an] element, brethren,
arises a notion,
arises an opinion,
arises thought."
When he had said thus,
the venerable believer Kaccāyana
said to the Exalted One:-
"The opinion, lord,
that of those who are not supremely enlightened
[some one is] supremely enlightened -
what causes this opinion to manifest itself?"
"Mighty is that element, Kaccayana,
to wit,
the element of ignorance.
Low, I tell you, Kaccayana,
is the element through which low notions,
low opinions,
low thoughts,
low volitions,
low wishes,
low aspirations,
a low person,
low speech arises,
low is what he declares,
what he teaches,
what he reveals,
sets forth,
discloses,
analyzes,
explains,
and low is the rebirth of him.
Average I tell you, Kaccayana,
is the element through which average notions,
average opinions,
average thoughts,
average volitions,
average wishes,
average aspirations,
average average persons,
average speech arises,
moderately good[2] is what he declares,
teaches,
reveals,
sets forth,
discloses,
analyzes,
explains,
and moderately good is the rebirth of him.
[108] Excellent, I tell you, Kaccayana,
is the element through which excellent notions,
excellent opinions,
excellent thoughts,
excellent volitions,
excellent wishes,
excellent aspirations,
excellent persons,
excellent speech arises,
excellent is what he declares,
teaches,
reveals,
sets forth,
discloses,
analyzes,
explains,
and excellent is the rebirth of him."
[1] See above, p. 51.
[2] Average, moderately good = both majjhima, lit. middling.
