Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
5. Atta-Dīpa Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
3. The Book Called the Khandhā-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the Elements of Sensory Existence and other Subjects
22. Kindred Sayings on Elements
5. On Being an Island to Self
Sutta 49
Paṭhama Soṇa Suttaṃ
Soṇa (1)[1]
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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Once the Exalted One was staying near Rājagaha
in the Bamboo Grove
at the Squirrels' Feeding-Ground.
Then Soṇa,
the housefather's son,
came to the Exalted One
and sat down.
As he thus sat,
the Exalted One thus addressed Soṇa,
the housefather's son:
"Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
hold views about the impermanent body,
the sorrow-fraught,
the unstable,
such as
'better am I,'
'equal am I,' or
'worse am I' (than thou),
what else are they but non-seers
of what really is?[2]
[43] Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
hold views about impermanent feeling,
the sorrow-fraught,
the unstable,
such as
'better am I,'
'equal am I,' or
'worse am I' (than thou),
what else are they but non-seers
of what really is?
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
hold views about impermanent perception,
the sorrow-fraught,
the unstable,
such as
'better am I,'
'equal am I,' or
'worse am I' (than thou),
what else are they but non-seers
of what really is?
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
hold views about impermanent activities,
the sorrow-fraught,
the unstable,
such as
'better am I,'
'equal am I,' or
'worse am I' (than thou),
what else are they but non-seers
of what really is?
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
hold views about impermanent consciousness,
the sorrow-fraught,
the unstable,
such as
'better am I,'
'equal am I,' or
'worse am I' (than thou),
what else are they but non-seers
of what really is?
§
But, Soṇa,
whatsoever recluses and brahmins
hold not views about the impermanent body,
the sorrow-fraught,
the unstable,
such as
'better am I,'
'equal am I,' or
'worse am I' (than thou),
what else are they but seers
of what really is?
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
hold not views about impermanent feeling,
the sorrow-fraught,
the unstable,
such as
'better am I,'
'equal am I,' or
'worse am I' (than thou),
what else are they but seers
of what really is?
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
hold not views about impermanent perception,
the sorrow-fraught,
the unstable,
such as
'better am I,'
'equal am I,' or
'worse am I' (than thou),
what else are they but seers
of what really is?
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
hold not views about impermanent activities,
the sorrow-fraught,
the unstable,
such as
'better am I,'
'equal am I,' or
'worse am I' (than thou),
what else are they but seers
of what really is?
Whatsoever recluses and brahmins, Soṇa,
hold not views about impermanent consciousness,
the sorrow-fraught,
the unstable,
such as
'better am I,'
'equal am I,' or
'worse am I' (than thou),
what else are they but seers
of what really is?
§
Now what think you, Soṇa?
Is body permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"And what is impermanent,
is that woe or weal?"
"Woe, lord."
"And is it fitting to hold such views as
'this is mine,'
'this am I,' or
'this is the self of me,'
about that which is impermanent
and unstable?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is feeling permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"And what is impermanent,
is that woe or weal?"
"Woe, lord."
"And is it fitting to hold such views as
'this is mine,'
'this am I,' or
'this is the self of me,'
about that which is impermanent
and unstable?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is perception permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"And what is impermanent,
is that woe or weal?"
"Woe, lord."
"And is it fitting to hold such views as
'this is mine,'
'this am I,' or
'this is the self of me,'
about that which is impermanent
and unstable?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
Are activities permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"And what is impermanent,
is that woe or weal?"
"Woe, lord."
"And is it fitting to hold such views as
'this is mine,'
'this am I,' or
'this is the self of me,'
about that which is impermanent
and unstable?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"And what is impermanent,
is that woe or weal?"
"Woe, lord."
"And is it fitting to hold such views as
'this is mine,'
'this am I,' or
'this is the self of me,'
about that which is impermanent
and unstable?"
"Surely not, lord."
§
"Wherefore, Soṇa,
whatsoever body there be,
whether past,
future or
present,
inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or lofty,
far or near —
every body should thus be regarded
as it really is
by right insight
thus:
'this is not mine,'
'this am not I,'
'this of me is not the self.'
■
Whatsoever feeling there be,
whether past,
future or
present,
inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or lofty,
far or near —
every feeling should thus be regarded
as it really is
by right insight
thus:
'this is not mine,'
'this am not I,'
'this of me is not the self.'
■
Whatsoever perception there be,
whether past,
future or
present,
inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or lofty,
far or near —
every perception should thus be regarded
as it really is
by right insight
thus:
'this is not mine,'
'this am not I,'
'this of me is not the self.'
■
Whatsoever activities there be,
whether past,
future or
present,
inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or lofty,
far or near —
all activities should thus be regarded
as it really is
by right insight
thus:
'this is not mine,'
'this am not I,'
'this of me is not the self.'
■
Whatsoever consciousness there be,
whether past,
future or
present,
inward or outward,
gross or subtle,
low or lofty,
far or near —
every consciousness should thus be regarded
as it really is
by right insight
thus:
'this is not mine,'
'this am not I,'
'this of me is not the self.'
■
Thus seeing, Soṇa,
the well-taught Ariyan disciple
feels disgust at body,
feels disgust at feeling,
feels disgust at perception,
feels disgust at the activities
feels disgust at consciousness.
Feeling disgust,
he is repelled thereby.
Being repelled he is released.
In being released,
there is knowledge thereof,
so that he knows:
'Destroyed is rebirth,
lived is the righteous life,
done is my task,
for life in these conditions
there is no hereafter.'"
[1] Soṇa (to be distinguished from Sona). This may have been one of the three bhikkhus of the name mentioned in Theragāthā: one of whom gives a name to a section in Uddāna.
[2] The three forms of māno (conceit). See Dialog. iii, 209 n.; also S. i. 12; K.S. i, 17. I quote the verse:
'Whoso doth build fancies concerning values: -
"Equal am I, better, or worse (than thou art)" -
Hereby he may quarrels provoke. But whoso
In all three ways holdeth his mind unshaken,
"Equal (am I), or "different" oocurs not.'
Cf. S. ii, 253.
