Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
39. Sāmaṇḍaka Saṃyutta

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
39. Kindred Sayings about Sāmaṇḍaka

Sutta 13

Bhava Suttaṃ

Becoming

Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids

Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[178]

[1] Thus have I heard:

Once the venerable Sāriputta was staying among the Vajjī,
at Ukkāvelā
on the banks of the river Ganges.

Then Sāmaṇḍaka, the Wanderer, came to visit the venerable Sāriputta,
and on coming to him
greeted him in friendly wise,
and after the exchange of greetings and courtesies
sat down at one side.

So seated, the Wanderer Sāmaṇḍaka said this to the venerable Sāriputta: -

"'Becoming, becoming!' is the saying, friend Sāriputta.

Pray what is becoming?"

"There are these three becomings, friend:
becoming in the world of sense,
becoming in the heaven-world of form,
and becoming in the heaven-world that is formless.

These are the three becomings."

"But, friend, is there any way,
any approach
to the abandoning of these becomings?"

"There is such a path, friend,
there is such an approach
to the abandoning of these becomings."

"And what is that path, friend,
what is that approach
to the abandoning of these becomings?"

"It is this Ariyan Eightfold Path, friend,
to the abandoning of these becomings
to wit:

Right view,
right aim,
right speech,
right action,
right living,
right effort,
right mindfulness,
right concentration.

Such, friend, is this path,
this approach
to the abandoning of these becomings."

"A goodly path, friend,
a goodly approach
to the abandoning of these becomings
and a proper occasion for earnestness too, friend!"