Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saṃyutta
1. Samādhi Vagga

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
56. Kindred Sayings about the Truths
1. Concentration

Sutta 8

Cintā Suttaṃ

Reasoning

Translated by F. L. Woodward

Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[354]

[1][bodh] Thus have I heard:

On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.

Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One said:

"Monks, reason not ill,
unprofitable reasonings,^[1]
such as:

Eternal is the world
or Not eternal is the world:

Finite is the world
or Infinite is the world:

Life is the same as body,
or Life and body are different:

The Tathāgata exists after death
or The Tathāgata exists not after death,
or He both exists and exists not after death,
or The Tathāgata neither exists nor not-exists after death.

Why do I say this?

Because, monks,
these thoughts are not concerned with profit,
they are not the rudiments of the holy life,
they conduce not to revulsion,
to dispassion,
to cessation,
to tranquillity,
to full understanding,
to the perfect wisdom,
they conduce not to Nibbāna.

 

§

 

When ye reason, monks, reason thus:

'This is ill.

This is the arising of ill.

This is the ceasing of ill.

This is the practice
that leads to the ceasing of ill.'

Why do I say this?

Because, monks,
these thoughts are concerned with profit,
they are rudiments of the holy life,
they conduce to revulsion,
to dispassion,
to cessation,
to tranquillity,
to full understanding,
to the perfect wisdom,
they conduce to Nibbāna.

Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:

'This is ill.'

'This is the arising of ill.'

'This is the ceasing of ill.'

'This is the practice
that leads to the ceasing of ill.'"

 

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^[1] Mā akusalaṇ cittaṇ cinteyyātha. In the previous section we have mā akus. vitakke vitakkeyyātha. The contrast seems to be between 'discursive thought' and 'directed thought.' Cf. text, 446; K.S. iv, 276.