Saɱyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saɱyutta
10. Puppha Vagga
The Connected Discourses of the Buddha
Part II.
The Book of the Aggregates Khandha-Vagga
22. Connected Discourses on the Aggregates
2.5. Flowers
Sutta 93
Nadi Suttaɱ
The River
Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi
Copyright Bhikkhu Bodhi 2000, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2000)
This selection from The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saɱyutta Nikāya by Bhikkhu Bodhi is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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[1][pts][than][olds] At Sāvatthī.
"Bhikkhus, suppose there was a mountain river sweeping downwards, flowing into the distance with a swift current.
If on either bank of the river Kāsa grass or kusa grass were to grow, it would overhang it; if rushes, reeds, or trees were to grow, they would overhang it.
If a man being carried along by the current should grasp the Kāsa grass, it would break off and he would thereby meet with calamity and disaster; if he should grasp the kusa grass, it would break off and he would thereby meet with calamity and disaster; if he should grasp the rushes, reeds, or trees, [138] they would break off and he would thereby meet with calamity and disaster.
"So too, bhikkhus, the uninstructed worldling ... regards form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form.
That form of his disintegrates and he thereby meets with calamity and disaster.
He regards feeling as self ... perception as self ... volitional formations as self ... consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness.
That consciousness of his disintegrates and he thereby meets with calamity and disaster.
"What do you think, bhikkhus, is form permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"Therefore ...
Seeing thus ...
He understands:
'... there is no more for this state of being."
