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SN 1.10PTS (1st ed) SN 1.51 min read

Wilderness

Araññasutta

Spiritual practitioners have clear complexions, despite their simple life.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.10Linked Discourses 1.10
  • 0.21. Naḷavagga1. A Reed

0.3AraññasuttaWilderness

1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:Standing to one side, that deity addressed the Buddha in verse:

2.1“Araññe viharantānaṁ,“Living in the wilderness,2.2santānaṁ brahmacārinaṁ;peaceful spiritual practitioners2.3Ekabhattaṁ bhuñjamānānaṁ,eat just one meal a day:2.4kena vaṇṇo pasīdatī”ti.so why is their complexion so clear?”

3.1“Atītaṁ nānusocanti,“They don’t grieve for the past,13.2nappajappanti nāgataṁ;nor do they pray for the future;23.3Paccuppannena yāpenti,they feed on whatever comes that day,3.4tena vaṇṇo pasīdati.that’s why their complexion’s so clear.

4.1Anāgatappajappāya,Because they pray for the future,4.2atītassānusocanā;and grieve for the past,4.3Etena bālā sussanti,fools wither away,4.4naḷova harito luto”ti.like a green reed mowed down.”

4.5Naḷavaggo paṭhamo.

5.0Tassuddānaṁ

5.1Oghaṁ nimokkhaṁ upaneyyaṁ,5.2Accenti katichindi ca;5.3Jāgaraṁ appaṭividitā,5.4Susammuṭṭhā mānakāminā;5.5Araññe dasamo vutto,5.6Vaggo tena pavuccati.

Translator’s notes

  1. Compare MN 131:3.1.

    ↩ sn1.10:3.1

  2. Pajappanti, from jappa, means both to “incant” and to “long for”, and the English “pray” has exactly the same connotations—for exactly the same reasons. They originated in begging favors of a god.

    ↩ sn1.10:3.2