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SN 1.24PTS (1st ed) SN 1.141 min read

Shielding the Mind

Manonivāraṇasutta

One should rein in the mind, but only from that which is evil.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.24Linked Discourses 1.24
  • 0.23. Sattivagga3. A Sword

0.3ManonivāraṇasuttaShielding the Mind

1.1“Yato yato mano nivāraye,“Whatever you’ve shielded the mind from11.2Na dukkhameti naṁ tato tato;can’t cause you suffering.1.3Sa sabbato mano nivāraye,So you should shield the mind from everything,1.4Sa sabbato dukkhā pamuccatī”ti.then you’re freed from all suffering.”

2.1“Na sabbato mano nivāraye,“You need not shield the mind from everything,2.2Na mano saṁyatattamāgataṁ;nor has the mind gained self-control.2.3Yato yato ca pāpakaṁ,The mind need only be shielded2.4Tato tato mano nivāraye”ti.from where the bad things come.”

Translator’s notes

  1. These are some of the very few verses in the Pali Canon whose metre has not been identified.

    ↩ sn1.24:1.1