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SN 22.152PTS SN 3.1821 min read

This is My Self

Soattāsutta

The idea that the self is identical with the cosmos arises due to grasping the aggregates.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.152Linked Discourses 22.152
  • 0.215. Diṭṭhivagga15. Views

0.3SoattāsuttaThis is My Self

1.1PTS 3.183Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati, kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:“Mendicants, when what exists, because of grasping what and insisting on what, does the view arise:1.3‘so attā, so loko, so pecca bhavissāmi nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo’”ti?‘The self and the cosmos are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, and imperishable’?”1

1.4Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe….“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …”

1.5“Rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati, rūpaṁ upādāya, rūpaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:“When form exists, because of grasping form and insisting on form, the view arises:1.6‘so attā, so loko, so pecca bhavissāmi nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo’ti.‘The self and the cosmos are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, and imperishable.’1.7Vedanāya …pe…When feeling …1.8saññāya …perception …1.9saṅkhāresu …pe…choices …1.10viññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:consciousness exists, because of grasping consciousness and insisting on consciousness, the view arises:1.11‘so attā, so loko, so pecca bhavissāmi nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo’ti.‘The self and the cosmos are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, and imperishable.’

2.1Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,What do you think, mendicants?2.2rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?Is form permanent or impermanent?”

2.3“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.“Impermanent, sir.”

2.4“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

2.5“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.“Suffering, sir.”

2.6“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:“But by not grasping what’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, would the view arise:2.7‘so attā, so loko, so pecca bhavissāmi nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo’”ti?‘The self and the cosmos are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, and imperishable’?”

2.8“No hetaṁ, bhante”.“No, sir.”

2.9“Vedanā …“Is feeling …2.10saññā …perception …2.11saṅkhārā …choices …2.12viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?consciousness permanent or impermanent?”

2.13“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.“Impermanent, sir.”

2.14“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

2.15“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.“Suffering, sir.”

2.16“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:“But by not grasping what’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, would the view arise:2.17‘so attā so loko, so pecca bhavissāmi nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo’”ti?‘The self and the cosmos are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, and imperishable’?”

2.18“No hetaṁ, bhante”.“No, sir.”

2.19“Evaṁ passaṁ …pe…“Seeing this …2.20nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānātī”ti.They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’”

2.21Tatiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This is eternalism.

    ↩ sn22.152:1.3