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SN 24.9PTS SN 3.2131 min read

The Cosmos is Eternal

Sassatadiṭṭhisutta

The view that the cosmos is eternal is given up by seeing the aggregates, as well as what is seen, heard, thought, and known, as impermanent.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 24.9Linked Discourses 24.9
  • 0.21. Sotāpattivagga1. Stream-Entry

0.3SassatadiṭṭhisuttaThe Cosmos is Eternal

1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.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‘sassato loko’”ti?‘The cosmos is eternal’?”1

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

2.1“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:2.2‘sassato loko’ti.‘The cosmos is eternal.’2.3Vedanāya sati …pe…When feeling … perception …2.4saṅkhāresu sati …choices …2.5viññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:consciousness exists, because of grasping consciousness and insisting on consciousness, the view arises:2.6‘sassato loko’ti.‘The cosmos is eternal.’

3.1PTS 3.214Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,What do you think, mendicants?3.2rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?Is form permanent or impermanent?”

3.3“Aniccaṁ, bhante” …pe…“Impermanent, sir.” …3.4vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:3.5‘sassato loko’”ti?3.6“No hetaṁ, bhante”.3.7“Vedanā …3.8saññā …3.9saṅkhārā …3.10viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?3.11“Aniccaṁ, bhante …pe…

3.12api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:3.13‘sassato loko’”ti?3.14“No hetaṁ, bhante”.3.15“Yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?3.16“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.3.17“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?3.18“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

3.19“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:“But by not grasping what’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, would such a view arise?”3.20‘sassato loko’”ti?

3.21“No hetaṁ, bhante”.“No, sir.”

4.1“Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imesu ca ṭhānesu kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti, dukkhepissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāyapissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti—“When a noble disciple has given up doubt regarding these six grounds, and has given up doubt in suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation,4.2ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano”ti.they’re called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.”

4.3Navamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. Thus begins a series on the ten undeclared points (MN 25:10.21). This and the following views are “cosmology” (lokāyata), for which see SN 12.48.

    ↩ sn24.9:1.3