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SN 27.1PTS SN 3.2321 min read

The Eye

Cakkhusutta

Desire for six interior sense fields is a corruption of the mind, and letting go such desire one is able to realize the various kinds of direct knowledge.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 27.1Linked Discourses 27.1
  • 0.21. Kilesavagga1. Corruptions

0.3CakkhusuttaThe Eye

1.1PTS 3.232Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Yo, bhikkhave, cakkhusmiṁ chandarāgo, cittasseso upakkileso.“Mendicants, desire and greed for the eye,1.3Yo sotasmiṁ chandarāgo, cittasseso upakkileso.ear,1.4Yo ghānasmiṁ chandarāgo, cittasseso upakkileso.nose,1.5Yo jivhāya chandarāgo, cittasseso upakkileso.tongue,1.6Yo kāyasmiṁ chandarāgo, cittasseso upakkileso.body,1.7Yo manasmiṁ chandarāgo, cittasseso upakkileso.or mind is a corruption of the mind.1.8Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno imesu chasu ṭhānesu cetaso upakkileso pahīno hoti, nekkhammaninnañcassa cittaṁ hoti.When a mendicant has given up mental corruption in these six cases, their mind inclines to renunciation.1.9Nekkhammaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ kammaniyaṁ khāyati, abhiññā sacchikaraṇīyesu dhammesū”ti.A mind imbued with renunciation is said to be fit for work regarding anything that can be realized by insight.”1

1.10Paṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. I take khāyati as the passive “is said to be”, like the more common akkhāyati (SN 22.102:5.1).

    Kammaniya (“fit for work, workable”) is similar in sense to bhabba (“capable”) at eg. MN 119:29.1.

    ↩ sn27.1:1.9