True DhammaLibrary · Community
SN 33.51–541 min read

Four Discourses on Not Directly Experiencing Form, Etc.

Rūpaappaccakkhakammādisuttacatukka

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 33.51–54Linked Discourses 33.51
  • 0.21. Vacchagottavagga1. With Vacchagotta

0.3RūpaappaccakkhakammādisuttacatukkaFour Discourses on Not Directly Experiencing Form, Etc.

1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him.1.3Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to the Buddha:

1.4“ko nu kho, bho gotama, hetu, ko paccayo, yānimāni anekavihitāni diṭṭhigatāni loke uppajjanti—“What is the cause, worthy Gotama, what is the reason why these various misconceptions arise in the world? …”1.5sassato lokoti vā …pe…1.6neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā”ti?

1.7“Rūpe kho, vaccha, appaccakkhakammā, rūpasamudaye appaccakkhakammā, rūpanirodhe appaccakkhakammā, rūpanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya appaccakkhakammā …pe….“Vaccha, it is because of not directly experiencing form …1

1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.1.2“Vedanāya kho, vaccha, appaccakkhakammā …pe… vedanānirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya appaccakkhakammā …pe….feeling …

1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.1.2“Saññāya kho, vaccha, appaccakkhakammā …pe… saññānirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya appaccakkhakammā …pe….perception …

1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.1.2“Saṅkhāresu kho, vaccha, appaccakkhakammā …pe… saṅkhāranirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya appaccakkhakammā …pe….choices …”

1.3Catupaññāsamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This is the only occurrence in the early canon of paccakkha (“directly experience”). It went on to become a key term in Buddhist epistemology. The schools recognized that there are two forms of valid knowledge—direct experience and inference (anumāna)—and differed in the explanations.

    ↩ sn33.51:1.7