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SN 35.236PTS SN 4.1711 min read

The Simile of Hands and Feet (1st)

Paṭhamahatthapādopamasutta

So long as this body exists there is suffering due to the senses.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.236Linked Discourses 35.236
  • 0.218. Samuddavagga18. The Ocean

0.3PaṭhamahatthapādopamasuttaThe Simile of Hands and Feet (1st)

1.1“Hatthesu, bhikkhave, sati ādānanikkhepanaṁ paññāyati;“Mendicants, when there are hands, picking up and putting down are found.11.2pādesu sati abhikkamapaṭikkamo paññāyati;When there are feet, coming and going are found.1.3pabbesu sati samiñjanapasāraṇaṁ paññāyati;When there are joints, contracting and extending are found.1.4kucchismiṁ sati jighacchā pipāsā paññāyati.When there’s a belly, hunger and thirst are found.

1.5Evameva kho, bhikkhave, cakkhusmiṁ sati cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhaṁ …pe…In the same way, when there’s an eye, pleasure and pain arise internally conditioned by eye contact.1.6jivhāya sati jivhāsamphassapaccayā uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhaṁ …pe…When there’s an ear … nose … tongue … body …1.7manasmiṁ sati manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhaṁ …pe….mind, pleasure and pain arise internally conditioned by mind contact.

2.1PTS 4.172Hatthesu, bhikkhave, asati ādānanikkhepanaṁ na paññāyati;When there are no hands, picking up and putting down aren’t found.2.2pādesu asati abhikkamapaṭikkamo na paññāyati;When there are no feet, coming and going aren’t found.2.3pabbesu asati samiñjanapasāraṇaṁ na paññāyati;When there are no joints, contracting and extending aren’t found.2.4kucchismiṁ asati jighacchā pipāsā na paññāyati.When there’s no belly, hunger and thirst aren’t found.

2.5Evameva kho, bhikkhave, cakkhusmiṁ asati cakkhusamphassapaccayā nuppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhaṁ …pe…In the same way, when there’s no eye, pleasure and pain don’t arise internally conditioned by eye contact.2.6jivhāya asati jivhāsamphassapaccayā nuppajjati …pe…When there’s no ear … nose … tongue … body …2.7manasmiṁ asati manosamphassapaccayā nuppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhan”ti.mind, pleasure and pain don’t arise internally conditioned by mind contact.”

2.8Navamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. According to the doctrine of kamma, we acquire our bodies with their faculties from our desire. It does not just happen to be the case that we have hands to pick things up; we have manifested rebirth with hands because we want to pick things up.

    ↩ sn35.236:1.1