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SN 35.76PTS SN 4.481 min read

With Rādha on Impermanence

Rādhaaniccasutta

Venerable Rādha asks for a teaching to take on retreat. The Buddha told him to abandon desire for sense experience, which is impermanent.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.76Linked Discourses 35.76
  • 0.28. Gilānavagga8. Sick

0.3RādhaaniccasuttaWith Rādha on Impermanence

1.1PTS 4.49Atha kho āyasmā rādho …pe…Then Venerable Rādha went up to the Buddha …1.2ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā rādho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:and said to him,1.3“sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena dhammaṁ desetu, yamahaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ sutvā eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihareyyan”ti.“Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.”

1.4“Yaṁ kho, rādha, aniccaṁ tatra te chando pahātabbo.“Rādha, you should give up desire for what is impermanent.1.5Kiñca, rādha, aniccaṁ tatra te chando pahātabbo?And what is impermanent?11.6Cakkhu aniccaṁ, rūpā aniccā, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ …The eye, sights, eye consciousness,1.7cakkhusamphasso …and eye contact are impermanent.1.8yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi aniccaṁ. Tatra te chando pahātabbo …pe…And the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact is also impermanent. You should give up desire for it.

1.9jivhā …The ear … nose … tongue …1.10kāyo …body …1.11mano anicco. Tatra te chando pahātabbo.The mind,1.12Dhammā …ideas,1.13manoviññāṇaṁ …mind consciousness,1.14manosamphasso …and mind contact are impermanent.1.15yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi aniccaṁ. Tatra te chando pahātabbo.And the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact is also impermanent. You should give up desire for it.

1.16Yaṁ kho, rādha, aniccaṁ tatra te chando pahātabbo”ti.You should give up desire for what is impermanent.”

1.17Tatiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. The following discourses have a brief question at this point, whereas the MS edition repeats the phrase “you should give up desire”. I follow the shorter version, found here in PTS and Bodhi.

    ↩ sn35.76:1.5