Skip to content
True DhammaLibrary · Community
SN 36.27PTS SN 4.2341 min read

Ascetics and Brahmins (1st)

Paṭhamasamaṇabrāhmaṇasutta

One who does not truly understand feeling is no true ascetic.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 36.27Linked Discourses 36.27
  • 0.23. Aṭṭhasatapariyāyavagga3. The Explanation of the Hundred and Eight

0.3PaṭhamasamaṇabrāhmaṇasuttaAscetics and Brahmins (1st)

1.1“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, vedanā.“Mendicants, there are these three feelings.1.2Katamā tisso?What three?1.3Sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā.Pleasant, painful, and neutral feeling.

1.4Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ tissannaṁ vedanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti.There are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand these three feelings’ gratification, drawback, and escape.11.5Na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu vā samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu vā brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca pana te āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ vā brahmaññatthaṁ vā diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.I don’t deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight in this very life.

1.6Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ tissannaṁ vedanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti.There are ascetics and brahmins who do truly understand these three feelings’ gratification, drawback, and escape.1.7Te kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā. Te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca, diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.I deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and live having realized it with their own insight.”

1.8Sattamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. I follow the assessment in Bodhi, Connected Discourses, note 258, that the inclusion of samudayañca atthaṅgamañca here must be an editorial oversight.

    ↩ sn36.27:1.4