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SN 39.1–151 min read

With Sāmaṇḍaka on Extinguishment

Sāmaṇḍakasutta

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 39.1Linked Discourses 39.1–15
  • 0.21. Sāmaṇḍakavagga1. With Sāmaṇḍaka

0.3SāmaṇḍakasuttaWith Sāmaṇḍaka on Extinguishment

1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto vajjīsu viharati ukkacelāyaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre.At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying in the land of the Vajjis near Ukkacelā on the bank of the Ganges River.11.2Atha kho sāmaṇḍako paribbājako yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi.Then the wanderer Sāmaṇḍaka went up to Venerable Sāriputta and exchanged greetings with him.1.3Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho sāmaṇḍako paribbājako āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta:

2.1“‘Nibbānaṁ, nibbānan’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati.“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘extinguishment’.2.2Katamaṁ nu kho, āvuso, nibbānan”ti?What is extinguishment?”

2.3“Yo kho, āvuso, rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo—“Reverend, the ending of greed, hate, and delusion2.4idaṁ vuccati nibbānan”ti.is called extinguishment.”

2.5“Atthi panāvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā, etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti?“But, reverend, is there a path and a practice for realizing this extinguishment?”

2.6“Atthi kho, āvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā, etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.“There is, reverend.”

3.1PTS 4.262“Katamo panāvuso, maggo katamā paṭipadā etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti?“Well, what is it?”

3.2“Ayameva kho, āvuso, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, seyyathidaṁ—“It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:3.3sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.3.4Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā, etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.This is the path, the practice, for realizing this extinguishment.”

3.5“Bhaddako, āvuso, maggo bhaddikā paṭipadā, etassa nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya.“Reverend, this is a fine path, a fine practice, for realizing this extinguishment.3.6Alañca panāvuso sāriputta, appamādāyā”ti.Just this much is enough for diligence.”

3.7Paṭhamaṁ.

4.1(Yathā jambukhādakasaṁyuttaṁ, tathā vitthāretabbaṁ.)(Tell in full as the Linked Discourses with Jambukhādaka.)

Translator’s notes

  1. See notes on DN 16:2.1.2, SN 47.13:1.1, and SN 47.14:1.1. The Buddha taught there in MN 34.

    The commentary requires the reading ukkacelā (“cloth firebrand”) but its story is contrived. The variant ukkavelā (“firebrand shore”) suggests there may have been a lighthouse there.

    ↩ sn39.1-15:1.1