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SN 56.19PTS SN 5.4301 min read

Expressions

Saṅkāsanasutta

Each of the four noble truths has innumerable implications.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 56.19Linked Discourses 56.19
  • 0.22. Dhammacakkappavattanavagga2. Rolling Forth the Wheel of Dhamma

0.3SaṅkāsanasuttaExpressions

1.1“‘Idaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccan’ti, bhikkhave, mayā paññattaṁ.“Mendicants, I’ve declared: ‘This is the noble truth of suffering.’1.2Tattha aparimāṇā vaṇṇā aparimāṇā byañjanā aparimāṇā saṅkāsanā:For that there are limitless arrangements, phrasings, and illustrations:11.3‘itipidaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccan’ti;‘This is another way of saying that this is the noble truth of suffering.’21.4idaṁ dukkhasamudayaṁ …pe…I’ve declared: ‘This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering.’ …1.5idaṁ dukkhanirodhaṁ …pe…I’ve declared: ‘This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering.’ …1.6‘idaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā ariyasaccan’ti, bhikkhave, mayā paññattaṁ.I’ve declared: ‘This is the noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’1.7Tattha aparimāṇā vaṇṇā aparimāṇā byañjanā aparimāṇā saṅkāsanā:For that there are limitless arrangements, phrasings, and illustrations:1.8‘itipidaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā ariyasaccan’ti.‘This is another way of saying that this is the noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’

2.1Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.That’s why you should practice meditation …”

2.2Navamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. A parallel phrase dealing with the skillful and unskillful is found at AN 4.188:3.2, except it says “words, phrasings, and teachings of the Realized One”. Taken together with the next line, these passages are saying that these basic teachings are expressed in countless different ways.

    Take vaṇṇā here in the sense “order, arrangement, presentation”, otherwise attested only for Sanskrit varṇa.

    Saṅkāsanā, from root kās (“shine”) is unique in early Pali, but in late canonical Pali it appears with several other terms in an expansion of the current passage, evidently having the sense “illustration” (Ne 4:32.2, Pe 1:32.1).

    ↩ sn56.19:1.2

  2. Literally, “Thus also, ‘This is the noble truth of suffering’.”

    ↩ sn56.19:1.3