Saṃyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses – page 3
1,822 texts · page 3 of 19 (texts 201–300)
SN 7.15: Stuck-Up
A stuck-up brahmin listening to the Buddha teach is awestruck when the Buddha appears to read his mind. To the surprise of the crowd, he bows and kisses the Buddha’s feet. The Buddha tells him to take his seat, and they exchange verses on the topic of conceit.
SN 7.16: The Contraphile
A brahmin who loves to contradict everyone approaches the Buddha thinking to challenge him. But when he hears the Buddha speak, he cannot find anything to contradict.
SN 7.17: The Builder
A brahmin is enjoying his work in the woods. Seeing the Buddha in meditation, he wonders what sort of work the Buddha enjoys.
SN 7.18: Collecting Firewood
Some brahmin students are collecting firewood when they see the Buddha in meditation. They return and inform their teacher, who visits the Buddha to ask him how he is so peaceful in the wild forest.
SN 7.19: The Brahmin Who Provided for His Mother
A brahmin wonders whether the legitimate seeking of alms is a proper way to support his parents.
SN 7.20: An Almsman
The Buddha explains that a true mendicant is one who has gone beyond evil.
SN 7.21: With Saṅgārava
A brahmin believes that by bathing he can wash away his sins. But the Buddha speaks of the Dhamma as a lake for true purification.
SN 7.22: At Khomadussa
When the Buddha approaches a brahmin council in session, they complain that he is out of order.
SN 8.1: Renounced
Enticed by the sight of beautiful women, the newly ordained monk Vaṅgīsa dispels desire and celebrates his commitment to the spiritual path in verse.
SN 8.2: Dissatisfaction
Vaṅgīsa is troubled again by lust, but manages to dispel it through his own efforts. His verse speak of the way of the renunciate, letting go of desire and wrong views, and dedicated to ethical conduct and seclusion.
SN 8.3: Good-Hearted
As a renowned poet, Vaṅgīsa looked down on less skilled mendicants. Ashamed of his conceit, he exhorted himself in verse to be humble and at peace.
SN 8.4: With Ānanda
Troubled once more by lust, Vaṅgīsa turned to Ānanda for support. Ānanda tells him to shift his perception so that beautiful things no longer seem so.
SN 8.5: Well-Spoken Words
The Buddha gives a simple teaching on four qualities of good speech. Vaṅgīsa is inspired to utter a more elaborate set of verses on the topic, praising especially the speech of the Buddha that leads to the Deathless.
SN 8.6: With Sāriputta
Seeing Sāriputta speak on the Dhamma, and the rapt attention of the Saṅgha, Vaṅgīsa comes out with verses in his praise.
SN 8.7: The Invitation to Admonish
On the Pavāraṇā day at the end of the rains retreat, the Buddha invites the Saṅgha to admonish him. But not only is the Buddha faultless, so are all the 500 monks present. Vaṅgīsa is inspired to utter a elaborate praise of the Buddha.
SN 8.8: Over a Thousand
Seeing the Buddha speak on the Dhamma, and the rapt attention of the Saṅgha, Vaṅgīsa comes out with verses in his praise. When asked if the verses were spontaneous, he replies that they were, and the Buddha invites him to speak further.
SN 8.9: With Koṇḍañña
Aññā Koṇḍañña, the very first disciple to realize the Dhamma, comes to visit the Buddha after long in seclusion. Inspired, Vaṅgīsa speaks verses in his praise.
SN 8.10: With Moggallāna
Vaṅgīsa speaks in praise of Moggallāna and the Saṅgha.
SN 8.11: At Gaggarā
Vaṅgīsa says the Buddha, like the moon or the sun, outshines the whole world.
SN 8.12: With Vaṅgīsa
Remembering his past as a wandering poet, Vaṅgīsa celebrates the freedom he has found in the Dhamma
SN 9.1: Seclusion
A monk in the forest lets his mind drift to thoughts of the lay life, but is warned by a local deity.
SN 9.2: Application
When a mendicant falls asleep in the middle of the day, a deity tries to rouse them up. But not all is at it seems.
SN 9.3: With Kassapagotta
A monk named Kassapagotta encounters a hunter in the forest and tries to dissuade him from his violent purpose. But a deity warns him not to waste his time.
SN 9.4: Several Mendicants Set Out Wandering
When a group of mendicants leave the forest in which they had been staying, the local deities lament their absence.
SN 9.5: With Ānanda
A deity warns Ānanda about getting too involved with teaching lay folk.
SN 9.6: With Anuruddha
A former partner of Venerable Anuruddha, now a deity named Jālinī, tries to tempt him with heavenly pleasures. But he has seen a higher happiness.
SN 9.7: With Nāgadatta
When Venerable Nāgadatta spends too much time in the village, a deity admonishes him.
SN 9.8: The Mistress of the House
A deity becomes concerned of the gossip about a certain monk who had become close with a family in the village. Taking the form of one of the women of the family, she tries to warn him; but he says a true practitioner is not concerned with gossip.
SN 9.9: A Vajji
Hearing the sounds of a city festival, a mendicant feels lonely in the forest. A deity comes to give them solace and support.
SN 9.10: Recitation
When a mendicant gives up their habit of reciting the texts, a deity questions them. But it seems they have now found peace.
SN 9.11: Unskillful Thoughts
A mendicant plagued by bad thoughts is encouraged by a deity.
SN 9.12: Midday
A deity speaks of the fearfulness of the murmuring forest. But to a mendicant it seems delightful.
SN 9.13: Undisciplined Faculties
A group of mendicants in the forest had fallen into bad ways, becoming conceited and confused. A deity came to admonish them, making clear that they were only speaking of the badly behaved, not all mendicants.
SN 9.14: The Thief of Scent
A mendicant takes a bath in a pond and sniffs a lotus. A deity accuses him of being a “thief of scent”. For a person living a life of purity, even such a small matter is a cause for concern
SN 10.1: With Indaka
A local spirit asks the Buddha how a body is produced if there is no soul.
SN 10.2: Sakka In Name Only
A spirit tells the Buddha that if he is truly free he should not be instructing others.
SN 10.3: With Spiky
The spirits Khara and Sūciloma argue about whether the Buddha is a true ascetic or not. They approach him initially with threats, but then ask as to the origin of greed and hate.
SN 10.4: With Maṇibhadda
The spirit Maṇibhadda speaks in praise of mindfulness, opining that a mindful one is free of hate. The Buddha responds that yes, mindfulness is wonderful, but only through developing love is one free of hate.
SN 10.5: With Sānu
It seems that the novice Sānu had returned to his home intending to disrobe. To prevent him, a spirit possessed him, encouraging him to pursue the path of good. Sānu’s mother, weeping for her son, also tries to make him stay in robes.
SN 10.6: With Piyaṅkara
A female spirit hushes her son Piyaṅkara so she can hear the teaching and pursue harmlessness.
SN 10.7: With Punabbasu
A female spirit hushes her children as she listens to the teaching. But her son Punabbasu says that he had not been talking, as he too wants to learn.
SN 10.8: With Sudatta
When Anāthapiṇḍika heard that a Buddha had arisen in the world, he rose first thing in the morning to go and visit him. But a mysterious darkness caused him to hesitate, so a spirit repeatedly encouraged him to step forward. Finally he reached the Buddha, and asked if he had slept well.
SN 10.9: With the Nun Sukkā (1st)
A spirit was full of faith in the nun Sukkā, so he went about the towns and villages encouraging people to listen to her teaching.
SN 10.10: With the Nun Sukkā (2nd)
A spirit was full of faith in the nun Sukkā, so he went about the towns and villages singing the benefits of giving her offerings.
SN 10.11: With the Nun Cīrā
A spirit was full of faith in the nun Cirā, so he went about the towns and villages singing the benefits of giving her offerings.
SN 10.12: With Āḷavaka
The famous story of the spirit Āḷavaka, who tries to bully the Buddha, but is soon persuaded through a surprisingly insightful series of questions and answers. This discourse provided the background for several elaborate legends in the later traditions
SN 11.1: With Suvīra
When Sakka, the Lord of Gods, tries to organize a counterattack against the demons, he is frustrated by his lazy general Suvīra. Sakka asks Suvīra how one might get what one wants without effort; but Suvīra apparently believes Sakka can grant any wish he wants. The Buddha emphasizes that if effort is valuable among the gods, how much more so for mendicants.
SN 11.2: With Susīma
When Sakka, the Lord of Gods, tries to organize a conterattack against the demons, he is frustrated by his lazy general Susīma. Sakka asks Susīma how one might get what one wants without effort; but Susīma apparently believes Sakka can grant any wish he wants. The Buddha emphasizes that if effort is valuable among the gods, how much more so for mendicants.
SN 11.3: The Banner’s Crest
Sakka rallies his troops with the sight of his banner. But the Buddha points out that the deities, powerful as they are, are not free of fear, but he is. He encourages the mendicants to recollect the Triple Gem to abandon fear.
SN 11.4: With Vepacitti
In a battle between the gods and the demons, and the demon lord Vepacitti is captured and brought in chains to Sakka’s hall. Vepacitti abuses Sakka, who endures his harsh words in patience. The charioteer Mātali asks whether he is silent out of weakness or fear, but Sakka says there is no point is wasting words arguing with a fool.
SN 11.5: Victory by Good Speech
The demon lord Vepacitti proposes to Sakka that they engage in a battle of wits in debate rather than war. Vepacitti speaks in praise of forceful punishment, while Sakka stands up for patience and forgiveness.
SN 11.6: Bird Nests
Fleeing the demon host, Sakka’s chariot risks endangering the nests of little birds in the forest. Rather than render the birds homeless, Sakka instructs his charioteer to turn back, even at the cost of his life.
SN 11.7: Not Betray
Sakka reflects that one should not harm even one’s enemy. Knowing this, Vepacitti immediately takes advantage of it.
SN 11.8: Verocana, Lord of Titans
Sakka, lord of gods, and Verocana, lord of demons, approach the Buddha’s hut and speak in praise of effort.
SN 11.9: Seers in the Wilderness
In days gone by, Sakka, lord of gods, and Vepacitti, lord of demons, visited a hermitage of seers. But Vepacitti behaves rudely, while Sakka honors them. However, the seers beg Sakka to leave, on account of the stink of their unwashed bodies. But he says he loves their smell.
SN 11.10: Seers by the Ocean
In the past, when battle between the gods and demons loomed, some seers sought out the demon lord Sambara to beg for protection. But due to their devotion to Sakka, he rejected them, so they cursed him.
SN 11.11: Vows
Sakka achieved his status because of seven vows he kept in the past.
SN 11.12: Sakka’s Names
Sakka’s many names arose due to the diverse good deeds he did in the past.
SN 11.13: With Mahāli
Mahāli the Licchavi is skeptical as to whether the Buddha has really seen Sakka.
SN 11.14: Poor
The gods complain when a poor man is reborn in heaven. But Sakka points out that even though poor, he did many good deeds.
SN 11.15: Delightful
When Sakka asks what place is truly delightful, the Buddha replies that it is wherever the perfected ones dwell.
SN 11.16: Sponsoring Sacrifice
When Sakka asks where a gift is most fruitful, the Buddha replies that it is the Saṅgha.
SN 11.17: Homage to the Buddha
Sakka and Brahmā Sahampati come to the Buddha’s hut and speak in his praise.
SN 11.18: Who Sakka Worships
When Sakka sets out on a pleasure jaunt, he begins by lifting his joined palms to the four quarters . His charioteer Mātali points out that Sakka is venerated by gods and men, and asks who he is venerating. Sakka replies that he venerates both well-practiced mendicants as well as virtuous lay folk.
SN 11.19: Who Sakka Worships
When Sakka sets out on a pleasure jaunt, he begins by lifting his joined palms to the Buddha. His charioteer Mātali points out that Sakka is venerated by gods and men, and asks who he is venerating. Sakka replies that he venerates the Buddha, the perfected mendicants as well as trainees on the path.
SN 11.20: Who Sakka Worships
When Sakka sets out on a pleasure jaunt, he begins by lifting his joined palms to the Saṅgha of mendicants. His charioteer Mātal asks why Sakka venerates smelly mendicants. Sakka replies that he venerates them for their renunciation and peacefulness.
SN 11.21: Slain
Anger is the only thing whose slaying the Buddha commends.
SN 11.22: Ugly
When an ugly spirit takes Sakka’s throne, the gods were outraged. But the more they complained, the prettier he became. Sakka realized this was the so-called “anger eating spirit”, and treated him with kindness and respect.
SN 11.23: The Sambari Sorcery
When Vepacitti fell ill, Sakka visited his old adversary, who begged to be cured. But Sakka demanded to be taught a powerful magic spell first.
SN 11.24: Transgression
When two mendicants have a falling out, the Buddha recalls the wise words of Sakka on not letting anger ruin friendship.
SN 11.25: Don’t Be Angry
The Buddha recalls the words of Sakka warning of how anger crushes people like an avalanche
SN 12.1: Dependent Origination
The famous twelve links of dependent origination are spelled out, showing the origin and cessation of suffering dependent on ignorance.
SN 12.2: Analysis of Dependent Origination
12 links of dependent origination from ignorance to aging-and-death.
SN 12.2: Analysis
The Buddha gives definitions for each of the twelve links. These are general definitions that apply wherever the twelve links are mentioned.
SN 12.3: Practice
The origin of suffering is the wrong way, the end is the right way.
SN 12.4: About Vipassī
In the far past, the Buddha Vipassī reflected on how the world had fallen into suffering, and became awakened by understanding dependent origination.
SN 12.5: Sikhī
In the far past, the Buddha Sikhī reflected on how the world had fallen into suffering, and became awakened by understanding dependent origination.
SN 12.6: Vessabhū
In the far past, the Buddha Vessabhū reflected on how the world had fallen into suffering, and became awakened by understanding dependent origination.
SN 12.7: Kakusandha
In the far past, the Buddha Kakusandha reflected on how the world had fallen into suffering, and became awakened by understanding dependent origination.
SN 12.8: Koṇāgamana
In the far past, the Buddha Koṇāgamana reflected on how the world had fallen into suffering, and became awakened by understanding dependent origination.
SN 12.9: Kassapa
In the far past, the Buddha Kassapa reflected on how the world had fallen into suffering, and became awakened by understanding dependent origination.
SN 12.10: Gotama
The current Buddha Gotama, reflecting on how the world had fallen into suffering, became awakened by understanding dependent origination.
SN 12.11: Fuel
The Buddha defines the four kinds of “food” or “nutriment”, which include edible food, contact, intention, and consciousness. These are all produced by craving, and hence connect with dependent origination.
SN 12.12: Phagguna of the Top-Knot
Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna asks who eats the consciousness food. The Buddha says the question is improper, as it assumes a self as agent. Rather, all the factors of dependent origination are simply natural conditions and have nothing to do with a “self”.
SN 12.13: Ascetics and Brahmins
One who does not understand dependent origination is no true ascetic.
SN 12.14: Ascetics and Brahmins (2nd)
One who does not understand dependent origination is no true ascetic.
SN 12.15: Kaccānagotta
Venerable Kaccānagotta asks the Buddha about right view, and the Buddha answers that right view arises when one sees the origin and cessation of the world and is free of attachments. This sutta, brief but profound and difficult, became renowned as the only canonical reference named in Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, perhaps the most famous philosophical treatise in all Buddhism.
SN 12.16: A Dhamma Speaker
One is qualified to be called a “Dhamma speaker” if one teaches for the ending of suffering.
SN 12.17: With Kassapa, the Naked Ascetic
A naked ascetic named Kassapa approaches the Buddha while he is on alms round and asks whether suffering is created by oneself, by another, by both, or by chance. Explaining why he rejects all these options, the Buddha asserts that suffering arises due to conditions.
SN 12.18: With Timbaruka
A wanderer named Timbaruka asks the Buddha whether pleasure and pain are created by oneself, by another, by both, or by chance. Explaining why he rejects all these options, the Buddha asserts that pleasure and pain arise due to conditions.
SN 12.19: The Astute and the Foolish
Both the wise and the foolish have been reborn in this life due to their deeds conditioned by ignorance in past lives. But a fool continues to make the same mistakes and is reborn yet again, whereas a wise person does not.
SN 12.20: Conditions
The Buddha distinguishes between “dependently originated phenomena”—the twelve factors—and “dependent origination”—the principle of conditionality. Someone who understands these things no longer worries about the past or future.
SN 12.21: The Ten Powers
The Buddha’s teaching rests on his possession of ten powers and four grounds for self-confidence.
SN 12.22: The Ten Powers (2nd)
The Buddha’s teaching rests on his possession of ten powers and four grounds for self-confidence. When hearing such an open teaching, a mendicant puts forth great effort, considering the good for both themselves and for others.
SN 12.23: Vital Conditions
The ending of defilements comes only when the truth is seen. But seeing the truth comes about due to a vital condition. In this way, twelve factors leading to freedom are united with the twelve factors leading to suffering.
SN 12.24: Followers of Other Religions
Sāriputta is asked by various ascetics as to the origin of suffering. He replies that the Buddha teaches that suffering originates by conditions. Moreover, all those who offer opinions as to the source of suffering are themselves part of the web of conditions, as they cannot state their views without contact. Ānanda reports the exchange to the Buddha, who praises Sāriputta’s answer.
SN 12.25: With Bhūmija
Sāriputta is asked by Venerable Bhūmija as to the origin of pleasure and pain. He replies that the Buddha teaches that pleasure and pain originate by conditions. Moreover, all those who offer opinions on this question are themselves part of the web of conditions, as they cannot state their views without contact. Ānanda reports the exchange to the Buddha, who praises Sāriputta’s answer.
SN 12.26: With Upavāṇa
The Buddha is asked by Venerable Upavāṇa as to the origin of suffering. He replies that suffering originates by conditions. Moreover, all those who offer opinions as to the source of suffering are themselves part of the web of conditions, as they cannot state their views without contact.
SN 12.27: Dependency
Dependent origination is framed within the four noble truths.
SN 12.28: A Mendicant
A mendicant who understands dependent origination is a trainee who is accomplished in view.