The Samyutta Nikaya
The Grouped Discourses
Samyutta
Nikaya
XII.70
Susima
Sutta
About
Susima
Translated
from
the
Pali
by
Thanissaro
Bhikkhu
Translator's
note:
This
discourse
is
sometimes
cited
as
proof
that
a
meditator
can
attain
Awakening
(final
gnosis)
without
having
practiced
the
jhanas,
but
a
close
reading
shows
that
it
does
not
support
this
assertion
at
all.
The
new
arahants
mentioned
here
do
not
deny
that
they
have
attained
any
of
the
four
"form"
jhanas
that
make
up
the
definition
of
right
concentration.
Instead,
they
simply
deny
that
they
have
acquired
any
psychic
powers
or
that
they
remain
in
physical
contact
with
the
higher
levels
of
concentration,
"the
formless
states
beyond
forms."
In
this,
their
definition
of
"release
through
discernment"
is
no
different
from
that
given
in
AN
IX.44
(compare
this
with
the
definitions
for
"bodily
witness"
and
"released
in
both
ways"
given
in
AN
IX.43
and
AN
IX.45).
Taken
in
the
context
of
the
Buddha's
many
other
teachings
on
right
concentration,
there's
every
reason
to
believe
that
the
new
arahants
mentioned
in
this
discourse
had
reached
at
least
the
first
jhana
before
attaining
Awakening.
I
have
heard
that
on
one
occasion
the
Blessed
One
was
staying
near
Rajagaha
in
the
Bamboo
Grove,
the
squirrels'
sanctuary.
Now
at
that
time
the
Blessed
One
was
worshipped,
revered,
honored,
venerated,
given
homage
--
a
recipient
of
robes,
almsfood,
lodgings,
&
medical
requisites
for
the
sick.
The
community
of
monks
was
also
worshipped,
revered,
honored,
venerated,
given
homage
--
a
recipient
of
robes,
almsfood,
lodgings,
&
medical
requisites
for
the
sick.
But
the
wanderers
of
other
sects
were
not
worshipped,
revered,
honored,
venerated,
or
given
homage,
nor
were
they
recipients
of
robes,
almsfood,
lodgings,
or
medical
requisites
for
the
sick.
Now
at
that
time
Susima
the
wanderer
was
living
in
Rajagaha
with
a
large
following
of
wanderers.
And
so
Susima's
following
of
wanderers
said
to
him,
"Come
now,
friend
Susima.
Go
live
the
holy
life
under
Gotama
the
contemplative.
When
you
have
completely
mastered
the
Dhamma,
tell
it
to
us;
when
we
have
completely
mastered
it,
we
will
teach
it
to
householders
and
then
we,
too,
will
be
worshipped,
revered,
honored,
venerated,
given
homage;
we
too
will
become
recipients
of
robes,
almsfood,
lodgings,
&
medical
requisites
for
the
sick."
Responding,
"As
you
say,
friends,"
to
his
own
following,
Susima
the
wanderer
went
to
Ven.
Ananda
and,
on
arrival,
exchanged
courteous
greetings
with
him.
After
an
exchange
of
friendly
greetings
&
courtesies,
he
sat
to
one
side.
As
he
was
sitting
there,
he
said
to
Ven.
Ananda,
"Friend
Ananda,
I
want
to
live
the
holy
life
in
this
Dhamma
&
Discipline."
Then
Ven.
Ananda
took
Susima
the
wanderer
to
the
Blessed
One
and,
on
arrival,
having
bowed
down
to
the
Blessed
One,
sat
to
one
side.
As
he
was
sitting
there
he
said
to
the
Blessed
One,
"Lord,
this
wanderer,
Susima,
has
said,
'Friend
Ananda,
I
want
to
live
the
holy
life
in
this
Dhamma
&
Discipline.'"
"Then
in
that
case,
Ananda,
give
him
the
Going
Forth."
So
Susima
the
wanderer
gained
the
Going
Forth
in
the
presence
of
the
Blessed
One,
he
gained
the
Acceptance
(into
the
community
of
monks).
Now
at
that
time
a
large
number
of
monks
had
declared
final
gnosis
in
the
Blessed
One's
presence:
"We
discern
that
'Birth
is
ended,
the
holy
life
fulfilled,
the
task
done.
There
is
nothing
further
for
the
sake
of
this
world.'"
Ven.
Susima
heard
that
"A
large
number
of
monks,
it
seems,
have
declared
final
gnosis
in
the
Blessed
One's
presence:
'We
discern
that
"Birth
is
ended,
the
holy
life
fulfilled,
the
task
done.
There
is
nothing
further
for
the
sake
of
this
world."'"
Then
Ven.
Susima
went
to
those
monks
and,
on
arrival,
exchanged
courteous
greetings
with
them.
After
an
exchange
of
friendly
greetings
&
courtesies,
he
sat
to
one
side.
As
he
was
sitting
there,
he
said
to
them,
"Is
it
true,
as
they
say,
that
you
have
declared
final
gnosis
in
the
Blessed
One's
presence:
'We
discern
that
"Birth
is
ended,
the
holy
life
fulfilled,
the
task
done.
There
is
nothing
further
for
the
sake
of
this
world"'?"
"Yes,
friend."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
do
you
wield
manifold
supranormal
powers?
Having
been
one
you
become
many;
having
been
many
you
become
one?
You
appear?
You
vanish?
You
go
unimpeded
through
walls,
ramparts,
&
mountains
as
if
through
space?
You
dive
in
&
out
of
the
earth
as
if
it
were
water?
You
walk
on
water
without
sinking
as
if
it
were
dry
land?
Sitting
crosslegged
you
fly
through
the
air
like
a
winged
bird?
With
your
hand
you
touch
and
stroke
even
the
sun
&
moon,
so
mighty
&
powerful?
You
exercise
influence
with
your
body
even
as
far
as
the
Brahma
worlds?"
"No,
friend."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
do
you
hear
--
by
means
of
the
divine
ear-element,
purified
&
surpassing
the
human
--
both
kinds
of
sounds:
divine
&
human,
whether
near
or
far?"
"No,
friend."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
do
you
know
the
awareness
of
other
beings,
other
individuals,
having
encompassed
it
with
your
own
awareness?
Do
you
discern
a
mind
with
passion
as
a
mind
with
passion,
and
a
mind
without
passion
as
a
mind
without
passion;
a
mind
with
aversion
as
a
mind
with
aversion,
and
a
mind
without
aversion
as
a
mind
without
aversion;
a
mind
with
delusion
as
a
mind
with
delusion,
and
a
mind
without
delusion
as
a
mind
without
delusion;
a
restricted
mind
as
a
restricted
mind,
and
a
scattered
mind
as
a
scattered
mind;
an
enlarged
mind
as
an
enlarged
mind,
and
an
unenlarged
mind
as
an
unenlarged
mind;an
excelled
mind
[one
that
is
not
on
the
most
excellent
level]
as
an
excelled
mind,
and
an
unexcelled
mind
as
an
unexcelled
mind;
a
concentrated
mind
as
a
concentrated
mind,
and
an
unconcentrated
mind
as
an
unconcentrated
mind;
a
released
mind
as
a
released
mind,
and
an
unreleased
mind
as
an
unreleased
mind?"
"No,
friend."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
do
you
recollect
your
manifold
past
lives
(lit:
previous
homes),
i.e.,
one
birth,
two
births,
three
births,
four,
five,
ten,
twenty,
thirty,
forty,
fifty,
one
hundred,
one
thousand,
one
hundred
thousand
births,
many
aeons
of
cosmic
contraction,
many
aeons
of
cosmic
expansion,
many
aeons
of
cosmic
contraction
&
expansion,
[recollecting],
'There
I
had
such
a
name,
belonged
to
such
a
clan,
had
such
an
appearance.
Such
was
my
food,
such
my
experience
of
pleasure
&
pain,
such
the
end
of
my
life.
Passing
away
from
that
state,
I
re-arose
there.
There
too
I
had
such
a
name,
belonged
to
such
a
clan,
had
such
an
appearance.
Such
was
my
food,
such
my
experience
of
pleasure
&
pain,
such
the
end
of
my
life.
Passing
away
from
that
state,
I
re-arose
here'?"
"No,
friend."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
do
you
see
--
by
means
of
the
divine
eye,
purified
&
surpassing
the
human
--
beings
passing
away
and
re-appearing,
and
do
you
discern
how
they
are
inferior
&
superior,
beautiful
&
ugly,
fortunate
&
unfortunate
in
accordance
with
their
kamma:
'These
beings
--
who
were
endowed
with
bad
conduct
of
body,
speech,
&
mind,
who
reviled
the
noble
ones,
held
wrong
views
and
undertook
actions
under
the
influence
of
wrong
views
--
with
the
break-up
of
the
body,
after
death,
have
re-appeared
in
the
plane
of
deprivation,
the
bad
destination,
the
lower
realms,
in
hell.
But
these
beings
--
who
were
endowed
with
good
conduct
of
body,
speech,
&
mind,
who
did
not
revile
the
noble
ones,
who
held
right
views
and
undertook
actions
under
the
influence
of
right
views
--
with
the
break-up
of
the
body,
after
death,
have
re-appeared
in
the
good
destinations,
in
the
heavenly
world'?"
"No,
friend."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
do
you
dwell
touching
with
your
body
the
peaceful
emancipations,
the
formless
states
beyond
form
[the
formless
jhanas]?"
"No,
friend."
"So
just
now,
friends,
didn't
you
make
that
declaration
without
having
attained
any
of
these
Dhammas?"
"We're
released
through
discernment,
friend
Susima."
"I
don't
understand
the
detailed
meaning
of
your
brief
statement.
It
would
be
good
if
you
would
speak
in
such
a
way
that
I
would
understand
its
detailed
meaning."
"Whether
or
not
you
understand,
friend
Susima,
we
are
still
released
through
discernment."
So
Ven.
Susima
got
up
from
his
seat
and
went
to
the
Blessed
One.
On
arrival,
having
bowed
down
to
the
Blessed
One,
he
sat
to
one
side.
As
he
was
sitting
there,
he
told
the
Blessed
One
the
entire
conversation
he
had
had
with
those
monks.
[The
Blessed
One
said:]
"First,
Susima,
there
is
the
knowledge
of
the
regularity
of
the
Dhamma
[dependent
co-arising],
after
which
there
is
the
knowledge
of
Unbinding."
"I
don't
understand
the
detailed
meaning
of
the
Blessed
One's
brief
statement.
It
would
be
good
if
the
Blessed
One
would
speak
in
such
a
way
that
I
would
understand
its
detailed
meaning."
"Whether
or
not
you
understand,
Susima,
it
is
still
the
case
that
first
there
is
the
knowledge
of
the
regularity
of
the
Dhamma,
after
which
there
is
the
knowledge
of
Unbinding.
"What
do
you
think,
Susima:
Is
form
[any
physical
phenomenon]
constant
or
inconstant?"
--
"Inconstant,
lord."
--
"And
is
that
which
is
inconstant
easeful
or
stressful?"
--
"Stressful,
lord."
--
"And
is
it
fitting
to
regard
what
is
inconstant,
stressful,
subject
to
change
as:
'This
is
mine.
This
is
my
self.
This
is
what
I
am'?"
"No,
lord."
"...Is
feeling
constant
or
inconstant?"
--
"Inconstant,
lord."...
"...Is
perception
constant
or
inconstant?"
--
"Inconstant,
lord."...
"...Are
fabrications
constant
or
inconstant?"
--
"Inconstant,
lord."...
"What
do
you
think,
Susima:
Is
consciousness
constant
or
inconstant?"
--
"Inconstant,
lord."
--
"And
is
that
which
is
inconstant
easeful
or
stressful?"
--
"Stressful,
lord."
--
"And
is
it
fitting
to
regard
what
is
inconstant,
stressful,
subject
to
change
as:
'This
is
mine.
This
is
my
self.
This
is
what
I
am'?"
"No,
lord."
"Thus,
Susima,
any
form
whatsoever
that
is
past,
future,
or
present;
internal
or
external;
blatant
or
subtle;
common
or
sublime;
far
or
near:
every
form
is
to
be
seen
as
it
actually
is
with
right
discernment
as:
'This
is
not
mine.
This
is
not
my
self.
This
is
not
what
I
am.'
"Any
feeling
whatsoever...
"Any
perception
whatsoever...
"Any
fabrications
whatsoever...
"Any
consciousness
whatsoever
that
is
past,
future,
or
present;
internal
or
external;
blatant
or
subtle;
common
or
sublime;
far
or
near:
every
consciousness
is
to
be
seen
as
it
actually
is
with
right
discernment
as:
'This
is
not
mine.
This
is
not
my
self.
This
is
not
what
I
am.'
"Seeing
thus,
the
well-instructed
disciple
of
the
noble
ones
grows
disenchanted
with
form,
disenchanted
with
feeling,
disenchanted
with
perception,
disenchanted
with
fabrications,
disenchanted
with
consciousness.
Disenchanted,
he
becomes
dispassionate.
Through
dispassion,
he
is
fully
released.
With
full
release,
there
is
the
knowledge,
'Fully
released.'
He
discerns
that
'Birth
is
depleted,
the
holy
life
fulfilled,
the
task
done.
There
is
nothing
further
for
this
world.'"
"Susima,
do
you
see
that
from
birth
as
a
requisite
condition
there
is
aging
&
death?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
becoming
as
a
requisite
condition
there
is
birth?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
clinging/sustenance
as
a
requisite
condition
there
is
becoming?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
craving
as
a
requisite
condition
there
is
clinging/sustenance?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
feeling
as
a
requisite
condition
there
is
craving?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
contact
as
a
requisite
condition
there
is
feeling?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
six
sense
media
as
a
requisite
condition
there
is
contact?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
name-&-form
as
a
requisite
condition
there
are
the
six
sense
media?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
consciousness
as
a
requisite
condition
there
is
name-&-form?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
fabrications
as
a
requisite
condition
there
is
consciousness?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
ignorance
as
a
requisite
condition
there
are
fabrications?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Now,
Susima,
do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
birth
there
is
the
cessation
of
aging
&
death?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
becoming
there
is
the
cessation
of
birth?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
clinging/sustenance
there
is
the
cessation
of
becoming?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
craving
there
is
the
cessation
of
clinging/sustenance?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
feeling
there
is
the
cessation
of
craving?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
contact
there
is
the
cessation
of
feeling?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
the
six
sense
media
there
is
the
cessation
of
contact?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
name-&-form
there
is
the
cessation
of
the
six
sense
media?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
consciousness
there
is
the
cessation
of
name-&-form?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
fabrications
there
is
the
cessation
of
consciousness?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Do
you
see
that
from
the
cessation
of
ignorance
there
is
the
cessation
of
fabrications?"
"Yes,
lord."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
Susima,
do
you
wield
manifold
supranormal
powers?
Having
been
one
you
become
many;
having
been
many
you
become
one?
You
appear?
You
vanish?
You
go
unimpeded
through
walls,
ramparts,
&
mountains
as
if
through
space?
You
dive
in
&
out
of
the
earth
as
if
it
were
water?
You
walk
on
water
without
sinking
as
if
it
were
dry
land?
Sitting
crosslegged
you
fly
through
the
air
like
a
winged
bird?
With
your
hand
you
touch
and
stroke
even
the
sun
&
moon,
so
mighty
&
powerful?
You
exercise
influence
with
your
body
even
as
far
as
the
Brahma
worlds?"
"No,
lord."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
Susima,
do
you
hear
--
by
means
of
the
divine
ear-element,
purified
&
surpassing
the
human
--
both
kinds
of
sounds:
divine
&
human,
whether
near
or
far?"
"No,
lord."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
Susima,
do
you
know
the
awareness
of
other
beings,
other
individuals,
having
encompassed
it
with
your
own
awareness?
Do
you
discern
a
mind
with
passion
as
a
mind
with
passion,
and
a
mind
without
passion
as
a
mind
without
passion;
a
mind
with
aversion
as
a
mind
with
aversion,
and
a
mind
without
aversion
as
a
mind
without
aversion;
a
mind
with
delusion
as
a
mind
with
delusion,
and
a
mind
without
delusion
as
a
mind
without
delusion;
a
restricted
mind
as
a
restricted
mind,
and
a
scattered
mind
as
a
scattered
mind;
an
enlarged
mind
as
an
enlarged
mind,
and
an
unenlarged
mind
as
an
unenlarged
mind;an
excelled
mind
[one
that
is
not
on
the
most
excellent
level]
as
an
excelled
mind,
and
an
unexcelled
mind
as
an
unexcelled
mind;
a
concentrated
mind
as
a
concentrated
mind,
and
an
unconcentrated
mind
as
an
unconcentrated
mind;
a
released
mind
as
a
released
mind,
and
an
unreleased
mind
as
an
unreleased
mind?"
"No,
lord."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
Susima,
do
you
recollect
your
manifold
past
lives,
i.e.,
one
birth,
two
births,
three
births,
four,
five,
ten,
twenty,
thirty,
forty,
fifty,
one
hundred,
one
thousand,
one
hundred
thousand
births,
many
aeons
of
cosmic
contraction,
many
aeons
of
cosmic
expansion,
many
aeons
of
cosmic
contraction
&
expansion,
[recollecting],
'There
I
had
such
a
name,
belonged
to
such
a
clan,
had
such
an
appearance.
Such
was
my
food,
such
my
experience
of
pleasure
&
pain,
such
the
end
of
my
life.
Passing
away
from
that
state,
I
re-arose
there.
There
too
I
had
such
a
name,
belonged
to
such
a
clan,
had
such
an
appearance.
Such
was
my
food,
such
my
experience
of
pleasure
&
pain,
such
the
end
of
my
life.
Passing
away
from
that
state,
I
re-arose
here'?"
"No,
lord."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
Susima,
do
you
see
--
by
means
of
the
divine
eye,
purified
&
surpassing
the
human
--
beings
passing
away
and
re-appearing,
and
do
you
discern
how
they
are
inferior
&
superior,
beautiful
&
ugly,
fortunate
&
unfortunate
in
accordance
with
their
kamma:
'These
beings
--
who
were
endowed
with
bad
conduct
of
body,
speech,
&
mind,
who
reviled
the
noble
ones,
held
wrong
views
and
undertook
actions
under
the
influence
of
wrong
views
--
with
the
break-up
of
the
body,
after
death,
have
re-appeared
in
the
plane
of
deprivation,
the
bad
destination,
the
lower
realms,
in
hell.
But
these
beings
--
who
were
endowed
with
good
conduct
of
body,
speech,
&
mind,
who
did
not
revile
the
noble
ones,
who
held
right
views
and
undertook
actions
under
the
influence
of
right
views
--
with
the
break-up
of
the
body,
after
death,
have
re-appeared
in
the
good
destinations,
in
the
heavenly
world'?"
"No,
lord."
"Then,
having
known
thus,
having
seen
thus,
Susima,
do
you
dwell
touching
with
your
body
the
peaceful
emancipations,
the
formless
states
beyond
form?"
"No,
lord."
"So
just
now,
Susima,
didn't
you
make
that
declaration
without
having
attained
any
of
these
Dhammas?"
Then,
throwing
himself
down
with
his
head
at
the
Blessed
One's
feet,
Ven.
Susima
said
to
the
Blessed
One,
"A
transgression
has
overcome
me,
lord,
in
that
I
was
so
foolish,
so
muddle-headed,
&
so
unskilled
as
to
go
forth
as
a
thief
of
the
Dhamma
in
this
well-taught
Dhamma
&
Discipline!
May
the
Blessed
One
please
accept
this
confession
of
my
transgression
as
such,
so
that
I
may
restrain
myself
in
the
future."
"Yes,
Susima,
a
transgression
overcame
you
in
that
you
were
so
foolish,
so
muddle-headed,
&
so
unskilled
as
to
go
forth
as
a
thief
of
the
Dhamma
in
this
well-taught
Dhamma
&
Discipline.
Suppose,
Susima,
that
a
robber,
an
evil-doer,
having
been
caught,
were
shown
to
a
king:
'This,
your
majesty,
is
a
robber,
an
evil-doer.
Decree
what
punishment
you
want
for
him.'
And
so
the
king
would
say,
'Go
and
--
having
bound
him
with
a
stout
rope
with
his
arms
pinned
tightly
against
his
back,
having
shaved
him
bald
--
march
him
to
a
harsh-sounding
drum
from
street
to
street,
crossroads
to
crossroads;
evict
him
out
the
south
gate
of
the
city
and
there,
to
the
south
of
the
city,
cut
off
his
head.'
Then
the
king's
men,
having
bound
the
man
with
a
stout
rope
with
his
arms
pinned
tightly
against
his
back,
would
march
him
from
street
to
street,
crossroads
to
crossroads,
evict
him
out
the
south
gate
of
the
city
and
there,
to
the
south
of
the
city,
cut
off
his
head.
What
do
you
think,
Susima?
Wouldn't
that
man,
for
that
reason,
experience
pain
&
distress?"
"Yes,
lord."
"However
much
the
pain
&
distress
that
man
would
experience
for
that
reason,
Susima,
the
Going
Forth
of
a
thief
of
the
Dhamma
in
this
well-taught
Dhamma
&
Discipline
is
still
more
painful
in
its
result,
more
bitter
in
its
result,
in
that
it
leads
even
to
the
lower
realms.
But
because
you
see
your
transgression
as
such
and
make
amends
in
accordance
with
the
Dhamma,
we
accept
your
confession.
For,
Susima,
it
is
a
cause
of
growth
in
the
Dhamma
&
discipline
of
the
noble
ones
when,
seeing
a
transgression
as
such,
one
makes
amends
in
accordance
with
the
Dhamma
and
exercises
restraint
in
the
future."
---o0o---
[
Back
to
Samyutta Nikaya
contents]
[Next]
---o0o---
| The Sutta Pitaka |
The Vinaya Pitaka
|
the Abhidhamma Pitaka
|
---o0o---
Computer layout:
Nhi Tuong
Update : 01-05-2002
