Yoked to Sensual Pleasures

Iti 96 · Kāmayogasutta

A slender woodland snake rests among fallen leaves and roots.

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“Mendicants, one yoked to both sensual pleasures and rebirth is a returner, who comes back to this place. One unyoked from sensual pleasures but still yoked to rebirth is a non-returner, who comes not back to this place. One unyoked from both sensual pleasures and rebirth is a perfected one, who has ended defilements.”

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

“Yoked to both sensual pleasures and the desire to be reborn in a future life; sentient beings continue to transmigrate, with ongoing birth and death.
Those who’ve given up sensual pleasures without attaining the end of defilements, and are still yoked to being reborn, are said to be non-returners.
Those who have cut off doubt, and ended conceit and future lives, they’re the ones in this world who’ve truly crossed over, having reached the ending of defilements.”

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

Connections

Collection & context

ItivuttakaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.