Beginning With the Faithless

SN 14.18 · Assaddhamūlakasutta

A young green shoot growing beneath a mature tree.

At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the faithless with the faithless, the unconscientious with the unconscientious, the witless with the witless, the faithful with the faithful, the conscientious with the conscientious, and the wise with the wise. In the past … In the future …

At present, too, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. …

Sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the faithless with the faithless, the imprudent with the imprudent, the witless with the witless, the faithful with the faithful, the prudent with the prudent, and the wise with the wise.

(The following should be told in full like the first section.)

Sentient beings come together because of an element: the faithless … unlearned … witless … the faithful …

Sentient beings come together because of an element: the faithless … lazy … witless. the faithful … energetic … wise.

Sentient beings come together because of an element: the faithless … unmindful … witless. the faithful … mindful … wise.”

Connections

Collection & context

Saṃyutta NikāyaThe 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

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition

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.