With Verses

SN 17.10 · Sagāthakasutta

Tiny fern shoots and water droplets beside a clear woodland spring.

At Sāvatthī.

“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim …

Take a case where I see a certain individual whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by honor. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

Take another case where I see a certain individual whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by lack of honor. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

And take another case where I see a certain individual whose mind is overcome and overwhelmed by both honor and lack of honor. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”

That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Whether they’re honored or not honored, or both, their immersion doesn’t waver as they abide in the immeasurables.
They persistently meditate with subtle view and discernment. Rejoicing in the ending of grasping, they’re said to be a true person.”

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.