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← Saṃyutta Nikāya

With Tissa

SN 21.9 · Tissasutta

Fresh saplings growing beneath the spreading canopy of an old fig tree.

At Sāvatthī.

Then Venerable Tissa—the Buddha’s cousin on his father’s side—went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. He was miserable and sad, with tears flowing. Then the Buddha said to him:

“Tissa, why are you sitting there so miserable and sad, with tears flowing?”

“Sir, it’s because the mendicants beset me on all sides with sneering and jeering.”

“That’s because you admonish others, but don’t accept admonition yourself. As a gentleman who has gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness, it’s not appropriate for you to admonish others without accepting admonition yourself. It’s appropriate for you to admonish others and accept admonition yourself.”

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

“Why are you angry? Don’t be angry! It’s better to not be angry, Tissa. For this spiritual life is lived in order to remove anger, conceit, and denigration.”

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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.