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← Saṃyutta Nikāya

Shackles

SN 22.117 · Bandhanasutta

Small amber embers glow between dry twigs on dark earth.

At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, take an unlearned ordinary person who has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons. They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They’re called an unlearned ordinary person who is bound to form, inside and out. They see neither the near shore nor the far shore. They’re born in bonds and die in bonds, and in bonds they go from this world to the next.

They regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self. They’re called an unlearned ordinary person who is bound to consciousness, inside and out. They see neither the near shore nor the far shore. They’re born in bonds and die in bonds, and in bonds they go from this world to the next.

A learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons. They don’t regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They’re called a learned noble disciple who is not bound to form, inside or out. They see the near shore and the far shore. They’re free from suffering, I say.

They don’t regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self. They’re called a learned noble disciple who is not bound to consciousness, inside or out. They see the near shore and the far shore. They’re free from suffering, I say.”

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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.