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← Saṃyutta Nikāya

The Simile of Hands and Feet (1st)

SN 35.236 · Paṭhamahatthapādopamasutta

Three Himalayan summits above a wide Tibetan valley.

“Mendicants, when there are hands, picking up and putting down are found. When there are feet, coming and going are found. When there are joints, contracting and extending are found. When there’s a belly, hunger and thirst are found.

In the same way, when there’s an eye, pleasure and pain arise internally conditioned by eye contact. When there’s an ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, pleasure and pain arise internally conditioned by mind contact.

When there are no hands, picking up and putting down aren’t found. When there are no feet, coming and going aren’t found. When there are no joints, contracting and extending aren’t found. When there’s no belly, hunger and thirst aren’t found.

In the same way, when there’s no eye, pleasure and pain don’t arise internally conditioned by eye contact. When there’s no ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, pleasure and pain don’t arise internally conditioned by mind contact.”

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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.