Skip to reading
← Saṃyutta Nikāya

Turbulence (2nd)

SN 35.91 · Dutiyaejāsutta

A sheltered meadow beside a quiet mountain tarn.

“Mendicants, turbulence is a disease, a boil, a dart. That’s why the Realized One lives unperturbed, with dart drawn out.

Now, a mendicant might wish: ‘May I live unperturbed, with dart drawn out.’

So let them not conceive anything to be the eye, let them not conceive it in the eye, let them not conceive it as the eye, let them not conceive that ‘the eye is mine.’ Let them not conceive sights … eye consciousness … eye contact … Let them not conceive anything to be the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact. Let them not conceive it in that, let them not conceive it as that, and let them not conceive that ‘that is mine.’ For whatever you conceive it to be, whatever you conceive it in, whatever you conceive it as, and whatever you conceive to be ‘mine’: that becomes something else. The world is attached to being, taking pleasure only in being, yet it becomes something else.

Let them not conceive anything to be the ear … nose … tongue … body …

Let them not conceive anything to be the mind … mind consciousness … mind contact … Let them not conceive anything to be the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact. Let them not conceive it in that, let them not conceive it as that, and let them not conceive that ‘that is mine.’ For whatever you conceive it to be, whatever you conceive it in, whatever you conceive it as, and whatever you conceive to be ‘mine’: that becomes something else. The world is attached to being, taking pleasure only in being, yet it becomes something else.

As far as the aggregates, elements, and sense fields extend, they don’t conceive anything to be that, they don’t conceive it in that, they don’t conceive it as that, and they don’t conceive that ‘that is mine.’

Not conceiving, they don’t grasp at anything in the world. Not grasping, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”

Connections

Collection & context

Books

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.