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← Saṃyutta Nikāya

The Fading Away of Greed

SN 45.41 · Rāgavirāgasutta

Maple leaves and moss beside an old tree trunk.

At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow another religion were to ask you: ‘Reverends, what’s the goal of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?’ You should answer them like this: ‘The goal of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is the fading away of greed.’

If wanderers of other religions were to ask you: ‘Is there a path and a practice for the fading away of greed?’ You should answer them like this: ‘There is a path and a practice for the fading away of greed.’

And what is that path, what is that practice for the fading away of greed? It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is the path, this is the practice for the fading away of greed.

When questioned by wanderers of other religions, that’s how you should answer them.”

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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.