Seclusion

SN 9.1 · Vivekasutta

Tiny meadow blossoms among softly lit grasses.

So I have heard. At one time one of the mendicants was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.

Now at that time that mendicant, during their day’s meditation, was thinking bad, unskillful thoughts to do with the domestic life. The deity haunting that forest had sympathy for that mendicant, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that mendicant wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:

“You entered the woods desiring seclusion, yet your mind strays to outward things. As a person, dispel the desire for people; then you’ll be happy, free of greed.
Give up discontent; be mindful; let us remind you to be mindful. The dusty abyss is so hard to cross; don’t let sensual dust drag you down.
Just as a bird strewn with dirt sheds that clingy dust with a shake; so too, an energetic, mindful mendicant sheds that clingy dust with a shake.”

Impelled by that deity, that mendicant was struck with a sense of urgency.

Connections

Collection & context

Saṃyutta NikāyaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition
Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology

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.