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Linked Discourses 15.1 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 15.1

Chapter One – 1. Paṭhamavagga

SN 15.1 Grass and Sticks – Tiṇakaṭṭhasutta

 

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

There the Buddha addressed the bhikkhū,

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Bhikkhū!”

“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

The Buddha said this:

Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Bhikkhū, transmigration has no known beginning.

“Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.

No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving.

Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ.

Suppose a person was to strip all the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in India, gather them together into one pile, and chop them each into four inch pieces. They’d lay them down, saying:

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso yaṁ imasmiṁ jambudīpe tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ taṁ chetvā ekajjhaṁ saṁharitvā caturaṅgulaṁ caturaṅgulaṁ ghaṭikaṁ katvā nikkhipeyya:

‘This is my mother, this is my grandmother.’ The grass, sticks, branches, and leaves of India would run out before that person’s mothers and grandmothers.

‘ayaṁ me mātā, tassā me mātu ayaṁ mātā’ti, apariyādinnāva, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa mātumātaro assu, atha imasmiṁ jambudīpe tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya.

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Transmigration has no known beginning.

Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.

No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving.

Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ.

For such a long time you have undergone suffering, agony, and disaster, swelling the cemeteries.

Evaṁ dīgharattaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ tibbaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ byasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ, kaṭasī vaḍḍhitā.

This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ alaṁ virajjituṁ alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.