Linked Discourses 35.23 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.23
3. All – 3. Sabbavagga
SN 35.23 All – Sabbasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
“Bhikkhū, I will teach you the all.
“Sabbaṁ vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi.
Listen …
Taṁ suṇātha.
And what is the all?
Kiñca, bhikkhave, sabbaṁ?
It’s just the eye and sights, the ear and sounds, the nose and smells, the tongue and tastes, the body and touches, and the mind and thoughts.
Cakkhuñceva rūpā ca, sotañca saddā ca, ghānañca gandhā ca, jivhā ca rasā ca, kāyo ca phoṭṭhabbā ca, mano ca dhammā ca—
This is called the all.
idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sabbaṁ.
Bhikkhū, suppose someone was to say:
Yo, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadeyya:
‘I’ll reject this all and describe another all.’ They’d have no grounds for that,
‘ahametaṁ sabbaṁ paccakkhāya aññaṁ sabbaṁ paññāpessāmī’ti, tassa vācāvatthukamevassa;
they’d be stumped by questions, and, in addition, they’d get frustrated.
puṭṭho ca na sampāyeyya, uttariñca vighātaṁ āpajjeyya.
Why is that?
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Because they’re out of their element.”
Yathā taṁ, bhikkhave, avisayasmin”ti.