SN 45-56 The Group of Connected Discourses on the Path – Mahāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 56 Linked Discourses on the Truths – Saccasaṁyutta > SN 56.36 Living Creatures

Linked Discourses 56.36 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 56.36

4. In a Rosewood Forest – 4. Sīsapāvanavagga

SN 56.36 Living Creatures – Pāṇasutta

“Suppose a person was to strip all the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in India, gather them together into one pile,

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso yaṁ imasmiṁ jambudīpe tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ tacchetvā ekajjhaṁ saṁhareyya;

and make them into stakes.

ekajjhaṁ saṁharitvā sūlaṁ kareyya.

Then they’d impale the large creatures in the ocean on large stakes; the medium-sized creatures on medium-sized stakes; and the small creatures on small stakes.

Sūlaṁ karitvā ye mahāsamudde mahantakā pāṇā te mahantakesu sūlesu āvuneyya, ye mahāsamudde majjhimakā pāṇā te majjhimakesu sūlesu āvuneyya, ye mahāsamudde sukhumakā pāṇā te sukhumakesu sūlesu āvuneyya.

They wouldn’t run out of sizable creatures in the ocean before

Apariyādinnā ca, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde oḷārikā pāṇā assu.

using up all the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in India.

Atha imasmiṁ jambudīpe tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya.

There are far more small creatures in the ocean than this, so it wouldn’t be feasible to impale them on stakes.

Ito bahutarā kho, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde sukhumakā pāṇā, ye na sukarā sūlesu āvunituṁ.

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Because of the small size of those life-forms.

Sukhumattā, bhikkhave, attabhāvassa.

That’s how big the plane of loss is.

Evaṁ mahā kho, bhikkhave, apāyo.

A person accomplished in view, exempt from that vast plane of loss, truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

Evaṁ mahantasmā kho, bhikkhave, apāyasmā parimutto diṭṭhisampanno puggalo ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

That’s why you should practice meditation …”

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.