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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN35: Connected Discourses on the Six Sense Bases

SN35:138 Not Yours (1)[n.144] This sutta and the next are parallel to SN22.33–34, and are more concise variants on SN35.101–2. My title here follows Be; Se entitles them Palāsa, Ee Palāsinā, both meaning "foliage."

1"Bhikkhus, whatever is not yours, abandon it. When you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness. And what is it, bhikkhus, that is not yours? The eye is not yours: abandon it. When you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness. The ear is not yours … sn.iv.129 … The mind is not yours: abandon it. When you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness.

1"Yaṁ, bhikkhave, na tumhākaṁ taṁ pajahatha. Taṁ vo pahīnaṁ hitāya sukhāya bhavissati. Kiñca, bhikkhave, na tumhākaṁ? Cakkhu, bhikkhave, na tumhākaṁ; taṁ pajahatha. Taṁ vo pahīnaṁ hitāya sukhāya bhavissati … pe … jivhā na tumhākaṁ; taṁ pajahatha. Sā vo pahīnā hitāya sukhāya bhavissati … pe … mano na tumhākaṁ; taṁ pajahatha. So vo pahīno hitāya sukhāya bhavissati.

"Suppose, bhikkhus, people were to carry off the grass, sticks, branches, and foliage in this Jeta's Grove, or to burn them, or to do with them as they wish. Would you think: ‘People are carrying us off, or burning us, or doing with us as they wish’?"

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yaṁ imasmiṁ jetavane tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ taṁ jano hareyya vā ḍaheyya vā yathāpaccayaṁ vā kareyya, api nu tumhākaṁ evamassa: ‘amhe jano harati vā ḍahati vā yathāpaccayaṁ vā karotī’"ti?



"No, venerable sir. For what reason? Because, venerable sir, that is neither our self nor what belongs to our self."

"No hetaṁ, bhante". "Taṁ kissa hetu"? "Na hi no etaṁ, bhante, attā vā attaniyaṁ vā"ti.

"So too, bhikkhus, the eye is not yours … The ear … The mind is not yours … When you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness."

"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, cakkhu na tumhākaṁ; taṁ pajahatha. Taṁ vo pahīnaṁ hitāya sukhāya bhavissati … pe … jivhā na tumhākaṁ; taṁ pajahatha. Sā vo pahīnā hitāya sukhāya bhavissati … pe … mano na tumhākaṁ; taṁ pajahatha. So vo pahīno hitāya sukhāya bhavissatī"ti.

Pañcamaṁ.