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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN45: Connected Discourses on the Path

SN45:9 The Spike

1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, suppose a spike of rice or a spike of barley were wrongly directed and were pressed upon by the hand or the foot. That it could pierce the hand or the foot and draw blood: this is impossible. For what reason? Because the spike is wrongly directed. So too, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu with a wrongly directed view, with a wrongly directed development of the path, could pierce ignorance, arouse true knowledge, and realize Nibbāna: this is impossible. For what reason? Because his view is wrongly directed.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. "Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sālisūkaṁ vā yavasūkaṁ vā micchāpaṇihitaṁ hatthena vā pādena vā akkantaṁ hatthaṁ vā pādaṁ vā bhindissati, lohitaṁ vā uppādessatīti – netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Micchāpaṇihitattā, bhikkhave, sūkassa. Evameva kho, bhikkhave, so vata bhikkhu micchāpaṇihitāya diṭṭhiyā micchāpaṇihitāya maggabhāvanāya avijjāṁ bhindissati, vijjāṁ uppādessati, nibbānaṁ sacchikarissatīti – netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Micchāpaṇihitattā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā.

2"Bhikkhus, suppose a spike of rice or a spike of barley were rightly directed and were pressed upon by the hand or the foot. That it could pierce the hand or the foot and draw blood: this is possible. For what reason? Because the spike is rightly directed. sn.v.11 So too, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu with a rightly directed view, with a rightly directed development of the path, could pierce ignorance, arouse true knowledge, and realize Nibbāna: this is possible. For what reason? Because his view is rightly directed.

2Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sālisūkaṁ vā yavasūkaṁ vā sammāpaṇihitaṁ hatthena vā pādena vā akkantaṁ hatthaṁ vā pādaṁ vā bhindissati, lohitaṁ vā uppādessatīti – ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Sammāpaṇihitattā, bhikkhave, sūkassa. Evameva kho, bhikkhave, so vata bhikkhu sammāpaṇihitāya diṭṭhiyā sammāpaṇihitāya maggabhāvanāya avijjāṁ bhindissati, vijjāṁ uppādessati, nibbānaṁ sacchikarissatīti – ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Sammāpaṇihitattā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā.

3"And how does a bhikkhu do so? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops … right concentration, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release.

3Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammāpaṇihitāya diṭṭhiyā sammāpaṇihitāya maggabhāvanāya avijjāṁ bhindati, vijjāṁ uppādeti, nibbānaṁ sacchikarotīti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ … pe … sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.

"It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu with a rightly directed view, with a rightly directed development of the path, pierces ignorance, arouses true knowledge, and realizes Nibbāna."

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammāpaṇihitāya diṭṭhiyā sammāpaṇihitāya maggabhāvanāya avijjāṁ bhindati, vijjāṁ uppādeti, nibbānaṁ sacchikarotī"ti.

Navamaṁ.