Saṁyojanasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 41.1

Linked Discourses 41.1

1. Cittavagga

1. With Citta

Saṁyojanasutta

The Fetter

Ekaṁ samayaṁ sambahulā therā bhikkhū macchikāsaṇḍe viharanti ambāṭakavane.

At one time several senior mendicants were staying near Macchikāsaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove.

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulānaṁ therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ maṇḍalamāḷe sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:

Now at that time, after the meal, on return from almsround, several senior mendicants sat together in the pavilion and this discussion came up among them:

“‘saṁyojanan’ti vā, āvuso, ‘saṁyojaniyā dhammā’ti vā ime dhammā nānatthā nānābyañjanā udāhu ekatthā byañjanameva nānan”ti?

“Reverends, the ‘fetter’ and the ‘things that tighten the fetters’: do these things differ in both meaning and phrasing? Or do they mean the same thing, and differ only in the phrasing?”

Tatrekaccehi therehi bhikkhūhi evaṁ byākataṁ hoti:

Some senior mendicants answered like this:

“‘saṁyojanan’ti vā, āvuso, ‘saṁyojaniyā dhammā’ti vā ime dhammā nānatthā ceva nānābyañjanā cā”ti.

“Reverends, the ‘fetter’ and the ‘things that tighten the fetters’: these things differ in both meaning and phrasing.”

Ekaccehi therehi bhikkhūhi evaṁ byākataṁ hoti:

But some senior mendicants answered like this:

“‘saṁyojanan’ti vā, āvuso, ‘saṁyojaniyā dhammā’ti vā ime dhammā ekatthā byañjanameva nānan”ti.

“Reverends, the ‘fetter’ and the ‘things that tighten the fetters’ mean the same thing; they differ only in the phrasing.”

Tena kho pana samayena citto gahapati migapathakaṁ anuppatto hoti kenacideva karaṇīyena.

Now at that time the householder Citta had arrived at Migapathaka on some business.

Assosi kho citto gahapati sambahulānaṁ kira therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ maṇḍalamāḷe sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:

He heard about what those senior mendicants were discussing.

“‘saṁyojanan’ti vā, āvuso, ‘saṁyojaniyā dhammā’ti vā ime dhammā nānatthā nānābyañjanā udāhu ekatthā byañjanameva nānan”ti?

Tatrekaccehi therehi bhikkhūhi evaṁ byākataṁ:

“‘saṁyojanan’ti vā, āvuso, ‘saṁyojaniyā dhammā’ti vā ime dhammā nānatthā ceva nānābyañjanā cā”ti.

Ekaccehi therehi bhikkhūhi evaṁ byākataṁ:

“‘saṁyojanan’ti vā, āvuso, ‘saṁyojaniyā dhammā’ti vā ime dhammā ekatthā byañjanameva nānan”ti.

Atha kho citto gahapati yena therā bhikkhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā there bhikkhū abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati there bhikkhū etadavoca:

So he went up to them, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to them,

“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, sambahulānaṁ kira therānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ maṇḍalamāḷe sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:

“Sirs, I heard that you were discussing whether the ‘fetter’ and the ‘things that tighten the fetters’ differ in both meaning and phrasing, or whether they mean the same thing, and differ only in the phrasing.”

‘saṁyojanan’ti vā, āvuso, ‘saṁyojaniyā dhammā’ti vā ime dhammā nānatthā nānābyañjanā udāhu ekatthā byañjanameva nānan”ti?

Ekaccehi therehi bhikkhūhi evaṁ byākataṁ:

“‘saṁyojanan’ti vā, āvuso, ‘saṁyojaniyā dhammā’ti vā ime dhammā nānatthā ceva nānābyañjanā cā”ti.

Ekaccehi therehi bhikkhūhi evaṁ byākataṁ “‘saṁyojanan’ti vā, āvuso, ‘saṁyojaniyā dhammā’ti vā ime dhammā ekatthā byañjanameva nānan”ti.

“Evaṁ, gahapatī”ti.

“That’s right, householder.”

“‘Saṁyojanan’ti vā, bhante, ‘saṁyojaniyā dhammā’ti vā ime dhammā nānatthā ceva nānābyañjanā ca.

“Sirs, the ‘fetter’ and the ‘things that tighten the fetters’: these things differ in both meaning and phrasing.

Tena hi, bhante, upamaṁ vo karissāmi.

Well then, sirs, I shall give you a simile.

Upamāyapidhekacce viññū purisā bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānanti.

For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said.

Seyyathāpi, bhante, kāḷo ca balībaddo odāto ca balībaddo ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā assu.

Suppose there was a black ox and a white ox yoked by a single harness or yoke.

Yo nu kho evaṁ vadeyya:

Would it be right to say that

‘kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanan’ti, sammā nu kho so vadamāno vadeyyā”ti?

the black ox is the yoke of the white ox, or the white ox is the yoke of the black ox?”

“No hetaṁ, gahapati.

“No, householder.

Na kho, gahapati, kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, napi odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ;

The black ox is not the yoke of the white ox, nor is the white ox the yoke of the black ox.

yena kho te ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā taṁ tattha saṁyojanan”ti.

The yoke there is the single harness or yoke that they’re yoked by.”

“Evameva kho, bhante, na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ;

“In the same way, the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye.

yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.

The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.

Na sotaṁ saddānaṁ …

The ear … nose … tongue … body …

na ghānaṁ gandhānaṁ …

na jivhā rasānaṁ …

na kāyo phoṭṭhabbānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na phoṭṭhabbā kāyassa saṁyojanaṁ;

yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.

Na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ;

mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind.

yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanan”ti.

The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.”

“Lābhā te, gahapati, suladdhaṁ te, gahapati,

“You’re fortunate, householder, so very fortunate,

yassa te gambhīre buddhavacane paññācakkhu kamatī”ti.

to traverse the Buddha’s deep teachings with the eye of wisdom.”

Paṭhamaṁ.