Tiracchānakathāsutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 56.10

Linked Discourses 56.10

1. Samādhivagga

1. Immersion

Tiracchānakathāsutta

Low Talk

“Mā, bhikkhave, anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ katheyyātha, seyyathidaṁ—

“Mendicants, don’t engage in all kinds of low talk, such as

rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ mahāmattakathaṁ senākathaṁ, bhayakathaṁ yuddhakathaṁ, annakathaṁ pānakathaṁ vatthakathaṁ sayanakathaṁ mālākathaṁ gandhakathaṁ, ñātikathaṁ yānakathaṁ gāmakathaṁ nigamakathaṁ nagarakathaṁ janapadakathaṁ itthikathaṁ sūrakathaṁ visikhākathaṁ kumbhaṭṭhānakathaṁ, pubbapetakathaṁ nānattakathaṁ, lokakkhāyikaṁ samuddakkhāyikaṁ itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vā.

talk about kings, bandits, and chief ministers; talk about armies, threats, and wars; talk about food, drink, clothes, and beds; talk about garlands and fragrances; talk about family, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries; talk about women and heroes; talk at the street market and the place for water pots; talk about the departed; motley talk; tales of land and sea; and talk about being reborn in this or that place.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Nesā, bhikkhave, kathā atthasaṁhitā nādibrahmacariyakā na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati.

Because those discussions aren’t beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They don’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.

Kathentā ca kho tumhe, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti katheyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti katheyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti katheyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti katheyyātha.

When you discuss, you should discuss: ‘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’. …

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Esā, bhikkhave, kathā atthasaṁhitā, esā ādibrahmacariyakā, esā nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati.

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

That’s why you should practice meditation …”

Dasamaṁ.

Samādhivaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Samādhi paṭisallānā,

kulaputtā apare duve;

Samaṇabrāhmaṇā vitakkaṁ,

cintā viggāhikā kathāti.