Abbr. selections from SN56

SN56:1 (SA428): Savatthi, bhikkhus

"Develop concentration. A bhikkhu who is concentrated understands things as they really are.

"He understands as it really is: "This is suffering. This is the origin of suffering. This is the cessation of suffering. This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering."

 

SN56:8 (SA408): Savatthi, bhikkhus

"Do not reflect: 'The world is / is not eternal'; or 'The world is finite / infinite'; 'The soul and the body are the same / [different]'; 'The Tathagata exists / does not exist / both exists and does not exist / neither exists nor does not exist after death'.

"You should reflect: 'This is suffering'; 'This is the origin of suffering'; 'This is the cessation of suffering'; 'This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering'. Because this reflection is beneficial, relevant to the fundamentals of the holy life, and leads to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.

"Therefore, an exertion should be made to understand: 'This is suffering ... the way leading to the cessation of suffering'." 

 

SN56:11 (SA379): Baranasi, 5 bhikkhus

"'This is the noble truth of suffering', 'This noble truth of suffering is to be fully understood', 'This noble truth of suffering has been fully understood', 'This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering', 'This noble truth of the origin of suffering is to be abandoned', 'This noble truth of the origin of suffering has been abandoned', 'This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering', 'This noble truth of the cessation of suffering is to be realized', 'This noble truth of the cessation of suffering has been realized', 'This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering', 'This noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering is to be developed', 'This noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering has been developed': thus in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge in this world: 'This is my last birth.'" 

 

SN56:21 (SA403): Kotigama, bhikkhus

"You and I have roamed and wandered through this long course of samsara.

"That noble truth of suffering, that noble truth of the origin of suffering, that noble truth of the cessation of suffering, that noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering has been understood and penetrated. Craving for existence has been cut off; the conduit of existence has been destroyed; there is no more renewed existence."

 

SN56:22 (SA390/392): Kotigama, bhikkhus

"Those ascetics who understand these things: these I consider to be ascetics among ascetics." 

 

SN56:31 (SA404): Kosambi, bhikkhus

"The things I have directly known but have not taught you are numerous, while the things I have taught you are few. Why have I taught this? Because this is beneficial, relevant to the fundamentals of the holy life, and leads to direct knowledge. to enlightenment, to Nibbana."

 

SN56:42 (SA421): Rajagaha, a bhikkhu

"Those who do not understand as it really is: 'This is suffering ... This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering'--they delight in volitional formations, generate volitional formations that lead to birth, aging, death, lamentation, pain, displeasure, despair. They tumble down the precipice of birth ... despair."

 

SN56:45 (SA405): Vesali, Ananda

"[It is] difficult to pierce with arrowhead the tip of a hair split into strands. But they pierce something even more difficult to pierce as it really is: 'This is suffering ... This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering."

 

SN56:47 (SA406): Savatthi, bhikkhus

"Sooner would the blind turtle coming to the surface once every hundred years, insert its neck into the yoke with a single hole than the fool who has gone once to the nether world would regain the human state. Because there is no conduct guided by Dhamma, no righteous conduct, no wholesome activity, no meritorious activity. There prevails mutual devouring, the devouring of the weak."

 

SN56:52 (SA440): Savatthi, bhikkhus

"Venerable sir, compared to the water in the pond, the water drawn out on the tip of the blade of kusa grass is not calculable, does not bear comparison, does not amount even to a fraction."

"So, for a noble disciple, a person accomplished in view who has made the breakthrough, the suffering that has been destroyed and eliminated is more, while that which remains is trifling."

 

========================================

 

(SA406/SN56:47, 12字) 愚癡凡夫，漂流五趣，復人身難

(SA408/ SN56:8，54字) 汝等應如是論議：『此苦聖諦、此苦集聖諦、此苦滅聖諦、此苦滅道跡聖諦。』如是論議，梵行饒益、正智正覺、正向涅槃。是故於四聖諦，當勤方便。

 

(SA440/SN56：52，4字) 見諦斷苦。