Not narrated in this discourse's source text; no discourse in this vagga carries a narrative frame at all
Speakers
Not named explicitly; a three-part riddle answered point by point
Form
A four-line question, nearly identical to SN 1.64's, answered by the same three terms
Length
~20 seconds to read
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — direct in form
A near-twin of SN 1.64
The closest pairing in this vagga so far, differing mainly in vocabulary rather than content
Why this discourse
This discourse asks almost exactly what SN 1.64 asked, immediately before it, replacing ‘fetters’ with ‘binds’ and ‘extinguishment’ with ‘all bonds severed’ in its final line. The answer is the same in substance: delight binds the world, it travels about by means of thought, and giving up craving is what severs every bond.
Reading guide
Two verbs for the same underlying claim
Saṃyojana, ‘fetter,’ and bandhana, ‘bond,’ are close synonyms in Pāli, both describing something that holds a being in place. This discourse's shift in vocabulary from SN 1.64's doesn't introduce new content so much as offer a second word for the identical underlying image.
The same three-part answer, framed differently at its close
Delight still binds the world, thought is still the vehicle of its restless movement, and craving given up is still what accomplishes the resolution — only now framed as the severing of bonds rather than as extinguishment itself. The two framings describe the same event from two related angles: what is achieved (extinguishment) and what happens to what previously held (bonds severed).
The closest pairing yet in this vagga
Where SN 1.62 and SN 1.63 share an identical question but genuinely different answers, and SN 1.55 through SN 1.57 share three lines while varying a fourth, this pair goes further still: nearly every element of both question and answer is shared, with only the surface vocabulary differing between the two discourses.
Key terms
bandhana — “bond” — this discourse's title, a close synonym of SN 1.64's saṃyojana, ‘fetter.’
nandi bandhanaṁ loko — “delight binds the world” — identical in substance to SN 1.64's opening answer, with 'binds' replacing 'fetters.'
vitakkassa vicaraṇaṁ — “it travels about by means of thought” — shared exactly with SN 1.64's second answer.
sabbāni bandhanāni pamuccati — “all bonds are severed” — the closing claim, framing the same resolution SN 1.64 called 'extinguishment' as the loosening of every bond.
taṇhāya vippahānena — “with the giving up of craving” — shared exactly with SN 1.64's closing condition.
The text
The discourse in full: SN 1.64's near-identical companion, framed around bonds rather than fetters. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“What binds the world? How does it travel about? With the giving up of what are all bonds severed?”
§2“Delight binds the world. It travels about by means of thought. With the giving up of craving all bonds are severed.”
· · ·
Self-check quiz
Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 10
How does this discourse's question compare to SN 1.64's?
Correct: A. The closest pairing yet in this vagga.
Question 2 of 10
What does this discourse name as what binds the world?
Correct: A. The same substance as SN 1.64, with 'binds' replacing 'fetters.'
Question 3 of 10
What relationship do 'saṃyojana' and 'bandhana' have in Pāli?
Correct: A. A shift in vocabulary, not a shift in content.
Question 4 of 10
How does this discourse's closing line frame the same resolution SN 1.64 called 'extinguishment'?
Correct: A. Two related framings of the same underlying event.
Question 5 of 10
What does 'vitakkassa vicaraṇaṁ' mean, shared exactly with SN 1.64?
Correct: A. Identical to SN 1.64's second answer.
Question 6 of 10
How does this pair compare to SN 1.62 and SN 1.63, or SN 1.55 through SN 1.57?
Correct: A. Nearly every element shared, differing mainly in surface vocabulary.
Question 7 of 10
What does 'bandhana' mean?
Correct: A. This discourse's title, a close synonym of SN 1.64's central term.
Question 8 of 10
What condition does this discourse's closing line name for severing all bonds?
Correct: A. Shared exactly with SN 1.64's closing condition.
Question 9 of 10
What is the setting of this discourse?
Correct: A. Like every discourse in this vagga, no setting is given directly.
Question 10 of 10
What do the two framings, 'extinguishment' and 'all bonds severed', describe together?
Correct: A. Complementary descriptions of a single underlying resolution.
