Reading guide
A discourse centering a nun's teaching authority
Unlike most of this saṃyutta, where the Buddha himself is either present or the implicit reference point, this discourse's entire occasion is the nun Sukkā teaching independently to a large assembly, her authority as a teacher taken as simply given.
Devotion expressed through public proclamation, not private prayer
The spirit's response to Sukkā's teaching isn't quiet personal admiration; he actively travels ‘from street to street and from square to square’, making his praise a deliberately public act rather than a private sentiment.
Ordinary indifference named without gentleness
The verse's opening line doesn't merely note that people aren't attending her teaching; it mocks their indifference directly, comparing their inattention to the stupor of people who've been drinking mead — a sharp, almost comic image of missed opportunity.
The teaching itself named as the state free of death
Sukkā's subject isn't left vague; the verse specifies she teaches ‘the state free of death’ (amata), the same term used elsewhere in this collection for the goal of the entire path, treating her teaching as carrying the same weight as any other genuine exposition of the Dhamma.
A closing image contrasting the wise with the indifferent
The final lines don't end on criticism alone; they balance the opening's mockery with genuine admiration for those who do attend, describing the wise as drinking in her teaching the way travelers relish a cool cloud — irresistible, delectable, and nutritious all at once.
Key terms
The text
§1At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now, at that time the nun Sukkā was teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a large assembly. Then a native spirit was so devoted to Sukkā that he went from street to street and from square to square, and on that occasion recited these verses:
§2“What’s up with these people in Rājagaha? They sleep like they’ve been drinking mead! They don’t attend on Sukkā as she’s teaching the state free of death.
§3But the wise—it’s as if they drink it up, so irresistible, delectable, and nutritious, like travelers enjoying a cool cloud.”
Self-check quiz
Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.