The Buddha alone, addressing the assembled mendicants
Form
The exact structural repetition of SN 15.16, with the relationship swapped
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
A rough counterpart may exist in the Chinese Saṃyukta-āgama (T99), though this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — a direct companion to SN 15.16, completing this set's sibling pair
Why this discourse
This discourse repeats SN 15.16's exact claim with sister in place of brother: it's not easy to find a being who hasn't previously been your sister, across this long time. Together, the two discourses complete the sibling pair, positioned between the parental pair (mother, father) before it and the pair of children (son, daughter) after it — this set's middle relationships, the ones standing beside rather than above or below.
Reading guide
An exact repetition, one word changed
As with SN 15.15's shift from mother to father, this discourse changes only bhātā, brother, to bhaginī, sister, leaving every other element of SN 15.16 unchanged.
The sibling pair, now complete
With brother and sister both addressed, this saṃyutta has now given equal, identically structured treatment to both the male and female forms of every relationship in this six-part set.
A position at the set's structural center
Sister is the fourth of six discourses, standing exactly between the parental pair before it and the children's pair still to come — the lateral, peer relationships occupying the set's middle.
Consistent gender pairing across the whole set
Mother/father, brother/sister, and the coming son/daughter each pair a female and male form of the same relationship, giving this six-discourse set a consistent, deliberate internal structure rather than an arbitrary list.
Two relationships remaining before this vagga's close
After this discourse, only son and daughter remain in the family-relationship set, before SN 15.20 closes the entire saṃyutta with its most elaborate discourse.
Key terms
na … sulabharūpo — “not easy to find” — the same framing phrase carried through unchanged.
nabhaginibhūtapubbo — “has not previously been your sister” — this discourse's specific claim.
bhaginī — “sister” — this discourse's title relationship, completing the sibling pair with SN 15.16's brother.
iminā dīghena addhunā — “in all this long time” — the same beginningless temporal frame used throughout this saṃyutta.
sattamaṁ — “the seventh” — the closing numbering tag, marking this discourse's place in the vagga.
The text
The discourse in full, including the source's own heavy elision of the standard refrain. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1At Sāvatthī. “It’s not easy to find a sentient being who in all this long time has not previously been your sister. … This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”
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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
What claim does this discourse make, mirroring SN 15.16?
Correct: A. The identical structure as SN 15.16, with sister replacing brother.
Question 2 of 10
What pair does this discourse complete?
Correct: A. Equal, identically structured treatment for both siblings.
Question 3 of 10
Where does this discourse fall within the six-part relationship set?
Correct: A. Standing between the parental pair before it and the children's pair still to come.
Question 4 of 10
What structural pattern does this reading guide identify across the whole six-discourse set?
Correct: A. Mother/father, brother/sister, and the coming son/daughter, each a deliberate pair.
Question 5 of 10
How many relationships remain in this set after this discourse?
Correct: A. Son and daughter close the set before SN 15.20's elaborate finale.
Question 6 of 10
What single word changes between SN 15.16 and this discourse?
Correct: A. A single substitution, otherwise an exact structural match.
Question 7 of 10
What temporal frame grounds this discourse's claim?
Correct: A. The same beginningless span used throughout this saṃyutta.
Question 8 of 10
Who is the sole speaker in this discourse?
Correct: A. No interlocutor or visitor appears; the Buddha teaches directly.
Question 9 of 10
Where does the Buddha deliver this teaching?
Correct: A. The setting shared with most discourses in this collection.
