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Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 17.23

An Only Son

Ekaputtakasutta

Setting
Sāvatthī
Speakers
The Buddha, quoting a faithful laywoman's words to her son
Form
A quoted parental appeal naming specific named exemplars, for lay life and for monastic life alike
Length
~2 minutes 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
★★★☆☆ — the vagga's first discourse to name specific historical exemplars

Why this discourse

This discourse quotes, in full, how a faithful laywoman would rightly appeal to her only, beloved son: be like the householder Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavī, the Buddha's own named standard for male lay disciples. But if you go forth into homelessness, she continues, be like Sāriputta and Moggallāna, the standard for monk disciples. And above all, my darling, may you not come into possessions, honor, and popularity while you're still a trainee who hasn't achieved your heart's desire — because for a trainee, the discourse states plainly, that would be an obstacle.

Reading guide

Named exemplars, not abstract virtues

Rather than urging generic qualities like diligence or faith, the appeal names specific individuals by name — Citta and Hatthaka for lay life, Sāriputta and Moggallāna for monastic life — giving the son concrete models rather than abstractions to live up to.

Two standards for two possible paths

The appeal doesn't assume which path the son will take; it offers a standard for each possibility in turn, lay life or homelessness, treating both as genuinely open outcomes worth naming a model for.

The warning placed after both standards, not before

Only after naming both exemplars does the appeal turn to its warning about possessions, honor, and popularity — positioning that danger as a threat to reaching either standard, not a separate, unrelated concern.

A concern specific to the not-yet-arrived

The warning targets sekha appattamānasa, a trainee who hasn't yet achieved their heart's desire, exactly the language used earlier in this saṃyutta's lightning and arrow discourses — danger named as sharpest for someone still on the way, not yet secure.

A mother's voice carrying the saṃyutta's own teaching

The discourse doesn't have the Buddha state the warning directly to the assembly; instead he quotes a laywoman's private words to her son, letting an ordinary parental appeal carry the same lesson found throughout this collection.

Key terms

saddhā upāsikā — “a faithful laywoman” — the speaker whose private appeal the Buddha quotes in full.
citto ca gahapati hatthako ca āḷavako — “the householder Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavī” — the Buddha's own named standard for male lay disciples.
sāriputtamoggallānā — “Sāriputta and Moggallāna” — the Buddha's two chief disciples, named as the standard for monk disciples.
tulā … pamāṇaṁ — “a standard and a measure” — the discourse's own term for what these named exemplars represent.
sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ — “a trainee who hasn't achieved their heart's desire” — the specific target of the mother's warning, the same phrase used in SN 17.6-7's lightning and arrow.

The text

The discourse in full. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1At Sāvatthī. “Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim … A faithful laywoman with a dear and beloved only son would rightly appeal to him, ‘My darling, please be like the householder Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavī.’ These are a standard and a measure for my male lay disciples, that is, the householder Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavī. ‘But my darling, if you go forth from the lay life to homelessness, please be like Sāriputta and Moggallāna.’ These are a standard and a measure for my monk disciples, that is, Sāriputta and Moggallāna. ‘And my darling, may you not come into possessions, honor, and popularity while you’re still a trainee and haven’t achieved your heart’s desire.’ If a trainee who hasn’t achieved their heart’s desire comes into possessions, honor, and popularity it’s an obstacle for them. So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”

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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
Who does the faithful laywoman name as the standard for male lay disciples?
Correct: A. Named, concrete exemplars rather than abstract virtues.
Question 2 of 10
Who does she name as the standard should her son go forth into homelessness?
Correct: A. The Buddha's own two chief disciples, named as the monastic standard.
Question 3 of 10
What warning does the appeal add after naming both standards?
Correct: A. Positioned as a threat to reaching either standard, lay or monastic.
Question 4 of 10
According to the discourse, what would possessions, honor, and popularity be for a trainee who hasn't achieved their heart's desire?
Correct: A. Antarāyāya, "an obstacle," stated plainly.
Question 5 of 10
Whose voice does the Buddha use to deliver this teaching?
Correct: A. An ordinary parental appeal carrying the saṃyutta's recurring lesson.
Question 6 of 10
Does the appeal assume which path — lay life or homelessness — the son will actually take?
Correct: A. Both outcomes treated as genuinely open, each given its own named model.
Question 7 of 10
What term does the discourse use for what Citta, Hatthaka, Sāriputta, and Moggallāna represent?
Correct: A. Concrete, named benchmarks, not vague aspirations.
Question 8 of 10
How does this discourse's warning connect to earlier discourses in this saṃyutta?
Correct: A. The same specific danger named for the same specific kind of person throughout this saṃyutta.
Question 9 of 10
Where does the Buddha deliver this teaching?
Correct: A. The setting shared with most discourses in this collection.
Question 10 of 10
What numbering tag closes this discourse?
Correct: A. The third discourse of Tatiyavagga.
Answered 0 of 10 · Correct 0

Further reading

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