A single opening line, elided exactly as SN 22.140
Length
Among the shortest discourses in this vagga
Northern parallel
Shares its structure with SN 22.138, now applied to suffering
Difficulty
Approachable — best read directly alongside SN 22.140 and SN 22.138
Why this discourse
The middle discourse of this vagga's suffering set: substitutes greed for SN 22.140's desire, mirroring SN 22.138's own role in the earlier impermanence set, and receiving the identical minimal, elided treatment.
Reading guide
The second term, the same compression
"You should give up greed for what is suffering..." — the source gives only this single clause, exactly matching SN 22.140's own brevity, before eliding the remainder as an assumed repeat of the established pattern.
A doubly compressed reference
This discourse's full content can only be reconstructed by combining two earlier patterns: SN 22.138's aggregate-by-aggregate structure ("form is suffering; you should give up greed for it"...) and SN 22.140's own substitution of "suffering" for "impermanent" — the reader is expected to hold both patterns in mind simultaneously.
What this compression reveals about the collection's confidence
By this point, nine discourses into a clearly established 3×3 structure, the source text trusts its own pattern so completely that even the aggregate-by-aggregate elaboration given in full for SN 22.137-139 is dropped entirely — only the single defining substitution (which term, which quality) needs stating.
One discourse remaining in this set
SN 22.142, this discourse's own companion, will combine desire and greed for suffering exactly as SN 22.139 did for impermanence, closing this vagga's middle three-discourse set before the final set on "not-self" begins.
Key terms
rāga — greed — this discourse's own term, matching SN 22.138's role in the impermanence set
dukkha — suffering — the quality this discourse reasons from, shared with SN 22.140
chanda — desire — SN 22.140's own term, the counterpart this discourse substitutes
chandarāga — desire and greed together — the combined term SN 22.142 will use to close this set
peyyāla — an elision mark, representing the unstated aggregate-by-aggregate elaboration
The text
The complete discourse as given in the source, a single opening line with the remainder elided. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, you should give up greed for what is suffering. …”
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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 term does this discourse use, replacing SN 22.140's "desire"?
Correct: A. Mirroring SN 22.138's own role in the earlier impermanence set.
Question 2 of 10
How much text does the source give for this discourse?
Correct: A. Matching SN 22.140's own extreme brevity.
Question 3 of 10
What two earlier patterns must be combined to reconstruct this discourse's full content?
Correct: A. The reader is expected to hold both patterns in mind simultaneously.
Question 4 of 10
What does this discourse's extreme compression suggest about the collection's confidence in its own pattern?
Correct: A. Nine discourses into a clearly established structure, only the defining substitution needs stating.
Question 5 of 10
What quality does this discourse reason from?
Correct: A. Shared with SN 22.140 and SN 22.142, this vagga's middle three-discourse set.
Question 6 of 10
What discourse closes this suffering set by combining desire and greed?
Correct: A. Mirroring SN 22.139's own closing role in the impermanence set.
Question 7 of 10
How many aggregates does this instruction (by inference) apply to?
Correct: A. Following the established pattern from SN 22.137-139.
Question 8 of 10
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: A. Matching SN 22.140's own setting.
Question 9 of 10
What set follows this one within Kukkuḷavagga's overall structure?
Correct: A. Completing this vagga's opening nine discourses as a full 3×3 matrix.
Question 10 of 10
What earlier discourse in this book already used the term chandarāga this set is building toward?
Correct: A. The combined term SN 22.142 will reuse to close this set.
