A single opening line, elided exactly as SN 22.140-144
Length
Among the shortest discourses in this vagga
Northern parallel
Shares its structure with SN 22.139 and SN 22.142, now applied to not-self
Difficulty
Approachable — best read as the close of this vagga's opening nine-discourse structure
Why this discourse
Closes Kukkuḷavagga's opening nine-discourse structure: combines desire and greed reasoning from not-self, the third and final position this same combined term occupies across three parallel sets, completing the full 3×3 matrix begun at SN 22.137.
Reading guide
The combined term, the final close
"You should give up desire and greed for what is not-self..." — chandarāga applied to anattā, the ninth and last discourse in a sequence that has now paired every one of three attitudes (desire, greed, both) with every one of three marks (impermanent, suffering, not-self) exactly once.
Nine discourses, one completed matrix
Reviewed as a whole, SN 22.137-145 forms a precise grid: impermanence × desire (137), impermanence × greed (138), impermanence × both (139); suffering × desire (140), suffering × greed (141), suffering × both (142); not-self × desire (143), not-self × greed (144), not-self × both (145) — nine discourses, no gaps, no repeats.
What this structure accomplishes rhetorically
Having systematically demonstrated that any one of the three marks, paired with any one of the three attitudes, yields the identical instruction, the collection makes an implicit but forceful point: there is no combination of reason and attachment left unaddressed — the case for giving up desire and greed toward the aggregates is total, not dependent on any single argument holding.
Turning to a different structure
SN 22.146, this vagga's next discourse, breaks entirely from this nine-discourse matrix, introducing "full of disillusionment" as a new formula that SN 22.147-149 will then vary through observing impermanence, suffering, and not-self — a different, three-part (rather than nine-part) structure closing the vagga.
Key terms
chandarāga — desire and greed together — this discourse's own combined term, the ninth and final position in the vagga's opening matrix
anattā — not-self — the quality this discourse reasons from, closing the third set
anicca/dukkha/anattā — impermanent / suffering / not-self — the three marks systematically paired with chanda/rāga/chandarāga across these nine discourses
tilakkhaṇa — the three marks — the Canon's standard vocabulary for the three qualities this sequence has worked through
nippariyāyena — "without qualification," "totally" — capturing the force of a case built to leave no combination unaddressed
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 desire and greed for what is not-self. …”
· · ·
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 combined term does this discourse use, closing this final set?
Correct: A. Applied to anattā, the ninth and last position in the vagga's opening matrix.
Question 2 of 10
What grid do SN 22.137-145 together form, once this discourse is complete?
Correct: A. Impermanence, suffering, and not-self, each paired with desire, greed, and both.
Question 3 of 10
What rhetorical point does this completed 3×3 structure make?
Correct: A. No combination of reason and attachment left unaddressed.
Question 4 of 10
What discourse breaks from this nine-discourse matrix, introducing a new structure?
Correct: A. The vagga's next discourse, introducing a different formula altogether.
Question 5 of 10
What structure will SN 22.147-149 follow, varying SN 22.146's own formula?
Correct: A. A different, more compact three-discourse structure closing the vagga.
Question 6 of 10
What quality does this discourse reason from?
Correct: A. The third and final mark in this opening nine-discourse sequence.
Question 7 of 10
How much text does the source give for this discourse?
Correct: A. Matching SN 22.140-144's own extreme compression.
Question 8 of 10
How many aggregates does this instruction (by inference) apply to?
Correct: A. Following the established pattern from all eight preceding discourses in this sequence.
Question 9 of 10
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: A. Matching SN 22.143-144's own setting.
Question 10 of 10
What three attitudes are systematically paired with the three marks across these nine discourses?
Correct: A. Chanda, rāga, and chandarāga, cycling through each of the three marks.
