The identical structure as SN 23.14, with suffering in place of impermanence
Length
Very short — the closing formula elided
Northern parallel
Completes the dukkha/dukkhadhamma pair
Difficulty
Approachable — best read directly after SN 23.15
Why this discourse
Closes this vagga's third pair, applying the now-familiar bare-identity-to-inherent-nature shift to suffering, completing the middle term of the three-mark sequence this vagga works methodically through.
Reading guide
The same shift, applied to suffering
"They speak of having 'suffering nature'. What is of a nature to suffer?" — dukkhadhamma, exactly paralleling aniccadhamma and māradhamma, now for the second mark.
The identical content, restated once more
"Form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness are of a nature to suffer" — the same five aggregates, the same underlying fact as SN 23.15, restated in this discourse's own grammatical frame.
A third completed pair
With this discourse, three of this vagga's terms have now each received the full bare-identity/inherent-nature treatment: Māra (SN 23.11-12), impermanence (SN 23.13-14), and suffering (SN 23.15-16) — confirming this two-question shape as this vagga's own consistent unit.
Moving to not-self
SN 23.17 and SN 23.18 will complete the three-mark sequence with anattā, "not-self" — the third and final mark, closing this vagga's systematic progression through the Canon's most familiar threefold formula.
Key terms
dukkhadhamma — liable to suffering, of a nature to suffer — this discourse's own subject, paralleling aniccadhamma and māradhamma
dukkha — suffering — SN 23.15's own bare term, the counterpart to this discourse's grammatical variant
dhamma — nature, quality — the shared suffix marking this discourse's shift to inherent quality
anattā — not-self — the term SN 23.17-18 will examine next, completing this vagga's three-mark sequence
peyyāla — an elision mark, compressing the standard closing formula throughout this vagga
The text
The complete discourse as given in the source, mirroring SN 23.14's own grammatical shift, now applied to suffering. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, Venerable Rādha said to the Buddha: “Sir, they speak of having ‘suffering nature’. What is of a nature to suffer?”
§2“Rādha, form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness are of a nature to suffer.
§3Seeing this … They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’”
· · ·
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 does this discourse ask about, completing the dukkha/dukkhadhamma pair?
Correct: A. The grammatical variant already seen twice in this vagga.
Question 2 of 10
How does the Buddha answer?
Correct: A. Confirming the same underlying fact from a different grammatical angle.
Question 3 of 10
How many of this vagga's terms have now received the full paired treatment, by the end of this discourse?
Correct: A. Each given the bare-identity-then-inherent-nature treatment.
Question 4 of 10
What does completing this third pair confirm about the vagga's own structure?
Correct: A. The same shape repeated three times so far, confirming its consistency.
Question 5 of 10
What term will the vagga's next pair (SN 23.17-18) examine?
Correct: A. The third and final of the three marks, completing this vagga's systematic sequence.
Question 6 of 10
How many aggregates does this discourse's identification apply to?
Correct: A. Form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.
Question 7 of 10
How is the closing formula presented in this discourse?
Correct: A. Compressed throughout this vagga after SN 23.11's own full statement.
Question 8 of 10
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: A. Matching SN 23.11-15's own setting.
Question 9 of 10
What do "is suffering" and "is of a nature to suffer" describe, according to this pair of discourses?
Correct: A. Confirmed by the identical content given for both questions.
Question 10 of 10
Who asks the question in this discourse?
Correct: A. Continuing this saṃyutta's own central questioner.
