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Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourses 30.4–6

Both Kinds of Deeds (2nd–4th)

Dutiyādidvayakārīsutta — Supaṇṇavagga

Setting
Sāvatthī
Speakers
The Buddha, addressing an unnamed mendicant
Form
Three discourses compressed by bilara-data into a single file: one worked example (spontaneously-born) given in full, the other two birth modes elided into the opening question alone
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
★☆☆☆☆ — trivial once SN 30.3's own formula is understood

Why this discourse

This merged file compresses the remaining three phoenix birth modes' own hearsay-driven aspiration into a single peyyāla block, unlike Nāgasaṃyutta's own SN 29.8–10, which gave womb-, moisture-, and spontaneously-born dragons three separate discourses (two compressed stubs plus one full treatment). Here, all three phoenix birth modes are folded into one file: the opening question elides womb- and moisture-born into a single chained sentence, and only spontaneously-born phoenixes receive the full worked answer, closing this saṃyutta's hearsay-driven-aspiration theme in three discourses' worth of space rather than four.

Reading guide

Three questions chained into one sentence

Rather than SN 29.8–10's own three separate opening questions, this file elides all three remaining birth modes into a single chained sentence — "the womb-born phoenixes ... moisture-born phoenixes ... or spontaneously-born phoenixes?" — before giving only one full answer.

A single worked example, not a full-compressed-compressed-full shape

Where SN 29.7–10 gave egg-born and spontaneously-born phoenixes each their own full discourse bracketing two compressed stubs, this file's only full answer belongs to spontaneously-born phoenixes alone, with womb- and moisture-born left entirely to inference from SN 30.3's own pattern.

Confirming this saṃyutta's own leaner shape

With this file, Supaṇṇasaṃyutta's hearsay-driven-aspiration theme closes having used only four discourse-numbers' worth of content (SN 30.3–6) compressed into two pages, compared to Nāgasaṃyutta's four discourse-numbers spread across four separate pages (SN 29.7–10) — a genuinely more economical treatment of the identical theme.

Setting up this saṃyutta's own giving theme

As at SN 29.10–11's own transition, this file's close hands off directly to SN 30.7–16's ten-item giving formula, this saṃyutta's own third and final motivational register.

Key terms

jalābuja — womb-born — the first of the two elided birth modes in this file's opening question
saṃsedaja — moisture-born — the second of the two elided birth modes
opapātika — spontaneously born — the only birth mode given a full worked answer in this file
dvayakārī — one who does both kinds of deeds — the ordinary mixed conduct attributed to the aspirant, as at SN 30.3
peyyāla — an elision mark — here compressing three discourses' worth of question and answer into a single file

The text

The complete merged file: the chained three-mode question, and the full worked answer for spontaneously-born phoenixes. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha: “Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the womb-born phoenixes …” “… moisture-born phoenixes …” “… or spontaneously-born phoenixes?”

§2“Mendicant, it’s when someone does both kinds of deeds by body, speech, and mind. And they’ve heard: ‘The spontaneously-born phoenixes are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’ They think: ‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born phoenixes!’ When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born phoenixes. This is the cause, this is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born phoenixes.”

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Self-check quiz

5 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 5
How many discourses does this single merged file compress?
Correct: A. Bilara-data itself preserves these three as a single peyyāla-encoded file.
Question 2 of 5
How does this file's opening question differ from SN 29.8–10's own three separate questions?
Correct: A. A more compressed presentation than Nāgasaṃyutta's own equivalent set.
Question 3 of 5
Which single phoenix birth mode receives a full worked answer in this file?
Correct: A. Womb- and moisture-born are left entirely to inference from SN 30.3's own pattern.
Question 4 of 5
How does this file's overall compression compare to Nāgasaṃyutta's SN 29.7–10?
Correct: A. Four discourse-numbers compressed into two pages here, versus four separate pages at SN 29.7–10.
Question 5 of 5
What theme does this file's close hand off to?
Correct: A. This saṃyutta's own third and final motivational register.
Answered 0 of 5 · Correct 0

Further reading

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