SN 35.163 — With Koṭṭhita on Suffering

Reading guide

One term substituted, the rest unchanged

Mahākoṭṭhita's own request repeats verbatim; only the characterization changes, from “impermanent” to “suffering” (dukkha), applied to the same six sense fields with the same fivefold expansion for each.

The identical move SN 22.67 already made

SN 22.67 substituted “suffering” for “impermanent” on SN 22.66's own formula, there for the five aggregates. This discourse makes the same substitution on this vagga's own Koṭṭhika formula — the three-marks pattern (impermanence, suffering, not-self) recurring in both clusters, though SN 22.66-69 extends to a fourth term this cluster does not use.

The cluster's middle discourse

This discourse sits between SN 35.162 (impermanence) and SN 35.164 (not-self), completing two of the three marks this small cluster runs through in turn.

Key terms

yaṁ dukkhaṁ tatra te chando pahātabbo — “you should give up desire for what is suffering” — this discourse's own substitution for SN 35.162's “aniccaṁ”

dukkha — suffering — the characterization this discourse applies to all six sense fields, matching SN 22.67's own use for the five aggregates

eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihareyyaṁ — “live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute” — Mahākoṭṭhita's request, repeated verbatim from SN 35.162

cakkhu, rūpā, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ, cakkhusamphasso — the eye, sights, eye consciousness, and eye contact — the same fourfold expansion as SN 35.162's own

vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā — the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling — the fifth term, unchanged from SN 35.162

The text

The complete discourse: Mahākoṭṭhita's request (elided in the source and not separately quoted here, identical to SN 35.162's own), then the Buddha's reply, run in full for the eye and compressed across the remaining five sense fields. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1Then Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita … said to the Buddha: “Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.” “Koṭṭhita, you should give up desire for what is suffering. And what is suffering? The eye, sights, eye consciousness, and eye contact are suffering: you should give up desire for them. The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact is also suffering; you should give up desire for it. The ear … nose … tongue … body … The mind, ideas, mind consciousness, and mind contact are suffering: you should give up desire for them. The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact is also suffering: you should give up desire for it. Koṭṭhita, you should give up desire for what is suffering.”

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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

What single substitution distinguishes this discourse from SN 35.162?

Correct: A. The request and fivefold expansion otherwise repeat unchanged.

Question 2 of 5

What identical move did SN 22.67 already make in Book III?

Correct: A. The same three-marks substitution pattern, in a different narrative frame.

Question 3 of 5

Where does this discourse sit within its own three-discourse cluster?

Correct: A. The middle term of the impermanence/suffering/not-self sequence.

Question 4 of 5

How many terms does the expansion for each sense field carry, matching SN 35.162's own count?

Correct: A. Unchanged from SN 35.162's own fivefold expansion.

Question 5 of 5

What does SN 22.66-69's own four-term cluster include, that this three-discourse cluster does not?

Correct: A. This cluster runs only the three marks, without SN 22.66-69's fourth term.

Answered 0 of 5 · Correct 0

With Koṭṭhita on Suffering

Why this discourse