Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 35.29

Overcome

Addhabhūtasutta — Sabbavagga

Setting
Rājagaha, the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels' feeding ground
Speakers
The Buddha, addressing the mendicants directly
Form
A narrative-framed discourse structurally identical to SN 35.28, with a different central image
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
★★☆☆☆ — a familiar structure, a new image, a quieter close

Why this discourse

This discourse is the narrative twin of SN 35.28 ("Burning"), already published on this site: the same framing convention (a specific place, the Buddha directly addressing the mendicants), the same "X is [image]. [Image] with what? With the fires of greed, hate, and delusion" structure, applied to the identical thirty-item sense-field schema — but with a different central image (addhabhūta, "overcome," replacing āditta, "burning") and, notably, without SN 35.28's own unique closing climax.

Reading guide

A different setting, the same narrative convention

Where SN 35.28 opens at Gayā Head with a thousand mendicants, this discourse opens at Rājagaha's Bamboo Grove, the squirrels' feeding ground — no audience size given here. Both discourses share the same convention of naming a specific place before the Buddha addresses the mendicants directly, distinct from this vagga's earlier discourses (SN 35.23–27), none of which name a location beyond Sāvatthī.

Overcome, not burning: a different image, an identical structure

"All is overcome. And what is the all that is overcome? The eye is overcome … Overcome by what? Overcome by the fires of greed, hate, and delusion. Overcome by rebirth, old age, and death …" — the same call-and-response shape as SN 35.28's "burning with what," applied to the identical thirty-item breakdown, with addhabhūta ("overcome") standing in for āditta ("burning").

A quieter close than SN 35.28's own

SN 35.28 closes with a unique, specific event: "while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of the thousand mendicants were freed from defilements by not grasping." This discourse instead closes with the more usual, generic third-person formula — "a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned … they understand: 'Rebirth is ended …'" — describing what happens for any disciple who hears this teaching rightly, not a specific, narrated congregation.

Key terms

addhabhūtaṁ — "overcome" — this discourse's own title term and central image, replacing SN 35.28's āditta, "burning"
rājagahe veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe — "at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels' feeding ground" — this discourse's own setting, distinct from SN 35.28's Gayā Head
nibbindati — "grows disillusioned" — the generic closing verb this discourse uses, rather than SN 35.28's own unique narrated event
kena addhabhūtaṁ — "overcome by what?" — this discourse's own call-and-response question, mirroring SN 35.28's own "burning with what?"
kalandakanivāpe — "the squirrels' feeding ground" — part of this discourse's own setting within Rājagaha's Bamboo Grove

The text

The complete discourse, with the ear, nose, and tongue sections compressed once the pattern is established for the eye. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:

§2“Mendicants, all is overcome. And what is the all that is overcome? The eye is overcome. Sights are overcome. Eye consciousness is overcome. Eye contact is overcome. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact is also overcome. Overcome by what? Overcome by the fires of greed, hate, and delusion. Overcome by rebirth, old age, and death, by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, I say. The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind is overcome. Ideas are overcome. Mind consciousness is overcome. Mind contact is overcome. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises conditioned by mind contact is also overcome. Overcome by what? Overcome by greed, hate, and delusion. Overcome by rebirth, old age, and death, by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, I say.

§3Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, sights, eye consciousness, and eye contact. And they grow disillusioned with the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact. They grow disillusioned with the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”

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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 image does this discourse use in place of SN 35.28's own "burning"?
Correct: A. Replacing āditta, though the surrounding structure — "overcome by what?" — matches SN 35.28's "burning with what?" exactly.
Question 2 of 5
Where is this discourse set, and how does that compare to SN 35.28's own setting?
Correct: A. A different place, though both share the convention of naming a specific location, unlike SN 35.23–27.
Question 3 of 5
How does this discourse's own close differ from SN 35.28's?
Correct: A. SN 35.28 narrates a specific event (a thousand mendicants freed while listening); this discourse describes what happens generally for "a learned noble disciple."
Question 4 of 5
What structure does this discourse share with SN 35.28?
Correct: A. Applied to the identical thirty-item sense-field breakdown used since SN 35.24.
Question 5 of 5
What distinguishes this discourse's own opening from SN 35.23–27's?
Correct: A. Matching SN 35.28's own narrative convention rather than the plainer openings of this vagga's first five discourses.
Answered 0 of 5 · Correct 0

Further reading

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