Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 35.76

With Rādha on Impermanence

Rādhaaniccasutta — Gilānavagga

Setting
Not restated in this discourse
Speakers
The Venerable Rādha requesting; the Buddha teaching
Form
A brief teaching requested and granted in full: give up desire for what is impermanent, run across the six sense fields and what arises dependent on each
Length
~1 minute 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
★★☆☆☆ — brief and direct, best read alongside SN 35.77-78, which recast it

Why this discourse

The Venerable Rādha, already the central figure of this project’s own SN 23 (Rādhasaṃyutta), reappears here for a brief three-discourse cameo. He asks for a teaching “in brief” so that he can go and practice alone, diligent and resolute — the same request form this project has met from other mendicants elsewhere — and receives one: give up desire (chandarāgapahānaṁ) for what is impermanent, named field by field across the six senses and what arises dependent on each (object, consciousness, contact, and the feeling born of contact). This discourse gives the full text; SN 35.77 and SN 35.78 will repeat the identical structure with only the target word changed — suffering, then not-self — each so heavily elided in Sujato’s own English that only their opening line survives untranslated ellipsis. Together the three discourses form a tight triad, running the three characteristics (impermanence, suffering, not-self) through the same “give up desire” frame in turn.

Reading guide

A request Rādha has made before

“Teach me the Dhamma in brief” is a request this project has already met from other mendicants; Rādha, the central figure of this project’s own SN 23, makes it here for a brief cameo appearance inside Book IV.

Give up desire for what is impermanent

The teaching itself is compact: whatever is impermanent, desire for it should be given up. The target is named field by field across the six senses — the faculty, its object, consciousness, contact, and the feeling that arises dependent on contact — for each of the six.

The first of a triad

This discourse gives the teaching in full; SN 35.77 and SN 35.78 repeat the identical frame with only the target word changed, running the three characteristics — impermanence, suffering, not-self — in turn.

Key terms

chandarāga — desire and greed — what is to be given up for whatever is impermanent
anicca — impermanent — this discourse’s own target, the first of the coming triad’s three
saṅkhittena — in brief — how Rādha asks the Buddha to teach him
appamatta — diligent — part of how Rādha describes the practice he intends to undertake alone after hearing the teaching
phassajā vedanā — feeling born of contact — the final link in the chain named for each of the six sense fields

The text

The complete discourse: Rādha’s request and the Buddha’s brief teaching, run across all six sense fields. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1The Venerable Rādha went up to the Buddha … and said to him, “Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.”

§2“Rādha, you should give up desire for what is impermanent. And what is impermanent? The eye, sights, eye consciousness, and eye contact are impermanent. And the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact is also impermanent. You should give up desire for it.

§3The ear … nose … tongue … body … The mind, ideas, mind consciousness, and mind contact are impermanent. And the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact is also impermanent. You should give up desire for it. You should give up desire for what is impermanent.”

· · ·

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 does Rādha ask the Buddha for at this discourse’s opening?
Correct: A. The same “teach me in brief” request this project has met from other mendicants.
Question 2 of 5
What does the Buddha say should be given up for whatever is impermanent?
Correct: A. Chandarāgapahānaṁ — give up desire and greed for what is impermanent.
Question 3 of 5
Across how many sense fields does this discourse run its teaching?
Correct: A. All six sense fields, each with its object, consciousness, contact, and feeling.
Question 4 of 5
What earlier part of this project already centers on Rādha?
Correct: A. Rādha is the central figure of this project’s own SN 23, and reappears here briefly.
Question 5 of 5
How do SN 35.77 and SN 35.78, immediately following, relate to this discourse?
Correct: A. A triad running the three characteristics in turn through the same “give up desire” frame.
Answered 0 of 5 · Correct 0

Further reading

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