Not restated; continues directly as dialogue from SN 38.1's own setting
Speakers
The wanderer Jambukhādaka questioning Venerable Sāriputta
Form
A direct question and answer, with the recurring path-recitation now elided in the English itself
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 the first discourse to elide the recurring path recitation in English
Why this discourse
Jambukhādaka asks directly what the goal of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama is. Sāriputta's answer is equally direct: completely understanding suffering (dukkhassa pariññā). This is the first discourse where Sujato's own English translation elides the remainder of the catechism — the path question, the eightfold path itself, and the closing exchange — with a bare ellipsis, three discourses after root Pali began doing the same. From here through SN 38.15, this reading guide presents only the portion Sujato's own translation actually renders.
Reading guide
The goal, named in five words
“To completely understand suffering” — Sāriputta's own answer to why anyone would lead the spiritual life under the Buddha at all, stated without further elaboration in this discourse.
Where the English elision begins
Confirmed directly against bilara-data: this is the first discourse where Sujato's own English trails off into a bare ellipsis rather than spelling out the recurring path question and eightfold-path recitation — the same elision this reading guide will note recurring through SN 38.15.
Key terms
dukkhassa pariññatthaṁ — “for the complete understanding of suffering” — this discourse's own answer to the purpose of the holy life
āvuso — “reverend, friend” — the reciprocal address term Jambukhādaka and Sāriputta use throughout this saṃyutta
pañhā — “question” — the recurring suffix naming every discourse's own Pali title throughout this saṃyutta
atthi... maggo atthi paṭipadā — “is there a path and a practice” — this saṃyutta's own recurring path-confirmation question, asked with only its object changing from SN 38.1 through SN 38.15
catutthaṁ — “fourth” — this discourse's own untranslated closing ordinal
The text
The portion of this discourse Sujato's own English translation actually renders; from this discourse through SN 38.15, the remainder of each catechism (confirming a path exists, naming the eightfold path, and the closing exchange) is elided in the English itself with a bare ellipsis, matching the identical wording already given in full at SN 38.1. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Reverend Sāriputta, what’s the goal of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?” “The goal of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand suffering.” “But, reverend, is there a path and a practice for completely understanding this suffering?” “There is.” …
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Self-check quiz
2 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 2
What does Sāriputta name as the goal of the spiritual life under the Buddha?
Correct: A. Stated directly, without further elaboration in this discourse.
Question 2 of 2
What happens to the recurring path-recitation from this discourse onward in Sujato's own English?
Correct: A. Confirmed directly against bilara-data — the English elision begins here, three discourses after the root Pali's own.
