Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 56.53

Where the Waters Join Together (1st)

Paṭhamasambhejjasutta — Abhisamayavagga

Setting
Not given — continuing directly from SN 56.52's own setting
Speaker
The Buddha, addressing the mendicants directly
Form
A comparative question naming five specific rivers, its own answer, then the application elided back to SN 56.51
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★ — the third of ten discourses, opening this vagga's own first addition/erosion pair with SN 56.54

Why this discourse

Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse names five specific rivers — the Ganges, Yamunā, Aciravatī, Sarabhū, and Mahī — converging at a single confluence, then compares two or three drops drawn from that confluence to the confluence's own total water, opening this vagga's own first pair of discourses built on addition versus erosion (SN 56.53-54, echoing the pattern already met at SN 56.49-50).

Reading guide

Five rivers, named specifically

This project's own reading: rather than a generic “great river,” this discourse names five actual, geographically real rivers by name — a specificity this project notes gives the image concrete grounding, similar to SN 56.51's own live physical demonstration.

An addition/erosion pair begins here

This project's own direct comparison against its own companion, SN 56.54: this discourse draws drops out of an intact confluence (addition removed), while SN 56.54 will instead imagine the confluence itself dried up except for a few drops (erosion) — the identical two-sided structure already met at SN 56.49-50's own Mount Sineru pair.

Key terms

mahānadiyo saṁsandanti samenti — “the great rivers join together and converge” — this discourse's own central image, giving the discourse its own title
gaṅgā, yamunā, aciravatī, sarabhū, mahī — “the Ganges, Yamunā, Aciravatī, Sarabhū, and Mahī” — the five specific rivers named
dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni uddhareyya — “draw two or three drops of water” — the tiny counterpart to the confluence's own total water
saṁbhejjaudakaṁ — “the water in the confluence” — the vast counterpart, sharing its own root with this discourse's own title
tatiyaṁ — “the third” — this discourse's own root text confirming its own position directly, read rather than assumed

The text

Every genuinely translated fragment given in the consulted English source, which itself preserves the elision back to SN 56.51's own full statement. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1“Mendicants, there are places where the great rivers—the Ganges, Yamunā, Aciravatī, Sarabhū, and Mahī—join together and converge. Suppose a person was to draw two or three drops of water from such a place. What do you think, mendicants? Which is more: the two or three drops drawn out or the water in the confluence?” “Sir, the water in the confluence is certainly more. The two or three drops drawn out are tiny. Compared to the water in the confluence, it doesn’t count, there’s no comparison, it’s not worth a fraction.” “In the same way, for a noble disciple … That’s why you should practice meditation …”

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Self-check quiz

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

Question 1 of 3
What five rivers does this discourse name specifically?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct reading — five actual, geographically named rivers.
Question 2 of 3
What pairing does this discourse begin, per this project's own direct comparison?
Correct: A. This project's own direct comparison confirming a recurring addition/erosion structure.
Question 3 of 3
What position does this discourse occupy in this vagga's own ten-discourse sequence?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct reading of the root text's own closing marker "Tatiyaṁ" ("third").
Answered 0 of 3 · Correct 0

Further reading

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