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Samyutta Nikaya

# SN 23.2 Satta Sutta (What Is a Sentient Being), SN 23.2

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    SN 23.2
    Saṁyutta Nikāya
    The Connected Discourses

    Khandhavagga Saṁyutta
    Group of Discourses Connected to the Aggregates
    Rādha Saṁyutta
    Connected Discourses to the Venerable Rādha
    Paṭhama Māra Vagga
    (Section on Māra – Part 1)

    Satta Sutta
    “What Is a Sentient Being?”

    Translated by Candana Bhikkhu

    Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2024

    Once, while The Blessed One was residing at Sāvatthī’s Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery, in
    Jeta’s Park, the Venerable Rādha went and approached The Blessed One, and after respectfully
    paying homage to The Teacher, he sat to one side, and began asking a question:

    “Bhante, people keep exclaiming: ‘Sentient being! Sentient being!’ But, Bhante, what exactly is
    being referred to here by the term ‘sentient being’? How is one to clearly define what a ‘sentient
    being’ really is?”

    And The Blessed One replied by saying:

    a. “Rādha, while encountering any kind of form (rūpa), whenever the person experiences any
    kind of desire or longing for that form; any kind of delighting in or wanting to grab and cherish
    that form in any way; or thirst for more of the experience pertaining to that form, then one would
    be correct in referring to such a person as a ‘sentient being.’

    b. “Rādha, while encountering any kind of feeling (vedanā), whenever the person experiences
    any kind of desire or longing for that feeling; any kind of delighting in or wanting to grab and
    cherish that feeling in any way; or thirst for more of the experience pertaining to that feeling,
    then one would be correct in referring to such a person as a ‘sentient being.’

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    c. “Rādha, while encountering any kind of perception or memory (saññā), whenever the person
    experiences any kind of desire or longing for that perception or memory; any kind of delighting
    in or wanting to grab and cherish that perception or memory in any way; or thirst for more of the
    experience pertaining to that perception or memory, then one would be correct in referring to
    such a person as a ‘sentient being.’

    d. “Rādha, while encountering any kind of saṅkhāra or habitual tendency, whenever the person
    experiences any kind of desire or longing for that habitual tendency; any kind of delighting in or
    wanting to grab and cherish that habitual tendency in any way; or thirst for more of the
    experience pertaining to that habitual tendency, then one would be correct in referring to such a
    person as a ‘sentient being.’

    e. “Rādha, while encountering any kind of viññāṇa or consciousness, whenever the person
    experiences any kind of desire or longing for that consciousness; any kind of delighting in or
    wanting to grab and cherish that consciousness in any way; or thirst for more of the experience
    pertaining to that consciousness, then one would be correct in referring to such a person as a
    ‘sentient being.’

    “Imagine, Rādha, a group of boys and girls sitting and playing by the seashore, while also
    building sandcastles.

    “Now, so long as those children have not dropped that passion and desire; the longing and greed
    towards those sandcastles, then, they will continue to delight in them, or want to grab onto and
    cherish them, while still having the thirst for more of the experience of building those
    sandcastles, relating to them as things that belong to them.

    “However, the moment those children do go ahead and drop that passion and desire; the longing
    and greed towards those sandcastles, then all delighting and cherishing for those creations is
    obliterated in them, as their relationship with those sandcastles comes to an abrupt end.

    “And as a result, they so easily and without any hesitation dismantle and smash those
    constructions that they built, as they destroy them with their tiny hands and feet; turning those
    sandcastles back into the piles of sandy grains they once were!

    a. “Now, in just the same way, Rādha, your mission should be to go ahead and drop any passion
    and desire; the longing and greed towards all kinds of forms, whereby all delighting and
    cherishing of form is obliterated in you, as you too dismantle and smash form and your
    identification with form, destroying it into smithereens.
    “You must do this by practicing constantly, as you completely smash and destroy that thirst and
    craving in you, for more forms.

    b. “Similarly, Rādha, you should drop any passion and desire; the longing and greed towards all
    kinds of feelings, whereby all delighting and cherishing of feeling is obliterated in you, as you

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    too dismantle and smash feelings and your identification with feelings, destroying them into
    smithereens.
    “You must do this by practicing constantly, as you completely smash and destroy that thirst and
    craving in you, for more feelings.

    c. “Similarly, Rādha, you should drop any passion and desire; the longing and greed towards all
    kinds of perceptions and memories, whereby all delighting and cherishing of perception is
    obliterated in you, as you too dismantle and smash perception and your identification with
    perception, destroying it into smithereens.
    “You must do this by practicing constantly, as you completely smash and destroy that thirst and
    craving in you, for more perceptions.

    d. “Similarly, Rādha, you should drop any passion and desire; the longing and greed towards all
    kinds of saṅkhārā or habitual tendencies, whereby all delighting and cherishing of habitual
    tendencies is obliterated in you, as you too dismantle and smash habitual tendencies and your
    identification with habitual tendencies, destroying them into smithereens.
    “You must do this by practicing constantly, as you completely smash and destroy that thirst and
    craving in you, for more habitual tendencies.

    e. “Also, Rādha, you should drop any passion and desire; the longing and greed towards all kinds
    of consciousness, whereby all delighting and cherishing of consciousness is obliterated in you, as
    you too dismantle and smash consciousness and your identification with consciousness,
    destroying it into smithereens.
    “You must do this by practicing constantly, as you completely smash and destroy that thirst and
    craving in you, for more consciousnesses.

    “This, Rādha, because Nibbāna itself is none other than that very destruction and complete
    elimination of the constant thirst and craving for more!”

    Sādhu
    Sādhu
    Sādhu

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