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Samyutta Nikaya

# SN 52.17 Sabbattha Gāmini Sutta (Where All the Different Paths of Practice Lead) SN 52.17

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    [page 1]
    SN 52.17
    Saṁyutta Nikāya
    The Connected Discourses

    Mahāvagga Saṁyutta
    The Great Section of the Connected Discourses
    Anuruddha Saṁyutta
    Connected Discourses on the Venerable Anuruddha
    Dutiya (Sahassa) Vagga
    The Second Section

    Sabbattha Gāmini Sutta
    “Where All the Different Paths of Practice Lead”

    Translated by Bhikkhu Candana
    Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2023, 2025

    At one time, the Venerable Anuruddha was staying in Sāvatthī’s Jeta’s Park, at
    Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then, a group of Bhikkhus went and approached the Venerable
    Anuruddha, and after exchanging friendly and appreciative greetings with him, they sat to one
    side and asked him the following question:
    “By practicing what, with strong earnestness, and what meditation object has our Friend, the
    Venerable Anuruddha, dedicatedly cultivated, with which he was able to attain the Great Direct
    and Intuitive Knowledge?”
    “Friends, I attained the Great Direct and Intuitive Knowledge by dedicatedly cultivating the
    Practice of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, and with strong earnestness.
    “And what are these four?
    1a. “Friends, I meditate while observing whatever experiences that arise or take place internally,
    within the body; I meditate while observing the disappearance of whatever experiences that are
    taking place internally, within the body; I meditate while observing both the appearance and
    disappearance of whatever experiences that occur internally, within the body.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while mindfully observing and staying with the body, with
    keen interest and careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean into the
    experience, nor to change or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.
    1b. “I meditate while observing whatever experiences that arise or take place externally, on the
    body; I meditate while observing the disappearance of whatever experiences that are taking place

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    externally, on the body; I meditate while observing both the appearance and disappearance of
    whatever experiences that occur externally, on the body.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while mindfully observing and staying with the body, with
    keen interest and careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean into the
    experience, nor to change or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.
    1c. “Further, I meditate while observing whatever experiences that arise or take place both
    internally and externally, on the body; I meditate while observing the disappearance of whatever
    experiences that are taking place both, internally and externally, on the body; I meditate while
    observing both the appearance and disappearance of whatever experiences that occur both,
    internally and externally, on the body.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while mindfully observing and staying with the body with
    keen interest and careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean into the
    experience, nor desiring to change or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.

    2a. “Similarly, friends, I meditate while observing whatever feelings that arise or take place
    internally; I meditate while observing the disappearance of whatever feelings that arise or take
    place internally; I meditate while observing both the appearance and disappearance of whatever
    feelings that arise or take place internally.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while mindfully observing feelings with keen interest and
    careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean into the experience, nor to change
    or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.
    2b. “I meditate while observing whatever feelings that arise or take place due to external causes;
    I meditate while observing the disappearance of whatever feelings that arise or take place due to
    external causes; I meditate while observing both the appearance and disappearance of whatever
    feelings that arise or take place due to external causes.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while mindfully observing feelings with keen interest and
    careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean into the experience, nor to change
    or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.
    2c. “Further, I meditate while observing whatever feelings that arise or take place both internally
    and due to external causes; I meditate while observing the disappearance of whatever feelings
    that arise or take place both internally and due to external causes; I meditate while observing
    both the appearance and disappearance of whatever feelings that arise or take place both
    internally and due to external causes.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while mindfully observing feelings with keen interest
    careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean into the experience, nor to change
    or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.

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    3a. “Similarly, friends, I meditate while observing whatever mental states that arise or take place
    internally; I meditate while observing the disappearance of whatever mental states that are taking
    place internally; I meditate while observing both the appearance and disappearance of whatever
    mental states that occur internally.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while mindfully observing mental states with keen interest
    and careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean into the experience, nor to
    change or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.
    3b. “I meditate while observing whatever mental states that are arising due to outside causes; I
    meditate while observing the disappearance of whatever mental states that are arising due to
    outside causes; I meditate while observing both the appearance and disappearance of whatever
    mental states that are arising due to outside causes.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while mindfully observing these mental states with keen
    interest and careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean into the experience, nor
    to change or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.
    3c. “I meditate while observing the mental states that arise or take place both internally and those
    arising due to outside causes; I meditate while observing the disappearance of whatever mental
    states that arise or take place both internally and those arising due to outside causes; I meditate
    while observing both the appearance and disappearance of whatever mental states that arise or
    take place both internally and those arising due to outside causes.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while mindfully observing mental states with keen interest
    and careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean into the experience, nor to
    change or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.

    4a. “Similarly, friends, I meditate while observing the various phenomena and their relationships
    that arise or take place internally; I meditate while observing the disappearance of relationships
    of whatever phenomena that are taking place internally; I meditate while observing both the
    appearance and disappearance of the relationships of whatever phenomena that arise or take
    place internally.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while observing the various phenomena and their
    relationships with keen interest and careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean
    into the experience, nor to change or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.
    4b. “I meditate while observing the various phenomena and their relationships that are arising
    due to outside causes; I meditate while observing the disappearance of the various phenomena
    and their relationships that are arising due to outside causes; I meditate while observing both the
    appearance and disappearance of the various phenomena and their relationships that are arising
    due to outside causes.

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    “In this manner, I continue meditating while observing the various phenomena and their
    relationships with keen interest and careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor lean
    into the experience, nor to change or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.
    4c. “Also, I meditate while observing the various phenomena and their relationships that arise or
    take place both internally and those arising due to outside causes; I meditate while observing the
    disappearance of the various phenomena and their relationships that are taking place both
    internally and those arising due to outside causes; I meditate while observing both the
    appearance and disappearance of the various phenomena and their relationships that occur
    internally and those arising due to outside causes.
    “In this manner, I continue meditating while observing the various phenomena and their
    relationships, with keen interest and careful attention, without having any desire to avoid nor
    lean into the experience, nor to change or fight the truth of whatever is taking place.

    “As a result of this training, friends, I attained the Great Direct and Intuitive Knowledge by
    dedicatedly cultivating these Four Establishments of Mindfulness Practice and doing so with
    strong earnestness.
    “And it is due to dedicating all my time and energy to cultivating these Four Establishments of
    Mindfulness Practice, and with unprecedented and strong earnestness, that I can now truly
    understand and see where exactly all the different paths of practice lead to.”

    Sādhu
    Sādhu
    Sādhu

    Translated by Bhikkhu Candana

    Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2023, 2025

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