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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
