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AN 6.55 
Soṇa Sutta  
“With the Venerable Soṇa” 
 
Translated by Bhikkhu Candana 
 
Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2022 
 
Soṇa Sutta (With Soṇa) 
 
I have personally heard this.  
At one time, The Blessed One was living on the Vultures’ Peak, in Rājagaha, while the 
Venerable Soṇa was also staying in Rājagaha, but in the cool forest, below from where the 
Blessed One was. Then, the Venerable Soṇa began thinking and planning in his seclusion: ‘I am 
one of the disciples of The Blessed One, living with aroused energy. But I see how my mind is not 
yet released from the mental contaminants, as it still tends to grab on to things. Now, in our 
family, there is still much wealth. I could go just back to them, and retake my share of that 
wealth, meanwhile I can always do merits and wholesome acts. What if I give up the Holy Life 
and just go back to the lower life of a householder, reclaim my wealth, as I continue doing merit-
making deeds?’ 
Meanwhile, The Blessed One, knowing in His mind the discursive thoughts being pondered in 
the Venerable Soṇa’s mind, quickly and just as a strong man would stretch out his flexed arm or 
bend back his outstretched arm, suddenly disappeared from the Vultures’ Peak and reappeared 
before Venerable Soṇa in the cool forest. Then, the Blessed One sat on the prepared seat as the 
Venerable Soṇa paid his respects to Him and sat to one side.  
The Blessed One said:  
“Soṇa, were you just now pondering this discursive thought while in seclusion: ‘I am one of the 
disciples of The Blessed One, living with aroused energy. But I see how my mind is not yet 
released from the mental contaminants, as it still tends to grab on to things. Now, in our family, 
there is still much wealth. I could go just back to them, and retake my share of that wealth, 
meanwhile I can always do merits and wholesome acts. What if I give up the Holy Life and just 
go back to the lower life of a householder, reclaim my wealth, as I continue doing merit-making 
deeds?’ 
“Yes, Bhante,” replied Soṇa. 
“Soṇa, when you were still a householder, were you skilled at the vīṇā, playing music?”  
 
“Yes, Bhante.” 
“Soṇa, if you were to tighten the strings on the vīṇā, could you still play it to make music?”

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“Oh no, Bhante.” 
“And what if, Soṇa, the strings of the vīṇā were too loose, could it still be in tune, so that you can 
play it to make music?”  
“It could not, Bhante.” 
“And what if, Soṇa, the strings on the vīṇā were not too tightened, nor too loose, and having 
been properly tuned, would the vīṇā now be played to make music?”  
“Oh yes, Bhante.” 
“In just the same manner, Soṇa, too much aroused energy and effort lead to restlessness and 
agitation, whereas too little aroused energy and effort lead to laziness and absent mindedness. 
Therefore, Soṇa, make a determination to balance your energy and effort, while establishing an 
evenness in your faculties, so to be able to penetrate your meditation object and gain its sign.”  
Having been thus advised and encouraged by the Blessed One, the Venerable was delighted in 
receiving this personal advice from The Blessed One. And just as a strong man would stretch out 
his flexed arm or bend back his outstretched arm, suddenly the Blessed One disappeared from 
the cool forest and reappeared immediately on the Vultures’ Peak. 
Then, as instructed by the Blessed One, Venerable Soṇa made a determination to balance his 
energy and effort, and by establishing an evenness in his faculties, he was able to penetrate his 
meditation object and gained its sign. Being secluded and withdrawn from the crowd, living 
heedfully and with resolution, Venerable Soṇa kept practicing diligently, and before long, here 
and now, he was able to finally realize by himself the noble end of the Holy Life; experiencing 
for himself that unsurpassed knowledge for which sons of good families rightfully leave the 
household life by becoming homeless. And the Venerable Soṇa knew with certainty 
unparalleled: “Now, birth is finally destroyed; the Holy Life is fully lived; what should be done 
is now done, and there is no more coming to any state of becoming.” And Venerable Soṇa 
became one of the Arahants. 
Then, it occurred to the Venerable Soṇa: ‘What if I go to The Blessed One and declare my 
attainment.’ And the Venerable Sona approached The Blessed One, and after paying homage to 
Him, sat to one side, and said:  
“Bhante, an Arahant, with his mental contaminants all destroyed, who has lived the Holy Life, 
done what should be done, having put down the heavy burden by achieving the highest Goal, and 
having destroyed the fetter of further becoming and who is now fully released by his Full 
Awakening, finds himself naturally inclined towards these six states:  
“He is constantly inclined towards renunciation, to seclusion, to being kind and with non-
oppressive consideration, to the destruction of craving, to the destruction of any form of 
grabbing, and to mental purity.”

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“Bhante, there might be some Bhikkhus, who may look upon the renunciation they witness in 
such a Bhikkhu and assume it to be merely an expression of faith or devotion and nothing more, 
but that would be incorrect, as it would be a false assumption on their part. Bhante, the Bhikkhu 
with his mental contaminants all destroyed, is an Arahant who has lived the Holy Life, done 
what should be done, having put down the heavy burden by achieving the highest Goal, and as 
such, there is nothing further left for him to do or work on, in order to improve himself. 
Therefore, he is now naturally inclined towards renunciation, simply because he is truly void of 
any lust, having completely destroyed it. Also, he is truly void of any hatred, having completely 
destroyed it. And he is truly void of any delusion, having completely destroyed it. For this 
reason, Bhante, the Bhikkhu naturally inclines now towards renunciation. 
“Further, Bhante, there might be some Bhikkhus, who may look upon the seclusion they witness 
in such a Bhikkhu and assume it to be merely a way for him to gain renown, fame, or praise by 
others, but that would be incorrect, as it would be a false assumption on their part. Bhante, the 
Bhikkhu with his mental contaminants all destroyed, is an Arahant who has lived the Holy Life, 
done what should be done, having put down the heavy burden by achieving the highest Goal, and 
as such, there is nothing further left for him to do or work on in order to improve himself. 
Therefore, he is now naturally inclined towards seclusion, simply because he is truly void of any 
lust, having completely destroyed it. Also, he is truly void of any hatred, having completely 
destroyed it. And he is truly void of any delusion, having completely destroyed it. For this 
reason, Bhante, he naturally inclines now towards seclusion. 
“Further, Bhante, there might be some Bhikkhus, who may look upon the kind and non-
oppressive consideration they witness in such a Bhikkhu and assume that he has merely become 
hemmed in by the belief, that continuous observance of the precepts is of the utmost importance, 
while having wrong views about true virtuous behavior. But that would be incorrect, as it would 
also be a false assumption on their part. Bhante, the Bhikkhu with his mental contaminants all 
destroyed, is an Arahant who has lived the Holy Life, done what should be done, having put 
down the heavy burden by achieving the highest Goal, and as such, there is nothing further left 
for him to do or work on, in order to improve himself. Therefore, he is now naturally inclined 
towards being kind and with non-oppressive consideration, simply because he is truly void of 
any lust, having completely destroyed it. Also, he is truly void of any hatred, having completely 
destroyed it. And he is truly void of any delusion, having completely destroyed it. For this 
reason, Bhante, he naturally inclines now towards being kind and with non-oppressive 
consideration. 
“Further, Bhante, there might be some Bhikkhus, who may look upon the destruction of craving 
they witness in such a Bhikkhu and assume that he has merely become hemmed in by the belief 
that continuous observance of the precepts is of the utmost importance, while having wrong 
views about true virtuous behavior. But that would be incorrect, as it would again be a false 
assumption on their part. Bhante, the Bhikkhu with his mental contaminants all destroyed, is an 
Arahant who has lived the Holy Life, done what should be done, having put down the heavy 
burden by achieving the highest Goal, and as such, there is nothing further left for him to do or 
work on, in order to improve himself. Therefore, he is now naturally inclined towards the 
destruction of craving, simply because he is truly void of any lust, having completely destroyed 
it. Also, he is truly void of any hatred, having completely destroyed it. And he is truly void of

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any delusion, having completely destroyed it. For this reason, Bhante, he naturally inclines now 
towards the destruction of craving. 
“Further, Bhante, there might be some Bhikkhus, who may look upon the destruction of any 
form of grabbing they witness in such a Bhikkhu and assume that he has merely become 
hemmed in by the belief that continuous observance of the precepts is of the utmost importance, 
while having wrong views about true virtuous behavior. But that would be incorrect, as it would 
again be a false assumption on their part. Bhante, the Bhikkhu with his mental contaminants all 
destroyed, is an Arahant who has lived the Holy Life, done what should be done, having put 
down the heavy burden by achieving the highest Goal, and as such, there is nothing further left 
for him to do or work on, in order to improve himself. Therefore, he is now naturally inclined 
towards the destruction of any form of grabbing, simply because he is truly void of any lust, 
having completely destroyed it. Also, he is truly void of any hatred, having completely destroyed 
it. And he is truly void of any delusion, having completely destroyed it. For this reason, Bhante, 
he naturally inclines now towards the destruction of any form of grabbing. 
“Further, Bhante, there might be some Bhikkhus, who may look upon the dedication to mental 
purity they witness in such a Bhikkhu and assume that he has merely become hemmed in by the 
belief that continuous observance of the precepts is of the utmost importance, while having 
wrong views about true virtuous behavior. But that would be incorrect, as it would again be a 
false assumption on their part. Bhante, the Bhikkhu with his mental contaminants all destroyed, 
is an Arahant who has lived the Holy Life, done what should be done, having put down the 
heavy burden by achieving the highest Goal, and as such, there is nothing further left for him to 
do or work on in order to improve himself. Therefore, he is now naturally inclined towards 
mental purity, simply because he is truly void of any lust, having completely destroyed it. Also, 
he is truly void of any hatred, having completely destroyed it. And he is truly void of any 
delusion, having completely destroyed it. For this reason, Bhante, he naturally inclines now 
towards mental purity. 
Bhante, when the Bhikkhu’s heart is perfectly released in this way, even if a great many 
compelling visual forms come to be witnessed by the eye, they do not take hold of his heart nor 
even stay. The mind remains completely unperturbed, steady, and unmoved by what is seen, as 
he observes the continued cessation of whatever appears before him.  
Similarly, even if a great many compelling audible sounds come to be experienced by the ear, 
they do not take hold of his heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely unperturbed, 
steady, and unmoved by what is heard, as he observes the continued cessation of whatever is 
heard by him. 
Similarly, even if a great many compelling odors come to be experienced by the nose, they do 
not take hold of his heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely unperturbed, steady, and 
unmoved by what is smelled, as he observes the continued cessation of whatever is sensed by 
him.  
Similarly, even if a great many compelling flavors come to be experienced by the tongue, they 
do not take hold of his heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely unperturbed, steady,

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and unmoved by what is tasted, as he observes the continued cessation of whatever is sensed by 
him.  
Similarly, even if a great many compelling textures come to be experienced by the body, they do 
not take hold of his heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely unperturbed, steady, and 
unmoved by what is touched, as he observes the continued cessation of whatever is sensed by 
him.  
And similarly, even if a great many compelling thoughts or memories come to be experienced by 
the mind, they do not take hold of his heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely 
unperturbed, steady, and unmoved by what is cognized, as he observes the continued cessation of 
whatever is known by him.  
Bhante, just like a massive stone mountain that is solid without any crevasses or rifts in it, and 
when a powerful thunderstorm comes from the eastern, or the western, or the northern, or the 
southern directions, and try as it might to violently pour all its rain on it, it cannot even move or 
make the mountain tremble.  
Likewise, Bhante, when the Bhikkhu’s heart is perfectly released in this way, even if a great 
many compelling visual forms come to be witnessed by the eye, they do not take hold of his 
heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely unperturbed, steady, and unmoved by what is 
seen, as he observes the continued cessation of whatever appears before him.  
Similarly, even if a great many compelling audible sounds come to be experienced by the ear, 
they do not take hold of his heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely unperturbed, 
steady, and unmoved by what is heard, as he observes the continued cessation of whatever is 
heard by him. 
Similarly, even if a great many compelling odors come to be experienced by the nose, they do 
not take hold of his heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely unperturbed, steady, and 
unmoved by what is smelled, as he observes the continued cessation of whatever is sensed by 
him.  
Similarly, even if a great many compelling flavors come to be experienced by the tongue, they 
do not take hold of his heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely unperturbed, steady, 
and unmoved by what is tasted, as he observes the continued cessation of whatever is sensed by 
him.  
Similarly, even if a great many compelling textures come to be experienced by the body, they do 
not take hold of his heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely unperturbed, steady, and 
unmoved by what is touched, as he observes the continued cessation of whatever is sensed by 
him.  
And similarly, even if a great many compelling thoughts or memories come to be experienced by 
the mind, they do not take hold of his heart nor even stay. The mind remains completely

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unperturbed, steady, and unmoved by what is cognized, as he observes the continued cessation of 
whatever is known by him.  
The secluded mind inclined to renunciation  
While being kind and with non-oppressive consideration of others, 
The heart undefiled, inclined to the destruction of grabbing and craving, 
Upon seeing the arising of contact at any of the sense doors, tastes Perfect Freedom at last. 
 
For such a perfectly released Bhikkhu, who is now at peace, 
There is no more work to be done, nothing to improve upon.  
Just like a massive stone mountain does not tremble by the power of violent storms, 
Likewise forms, tastes, sounds, odors, textures, or  
Whatever mental objects that may be liked or disliked, can no longer affect him,  
For the heart that is freed remains completely steady and unperturbed,  
As it observes quietly their cessation. 
 
Sadhu 
Sadhu 
Sadhu