At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana. Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita came out of retreat, went to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta:
“Reverend Sāriputta, which is it? Is the eye the fetter of sights, or are sights the fetter of the eye? Is the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind the fetter of ideas, or are ideas the fetter of the mind?” “Reverend Koṭṭhita, the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye.
The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them. The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind.
PL
Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ.
EN
The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them. Suppose there was a black ox and a white ox yoked by a single harness or yoke. Would it be right to say that the black ox is the yoke of the white ox, or the white ox is the yoke of the black ox?”
PL
Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kāḷo ca balībaddo odāto ca balībaddo ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā assu. Yo nu kho evaṁ vadeyya: ‘kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanan’ti, sammā nu kho so vadamāno vadeyyā”ti?
EN
“No, reverend. The black ox is not the yoke of the white ox, nor is the white ox the yoke of the black ox. The yoke there is the single harness or yoke that they’re yoked by.” “In the same way, the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye.
PL
“No hetaṁ, āvuso”. “Na kho, āvuso, kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, na odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ. Yena ca kho te ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ. Evameva kho, āvuso, na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ.
EN
The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them. The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind. The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.
PL
Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.
EN
If the eye were the fetter of sights, or if sights were the fetter of the eye, this living of the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering would not be found. However, since this is not the case, but the fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them, this living of the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering is found.
mind were the fetter of ideas, or if ideas were the fetter of the mind, this living of the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering would not be found. However, since this is not the case, but the fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them, this living of the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering is found.
PL
Mano vā, āvuso, dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ abhavissa, dhammā vā manassa saṁyojanaṁ, nayidaṁ brahmacariyavāso paññāyetha sammā dukkhakkhayāya. Yasmā ca kho, āvuso, na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ, tasmā brahmacariyavāso paññāyati sammā dukkhakkhayāya.
EN
This too is a way to understand how this is so.
PL
Imināpetaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ.
EN
The Buddha has an eye with which he sees a sight. But he has no desire and greed,
for his mind is well freed. This too is a way to understand how the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye. The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them. The ear …
PL
Suvimuttacitto bhagavā. Iminā kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ. Na sotaṁ …
EN
nose … tongue … body …
PL
na ghānaṁ … na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ. Na kāyo …
EN
mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind. The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.”
PL
na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanan”ti. Pañcamaṁ.
At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana. Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita came out of retreat, went to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta:
“Reverend Sāriputta, which is it? Is the eye the fetter of sights, or are sights the fetter of the eye? Is the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind the fetter of ideas, or are ideas the fetter of the mind?” “Reverend Koṭṭhita, the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye.
The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them. The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind.
PL
Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ.
EN
The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them. Suppose there was a black ox and a white ox yoked by a single harness or yoke. Would it be right to say that the black ox is the yoke of the white ox, or the white ox is the yoke of the black ox?”
PL
Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ. Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kāḷo ca balībaddo odāto ca balībaddo ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā assu. Yo nu kho evaṁ vadeyya: ‘kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanan’ti, sammā nu kho so vadamāno vadeyyā”ti?
EN
“No, reverend. The black ox is not the yoke of the white ox, nor is the white ox the yoke of the black ox. The yoke there is the single harness or yoke that they’re yoked by.” “In the same way, the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye.
PL
“No hetaṁ, āvuso”. “Na kho, āvuso, kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, na odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ. Yena ca kho te ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ. Evameva kho, āvuso, na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ.
EN
The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them. The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind. The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.
PL
Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.
EN
If the eye were the fetter of sights, or if sights were the fetter of the eye, this living of the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering would not be found. However, since this is not the case, but the fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them, this living of the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering is found.
mind were the fetter of ideas, or if ideas were the fetter of the mind, this living of the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering would not be found. However, since this is not the case, but the fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them, this living of the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering is found.
PL
Mano vā, āvuso, dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ abhavissa, dhammā vā manassa saṁyojanaṁ, nayidaṁ brahmacariyavāso paññāyetha sammā dukkhakkhayāya. Yasmā ca kho, āvuso, na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ, tasmā brahmacariyavāso paññāyati sammā dukkhakkhayāya.
EN
This too is a way to understand how this is so.
PL
Imināpetaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ …pe… na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ.
EN
The Buddha has an eye with which he sees a sight. But he has no desire and greed,
for his mind is well freed. This too is a way to understand how the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye. The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them. The ear …
PL
Suvimuttacitto bhagavā. Iminā kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ. Na sotaṁ …
EN
nose … tongue … body …
PL
na ghānaṁ … na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ. Na kāyo …
EN
mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind. The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.”
PL
na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanan”ti. Pañcamaṁ.
Sutraya