Tiṇakaṭṭhasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 15.1

Linked Discourses 15.1

1. Paṭhamavagga

Chapter One

Tiṇakaṭṭhasutta

Grass and Sticks

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.

“Mendicants, this transmigration has no known beginning.

Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ.

No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso yaṁ imasmiṁ jambudīpe tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ taṁ chetvā ekajjhaṁ saṁharitvā caturaṅgulaṁ caturaṅgulaṁ ghaṭikaṁ katvā nikkhipeyya:

Suppose a person was to strip all the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in the Black Plum Tree Land, gather them together into one pile, and chop them each into four inch pieces. They’d lay them down, saying:

‘ayaṁ me mātā, tassā me mātu ayaṁ mātā’ti, apariyādinnāva, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa mātumātaro assu, atha imasmiṁ jambudīpe tiṇakaṭṭhasākhāpalāsaṁ parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya.

‘This is my mother, this is my grandmother.’ The grass, sticks, branches, and leaves of the Black Plum Tree Land would run out before that person’s mothers and grandmothers.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.

This transmigration has no known beginning.

Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ.

No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.

Evaṁ dīgharattaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ tibbaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ byasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ, kaṭasī vaḍḍhitā.

For such a long time you have undergone suffering, agony, and disaster, swelling the cemeteries.

Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ alaṁ virajjituṁ alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.

This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

Paṭhamaṁ.