sn.36.4 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

The Bottomless Abyss

“Bhikkhus, when the uninstructed worldling makes the statement, ‘In the great ocean there is a bottomless abyss,’ he makes such a statement about something that is nonexistent and unreal. This, bhikkhus, is rather a designation for painful bodily feelings, that is, ‘bottomless abyss.’

“When the uninstructed worldling is contacted by a painful bodily feeling, he sorrows, grieves, and laments; he weeps and beats his breast and becomes distraught. This is called an uninstructed worldling who has not risen up in the bottomless abyss, one who has not gained a foothold.

“But, bhikkhus, when the instructed noble disciple is contacted by a painful bodily feeling, he does not sorrow, grieve, or lament; he does not weep and beat his breast and become distraught. This is called an instructed noble disciple who has risen up in the bottomless abyss, one who has gained a foothold.”

One who cannot endure
The arisen painful feelings,
Bodily feelings that sap one’s life,
Who trembles when they touch him,
A weakling of little strength
Who weeps out loud and wails:
He has not risen up in the bottomless abyss,
Nor has he even gained a foothold.

But one who is able to endure them—
The arisen painful feelings,
Bodily feelings that sap one’s life—
Who trembles not when they touch him:
He has risen up in the bottomless abyss,
And he has also gained a foothold.

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

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The Abyss

“Mendicants, when an unlearned ordinary person says that
there’s a hellish abyss under the ocean,
they’re speaking of something that doesn’t exist.

‘Hellish abyss’ is a term for painful physical feelings.
When an unlearned ordinary person experiences painful physical feelings they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.
They’re called an unlearned ordinary person who hasn’t stood up in the hellish abyss and has gained no footing.
When a learned noble disciple experiences painful physical feelings they don’t sorrow or wail or lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.
They’re called a learned noble disciple who has stood up in the hellish abyss and gained a footing.
If you can’t abide
those painful physical feelings
that arise and sap your vitality;
if you tremble at their touch,
weeping and wailing,
a weakling lacking strength—
you won’t stand up in the hellish abyss
and gain a footing.
If you can endure
those painful physical feelings
that arise and sap your vitality;
if you don’t tremble at their touch—
you stand up in the hellish abyss
and gain a footing.”