sn.45.161 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Searches

At Savatthī.

i. Direct knowledge

“Bhikkhus, there are these three searches. What three? The search for sensual pleasure, the search for existence, the search for a holy life. These are the three searches. The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these three searches.

“What Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. This Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these three searches.”

… “What Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion.”…

… “What Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal.”…

… “What Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna. This Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these three searches.”

Each of the following sub-sections ii–iv is to be elaborated in accordance with the method employed in the sub-section on direct knowledge.

ii. Full understanding

“Bhikkhus, there are these three searches. What three? The search for sensual pleasure, the search for existence, the search for a holy life. These are the three searches. The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for full understanding of these three searches.”…

iii. Utter destruction

“Bhikkhus, there are these three searches. What three? The search for sensual pleasure, the search for existence, the search for a holy life. These are the three searches. The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for the utter destruction of these three searches.”…

iv. Abandoning

“Bhikkhus, there are these three searches. What three? The search for sensual pleasure, the search for existence, the search for a holy life. These are the three searches. The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for the abandoning of these three searches.”…

Each of the following suttas is to be elaborated in accordance with the fourfold method employed in §161.

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

---

Searches

At Sāvatthī.
“Mendicants, there are these three searches.
What three?
The search for sensual pleasures, the search for continued existence, and the search for a spiritual path.
These are the three searches.
The noble eightfold path should be developed to directly know these three searches.
What is the noble eightfold path?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.
This is the noble eightfold path that should be developed to directly know these three searches.”
“Mendicants, there are these three searches.
What three?
The search for sensual pleasures, the search for continued existence, and the search for a spiritual path.
These are the three searches.
The noble eightfold path should be developed to directly know these three searches.
What is the noble eightfold path?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which culminate in the removal of greed, hate, and delusion.
This is the noble eightfold path that should be developed to directly know these three searches.”
“Mendicants, there are these three searches.
What three?
The search for sensual pleasures, the search for continued existence, and the search for a spiritual path.
These are the three searches.
The noble eightfold path should be developed to directly know these three searches.
What is the noble eightfold path?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which culminate, finish, and end in the deathless.
This is the noble eightfold path that should be developed to directly know these three searches.”
“Mendicants, there are these three searches.
What three?
The search for sensual pleasures, the search for continued existence, and the search for a spiritual path.
These are the three searches.
The noble eightfold path should be developed to directly know these three searches.
What is the noble eightfold path?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.
This is the noble eightfold path that should be developed to directly know these three searches.”
“Mendicants, there are these three searches.
What three?
The search for sensual pleasures, the search for continued existence, and the search for a spiritual path.
These are the three searches.
The noble eightfold path should be developed to completely understand …”
(This should be expanded with “completely understand” instead of “directly know”.)
“Mendicants, there are these three searches.
What three?
The search for sensual pleasures, the search for continued existence, and the search for a spiritual path.
These are the three searches.
The noble eightfold path should be developed to finish …”
(This should be expanded with “finish” instead of “directly know”.)
“Mendicants, there are these three searches.
What three?
The search for sensual pleasures, the search for continued existence, and the search for a spiritual path.
These are the three searches.
The noble eightfold path should be developed to give up …”



(This should be expanded with “give up” instead of “directly know”.)