Śroṇa (SA30)

Thus I have heard: The Buddha was staying at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove of Rājagṛha. At the time, Venerable Śāriputra was on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa.

There was then a prominent man’s son named Śroṇa who went for walks every day. He went to Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa and visited Venerable Śāriputra there. Once they had exchanged greetings and asked how they were doing, he withdrew to sit at one side. He said to Śāriputra, “Suppose ascetics and priests say this, despite the impermanence, change, and insecurity of form: ‘I am better,’ ‘I am equal,’ or ‘I am inferior.’ Why would an ascetic or priest conceive of this, not seeing truly? Suppose an ascetic or priest says despite the impermanence, change, and insecurity of feeling … conception … volition … awareness: ‘I am better,’ ‘I am equal,’ or ‘I am inferior.’ Why would an ascetic or priest conceive of this, not seeing truly?

“Suppose an ascetic or priest says despite the impermanence, change, and insecurity of form: ‘I am better,’ ‘I am equal,’ or ‘I am inferior.’ How do they imagine that, not seeing truly? Suppose they say despite the impermanence, change, and insecurity of feeling … conception … volition … awareness: ‘I am better,’ ‘I am equal,’ or ‘I am inferior.’ How do they imagine that, not seeing truly?”

“Śroṇa, what do you think? Is form permanent or impermanent?”

He replied, “Impermanent.”

“Śroṇa, if something is impermanent, is that painful?”

He replied, “It’s painful.”

“Śroṇa, if something is impermanent and painful, it’s subject to change. What do you think? Would a noble disciple see form as self, different than self, or either being present in the other?”

He replied, “No.”

“Śroṇa, what do you think? Is feeling … conception … volition … awareness permanent or impermanent?”

He replied, “Impermanent.”

“If something is impermanent, is that painful?”

He replied, “It’s painful.”

“Śroṇa, if awareness is impermanent and painful, this is something that’s subject to change. What do you think? Would a noble disciple see awareness as self, different than self, or either present in the other?”

He replied, “No.”

“Śroṇa, you should know that whatever forms there are, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, crude or fine, beautiful or ugly, or distant or near, all those forms are not self, not different than self, and neither are present in the other. This is called truly knowing it.

“Thus, whatever feelings … conceptions … volitions … instances of awareness there are, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, crude or fine, beautiful or ugly, or distant or near, all those instances of awareness are not self, not different than self, and neither is present in the other. This is called truly knowing it.

“In this way, Śroṇa, one becomes disillusioned, becomes free of desire for, and becomes liberated from form, feeling, conception, volition, and awareness. Being liberated, they know and see: ‘My births have been ended, the religious life has been established, and the task has been accomplished. I myself know that I won’t be subject to a later existence.’”

After Śāriputra taught this sūtra, that prominent man’s son Śroṇa became free of dust and defilement and purified his Dharma eye. Śroṇa then saw and attained the Dharma, and he became confident in the correct Dharma without relying on someone else. He rose from his seat, adjusted his robes to bare his right shoulder, and crouched with his palms together. He said to Śāriputra, “I’ve been freed today! From this day on, I take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, and take refuge in the Saṅgha as a layman. From today until the end of my life, I will be pure in my devotion to these three jewels.”

When the prominent man Śroṇa heard what Śāriputra had taught, he rejoiced and celebrated. He then bowed and departed.

This sūtra is part of the Dharma Pearls translation project.

Prepared by Charles Patton for SuttaCentral.