With KāmabhūKāmabhūsutta

At one time the venerables Ānanda and Kāmabhū were staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery.Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca ānando āyasmā ca kāmabhū kosambiyaṁ viharanti ghositārāme.

Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Kāmabhū came out of retreat, went to Venerable Ānanda, and exchanged greetings with him.Atha kho āyasmā kāmabhū sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Ānanda:Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā kāmabhū āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:

“Reverend Ānanda, which is it? Is the eye the fetter of sights, or are sights the fetter of the eye?“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso ānanda, cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ …pe… Is the ear … nose … tongue … body …jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ …pe… mind the fetter of ideas, or are ideas the fetter of the mind?”mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, dhammā manassa saṁyojanan”ti?

“Reverend Kāmabhū, the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye.“Na kho, āvuso kāmabhū, cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ. The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ …pe… The ear … nose … tongue … body …na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ …pe… mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind.na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ. The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.

Suppose there was a black ox and a white ox yoked by a single harness or yoke.Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kāḷo ca balībaddo odāto ca balībaddo ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā assu. Would it be right to say thatYo nu kho evaṁ vadeyya: the black ox is the yoke of the white ox, or the white ox is the yoke of the black ox?”‘kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanan’ti, sammā nu kho so vadamāno vadeyyā”ti?

“No, reverend.“No hetaṁ, āvuso”. The black ox is not the yoke of the white ox, nor is the white ox the yoke of the black ox.“Na kho, āvuso, kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, napi odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ. The yoke there is the single harness or yoke that they’re yoked by.”Yena ca kho te ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.

“In the same way, the eye is not the fetter of sights, nor are sights the fetter of the eye.Evameva kho, āvuso, na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ …pe… The ear … nose … tongue … body …na jivhā …pe… mind is not the fetter of ideas, nor are ideas the fetter of the mind.na mano …pe… The fetter there is the desire and greed that arises from the pair of them.”yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanan”ti.