The Leash (1)
Gaddūla Sutta (SN 22:99)
Near Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One said: “Monks, from an inconceivable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, although beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on.
“There comes a time when the great ocean evaporates, dries up, & does not exist. But for beings—as long as they are hindered by ignorance, fettered by craving, transmigrating & wandering on—I don’t say that there is an end of suffering & stress.
“There comes a time when Sineru, king of mountains, is consumed with flame, is destroyed, & does not exist. But for beings—as long as they are hindered by ignorance, fettered by craving, transmigrating & wandering on—I don’t say that there is an end of suffering & stress.
“There comes a time when the great earth is consumed with flame, is destroyed, & does not exist. But for beings—as long as they are hindered by ignorance, fettered by craving, transmigrating & wandering on—I don’t say that there is an end of suffering & stress.
“Just as a dog, tied by a leash to a post or stake, keeps running around and circling around that very post or stake; in the same way, an uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person—who has no regard for noble ones, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma; who has no regard for people of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma—assumes form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form.
“He assumes feeling to be the self.…
“He assumes perception to be the self.…
“He assumes fabrications to be the self.…
“He assumes consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness.
“He keeps running around and circling around that very form… that very feeling… that very perception… those very fabrications… that very consciousness. Running and circling around form… feeling… perception… fabrications… consciousness, he is not set loose from form, not set loose from feeling… from perception… from fabrications… not set loose from consciousness. He is not set loose from birth, aging, & death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs. He is not set loose, I tell you, from suffering & stress.
“But a well-instructed disciple of the noble ones—who has regard for noble ones, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma; who has regard for people of integrity, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma—doesn’t assume form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form.
“He doesn’t assume feeling to be the self.…
“He doesn’t assume perception to be the self.…
“He doesn’t assume fabrications to be the self.…
“He doesn’t assume consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness.
“He doesn’t run around or circle around that very form… that very feeling… that very perception… those very fabrications… that very consciousness. He is set loose from form, set loose from feeling… from perception… from fabrications… set loose from consciousness. He is set loose from birth, aging, & death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs. He is set loose, I tell you, from suffering & stress.”
