The Buddha advises So on the five aggregates and how to practice amid aging, illness, and the limitations of the body.

SN 22.50 With Soṇa (2nd)

Evaṁ me sutaṁ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

Atha kho soṇo gahapatiputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho soṇaṁ gahapatiputtaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“Ye hi keci, soṇa, samaṇā brāhmaṇā rūpaṁ nappajānanti, rūpasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, rūpanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, rūpanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti; vedanaṁ nappajānanti, vedanāsamudayaṁ nappajānanti, vedanānirodhaṁ nappajānanti, vedanānirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti; saññaṁ nappajānanti …pe… saṅkhāre nappajānanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ nappajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti; viññāṇaṁ nappajānanti, viññāṇasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, viññāṇanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, viññāṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti. Na me te, soṇa, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca pana te āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ brahmaññatthaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.

Ye ca kho keci, soṇa, samaṇā brāhmaṇā rūpaṁ pajānanti, rūpasamudayaṁ pajānanti, rūpanirodhaṁ pajānanti, rūpanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti; vedanaṁ pajānanti …pe… saññaṁ pajānantisaṅkhāre pajānantiviññāṇaṁ pajānanti, viññāṇasamudayaṁ pajānanti, viññāṇanirodhaṁ pajānanti, viññāṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti. Te ca kho me, soṇa, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā, te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Evaṁ me sutaṁ

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Atha kho soṇo gahapatiputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho soṇaṁ gahapatiputtaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

Then the householder Soṇa went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“Ye hi keci, soṇa, samaṇā brāhmaṇā rūpaṁ nappajānanti, rūpasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, rūpanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, rūpanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;

“Soṇa, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t understand form, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.

vedanaṁ nappajānanti, vedanāsamudayaṁ nappajānanti, vedanānirodhaṁ nappajānanti, vedanānirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;

They don’t understand feeling …

saññaṁ nappajānanti …pe…

perception …

saṅkhāre nappajānanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ nappajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;

choices …

viññāṇaṁ nappajānanti, viññāṇasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, viññāṇanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, viññāṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti.

consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.

Na me te, soṇa, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca pana te āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ brahmaññatthaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.

I don’t deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight.

Ye ca kho keci, soṇa, samaṇā brāhmaṇā rūpaṁ pajānanti, rūpasamudayaṁ pajānanti, rūpanirodhaṁ pajānanti, rūpanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti;

There are ascetics and brahmins who do understand form, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.

vedanaṁ pajānanti …pe…

They do understand feeling …

saññaṁ pajānanti

perception …

saṅkhāre pajānanti

choices …

viññāṇaṁ pajānanti, viññāṇasamudayaṁ pajānanti, viññāṇanirodhaṁ pajānanti, viññāṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti.

consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.

Te ca kho me, soṇa, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā, te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.

I deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and live having realized it with their own insight.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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Last updated on July 27, 2026