The Venerable Rādha asks the Buddha on how to know and see so that the underlying tendencies to self-identification, possessiveness, and conceit cease to arise.

SN 22.71 Rādha sutta - Rādha

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

Atha kho āyasmā rādho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kathaṁ nu kho, bhante, jānato, kathaṁ passato imasmiñca saviññāṇake kāye bahiddhā ca sabbanimittesu ahaṅkāramamaṅkāramānānusayā na hontī”ti?

Then the Venerable Rādha approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he addressed him: “Venerable sir, how must one know, how must one see, so that in regard to this body with consciousness and in regard to all external |signs::symbols, mental images, mental representations [nimitta]|, |I-making::self-identification, concept of individuality, I am this, this is me [ahaṅkāra]|, |mine-making::possessiveness, attachment, self-interest [mamaṅkāra]|, and the underlying tendency to |conceit::self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification [māna]| cease to arise?”

“Yaṁ kiñci, rādha, rūpaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ bahiddhā oḷārikaṁ sukhumaṁ hīnaṁ paṇītaṁ yaṁ dūre santike vā, sabbaṁ rūpaṁ: ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passati.

“Any kind of |form::materiality, material existence, experience of the material world, i.e. encompassing both one’s body and external objects; first of the five aggregates [rūpa]| whatsoever, Rādha, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, deficient or refined, far or near—all form is to be seen with proper wisdom as it truly is: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

kāci vedanā atītānāgatapaccuppannā ajjhattaṁ bahiddhā oḷārikā sukhumā hīnā paṇītā dūre santike vā, sabbā vedanā: 'netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā'ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passati.

Any kind of |feeling::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, the experience felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| whatsoever, Rādha, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, deficient or refined, far or near—all feeling is to be seen with proper wisdom as it truly is: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

kāci saññā atītānāgatapaccuppannā ajjhattaṁ bahiddhā oḷārikā sukhumā hīnā paṇītā dūre santike vā, sabbā saññā: 'netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā'ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passati.

Any kind of |perception::The mental process of recognizing and giving meaning to experience. It marks sensory information by signs, labels, or associations drawn from memory and the field of contact. Perception shapes how one experiences the world; third of the five aggregates [sañña]| whatsoever, Rādha, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, deficient or refined, far or near—all perception is to be seen with proper wisdom as it truly is: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

Ye keci saṅkhārā atītānāgatapaccuppannā ajjhattaṁ bahiddhā oḷārikā sukhumā hīnā paṇītā ye dūre santike vā, sabbe saṅkhārā: 'netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā'ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passati.

Any kind of |intentional constructs::the constructive activity that shapes each moment of experience, expressed as bodily, verbal, and mental formations; the accumulated conditioning — patterns, tendencies, and habits — produced by prior action [saṅkhārā]| whatsoever, Rādha, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, deficient or refined, far or near—all intentional constructs are to be seen with proper wisdom as they truly are: ‘These are not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

Yaṁ kiñci viññāṇaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ bahiddhā oḷārikaṁ sukhumaṁ hīnaṁ paṇītaṁ yaṁ dūre santike vā, sabbaṁ viññāṇaṁ: ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passati.

Any kind of |consciousness::quality of awareness — distinctive knowing that arises in dependence on the meeting of eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and tangible object, mind and mind object; fifth of the five aggregates [viññāṇa]| whatsoever, Rādha, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, deficient or refined, far or near—all consciousness is to be seen with proper wisdom as it truly is: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

Evaṁ kho, rādha, jānato evaṁ passato imasmiñca saviññāṇake kāye bahiddhā ca sabbanimittesu ahaṅkāramamaṅkāramānānusayā na hontī”ti …pe…

When one knows and sees thus, Rādha, in regard to this body with consciousness and in regard to all external signs, I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit cease to arise.” ...pe...

aññataro ca panāyasmā rādho arahataṁ ahosīti.

Then the venerable Rādha ... became one of the arahants.

Qualities:

Conceit

Conceit

Self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth

Also known as: arrogance, egotism, pride, self-importance, tendency of self-comparison
Pāli: māna, atimāna, unnaḷa
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Radical attention

Radical attention

The active, deliberate steering of the mind away from habitual, automated reaction patterns. It is the wise steering of attention based on a theme of the Dhamma.

Also known as: wise steering of attention, root-level attention, attention to the structural source, contextual reflection
Pāli: yonisomanasikāra
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 11, 2026