ReadingFaithfully.org icon Facebook icon Bluesky icon Reddit icon Tumblr icon Mastodon icon RSS icon

Iti 58 Taṇhāsutta: Craving

Giant Buddha statue from the back, blue sky behind.

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“Mendicants, there are these three cravings. What three? Craving for sensual pleasures, craving to continue existence, and craving to end existence. These are the three cravings.”

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

“Bound by craving, minds full of desire
for rebirth in this or that state,
yoked by Māra’s yoke, these people
find no sanctuary from the yoke.
Sentient beings continue to transmigrate,
with ongoing birth and death.

Those who have given up craving,
rid of craving for rebirth in this or that state,
they in this world have truly crossed over,
having reached the ending of defilements.”

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.


Read this translation of Itivuttaka 58 Taṇhāsutta: Craving Taṇhāsutta by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net.

Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Català, Čeština, Español, Français, Italiano, မြန်မာဘာသာ, Nederlands, Norsk, Português, ру́сский язы́к, සිංහල, or Srpski. Learn how to find your language.

Ud 7.4 Kāmesu Satta Sutta: Attached to Sensual Pleasures (2)

Cow protecting a calf.

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. And on that occasion, most of the people in Sāvatthī were excessively attached to sensual pleasures. They lived infatuated with, greedy for, addicted to, fastened to, absorbed in sensual pleasures. Then early in the morning the Blessed One adjusted his under robe and–carrying his bowl & robes–went into Sāvatthī for alms. He saw that most of the people in Sāvatthī were excessively attached to sensual pleasures, that they live infatuated with, greedy for, addicted to, fastened to, absorbed in sensual pleasures.

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:

Blinded by sensuality
covered by the net,
veiled with the veil of craving,
bound by the Kinsman of the heedless,
like fish in the mouth of a trap,
they go to aging & death,
like a milk-drinking calf to its mother.


Read this translation of Ud 7.4 Kāmesu Satta Sutta: Attached to Sensual Pleasures (2) by Thanissaro Bhikkhu on Dhammatalks.org.

Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, or Ancient-Buddhist-Texts.net. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Español, Indonesian, Italiano, 日本語, မြန်မာဘာသာ, Nederlands, Norsk, Português, ру́сский язы́к, සිංහල, or Srpski. Learn how to find your language.