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SN 1.23

A Tangle

Jaṭāsutta

from: 3. A Sword

A Tangle

“Tangled within, tangled without:
these people are tangled in tangles.
I ask you this, Gotama:
who can untangle this tangle?”

“A wise person grounded in ethics,
developing the mind and wisdom,
a keen and alert mendicant—
they can untangle this tangle.

Those in whom greed, hate, and ignorance
have faded away;
the perfected ones with defilements ended—
they have untangled the tangle.

And where name and form
cease with no residue left behind;
and impingement and perception of form:
it’s here that the tangle is cut.”

Translation: German (Ayyā Sabbamittā), English (Bhikkhu Sujato). Source: SuttaCentral / Bilara (public domain, CC0).

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