• Numbered Discourses 7.51 Aį¹…guttara Nikāya 7.51
  • 5. A Great Sacrifice 5. MahāyaƱƱavagga

Yoking and Unyoking Saṁyogasutta

ā€œMendicants, I will teach you an exposition of the teaching on yoking and unyoking. ā€œSaṁyogavisaṁyogaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dhammapariyāyaṁ desessāmi. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak. … Taṁ suṇātha …pe… And what is the exposition of the teaching on yoking and unyoking? katamo ca so, bhikkhave, saṁyogo visaṁyogo dhammapariyāyo?

A woman focuses on her own femininity: ItthÄ«, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ itthindriyaṁ manasi karoti—her feminine moves, feminine appearance, feminine ways, feminine desires, feminine voice, and feminine adornment. itthikuttaṁ itthākappaṁ itthividhaṁ itthicchandaṁ itthissaraṁ itthālaį¹…kāraṁ. She’s stimulated by this and takes pleasure in it. Sā tattha rajjati tatrābhiramati. So she focuses on the masculinity of others: Sā tattha rattā tatrābhiratā bahiddhā purisindriyaṁ manasi karoti—masculine moves, masculine appearance, masculine ways, masculine desires, masculine voice, and masculine adornment. purisakuttaṁ purisākappaṁ purisavidhaṁ purisacchandaṁ purisassaraṁ purisālaį¹…kāraṁ. She’s stimulated by this and takes pleasure in it. Sā tattha rajjati tatrābhiramati. So she desires to yoke herself to another. Sā tattha rattā tatrābhiratā bahiddhā saṁyogaṁ ākaį¹…khati. And she desires the pleasure and happiness that comes from such yoking. YaƱcassā saṁyogapaccayā uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ taƱca ākaį¹…khati. Sentient beings who relish their femininity are yoked to men. Itthatte, bhikkhave, abhiratā sattā purisesu saṁyogaṁ gatā. This is how a woman does not transcend her femininity. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, itthÄ« itthattaṁ nātivattati.

A man focuses on his own masculinity: Puriso, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ purisindriyaṁ manasi karoti—his masculine moves, masculine appearance, masculine ways, masculine desires, masculine voice, and masculine adornment. purisakuttaṁ purisākappaṁ purisavidhaṁ purisacchandaṁ purisassaraṁ purisālaį¹…kāraṁ. He’s stimulated by this and takes pleasure in it. So tattha rajjati tatrābhiramati. So he focuses on the femininity of others: So tattha ratto tatrābhirato bahiddhā itthindriyaṁ manasi karoti—feminine moves, feminine appearance, feminine ways, feminine desires, feminine voice, and feminine adornment. itthikuttaṁ itthākappaṁ itthividhaṁ itthicchandaṁ itthissaraṁ itthālaį¹…kāraṁ. He’s stimulated by this and takes pleasure in it. So tattha rajjati tatrābhiramati. So he desires to yoke himself to another. So tattha ratto tatrābhirato bahiddhā saṁyogaṁ ākaį¹…khati. And he desires the pleasure and happiness that comes from such yoking. YaƱcassa saṁyogapaccayā uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ taƱca ākaį¹…khati. Sentient beings who relish their masculinity are yoked to women. Purisatte, bhikkhave, abhiratā sattā itthÄ«su saṁyogaṁ gatā. This is how a man does not transcend his masculinity. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puriso purisattaṁ nātivattati. This is how yoking comes about. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, saṁyogo hoti.

And how does unyoking come about? KathaƱca, bhikkhave, visaṁyogo hoti? A woman doesn’t focus on her own femininity: ItthÄ«, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ itthindriyaṁ na manasi karoti—her feminine moves, feminine appearance, feminine ways, feminine desires, feminine voice, and feminine adornment. itthikuttaṁ itthākappaṁ itthividhaṁ itthicchandaṁ itthissaraṁ itthālaį¹…kāraṁ. She isn’t stimulated by this and takes no pleasure in it. Sā tattha na rajjati, sā tatra nābhiramati. So she doesn’t focus on the masculinity of others: Sā tattha arattā tatra anabhiratā bahiddhā purisindriyaṁ na manasi karoti—masculine moves, masculine appearance, masculine ways, masculine desires, masculine voice, and masculine adornment. purisakuttaṁ purisākappaṁ purisavidhaṁ purisacchandaṁ purisassaraṁ purisālaį¹…kāraṁ. She isn’t stimulated by this and takes no pleasure in it. Sā tattha na rajjati, tatra nābhiramati. So she doesn’t desire to yoke herself to another. Sā tattha arattā tatra anabhiratā bahiddhā saṁyogaṁ nākaį¹…khati. Nor does she desire the pleasure and happiness that comes from such yoking. YaƱcassā saṁyogapaccayā uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ taƱca nākaį¹…khati. Sentient beings who do not relish their femininity are not yoked to men. Itthatte, bhikkhave, anabhiratā sattā purisesu visaṁyogaṁ gatā. This is how a woman transcends her femininity. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, itthÄ« itthattaṁ ativattati.

A man doesn’t focus on his own masculinity: Puriso, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ purisindriyaṁ na manasi karoti—masculine moves, masculine appearance, masculine ways, masculine desires, masculine voice, and masculine adornment. purisakuttaṁ purisākappaṁ purisavidhaṁ purisacchandaṁ purisassaraṁ purisālaį¹…kāraṁ. He isn’t stimulated by this and takes no pleasure in it. So tattha na rajjati, so tatra nābhiramati. So he doesn’t focus on the femininity of others: So tattha aratto tatra anabhirato bahiddhā itthindriyaṁ na manasi karoti—feminine moves, feminine appearance, feminine ways, feminine desires, feminine voice, and feminine adornment. itthikuttaṁ itthākappaṁ itthividhaṁ itthicchandaṁ itthissaraṁ itthālaį¹…kāraṁ. He isn’t stimulated by this and takes no pleasure in it. So tattha na rajjati, tatra nābhiramati. So he doesn’t desire to yoke himself to another. So tattha aratto tatra anabhirato bahiddhā saṁyogaṁ nākaį¹…khati. Nor does he desire the pleasure and happiness that comes from such yoking. YaƱcassa saṁyogapaccayā uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ taƱca nākaį¹…khati. Sentient beings who do not relish their masculinity are not yoked to women. Purisatte, bhikkhave, anabhiratā sattā itthÄ«su visaṁyogaṁ gatā. This is how a man transcends his masculinity. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puriso purisattaṁ ativattati. This is how unyoking comes about. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, visaṁyogo hoti. This is the exposition of the teaching on yoking and unyoking.ā€ Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, saṁyogo visaṁyogo dhammapariyāyoā€ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.