“Those who cling to perceptions and views wander the world offending people.” The Buddha

offending people

This striking verse is found in the Magandiya Suta in the Sutta Nipata, which is generally held to be one of the oldest texts in the Pali canon.

Bhikkhu Thanissaro translates this as:

“Those who grasp at perceptions and views
go about butting their heads in the world.”

Fausböll, a 19th century pioneer translator, has:

“But those who grasped after marks and philosophical views, they wander about in the world annoying people.”

Suttas.net has:

“Those attached to the notion ‘I am’ and to views
Roam the world offending people.”

The translator notes that “I am” is not in the quotation, but that its inclusion is warranted by material nearby.

The original Pali is:

Saññaca diṭṭhiñca ye aggahesuṃ
Te ghaṭṭayantā vicaranti loketi.

My rendition would be:

Those who cling to perceptions (saññā) and views (diṭṭhi)
Wander (vicarati) the world offending (ghaṭṭeti) people.

[Added later: Bhikkhu Varado’s translation, which I just discovered, is almost identical to mine: “Those attached to perception and views / roam the world offending people.”]

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2 thoughts on ““Those who cling to perceptions and views wander the world offending people.” The Buddha”

  1. So true. If you never change/never change how you view things, you are doomed to stagnate and just…. Be wrong abouta lot.

  2. Where supreme understanding exists, all concepts of the world, good – bad, right – wrong, light – dark, merit – sin, worldly – spiritual; they all break down. These are concepts of the mind. And the supreme is characterized by no – mind. There, everything just is.

    A profound commingling of all dualities into one.

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