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# SN 20:1 · The Ridge-Beam (Kūṭa Sutta)
- URL: https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-20-1/
- Published: 2026-06-01T02:39:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-13T16:35:17.000Z
- Description: Saṁyutta Nikāya · SN 20:1. Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu.
- Author: Ninth Heaven Literature & Arts Association (NHLAA)
- Tags: Buddhism, Sutta Piṭaka, Text, Indian, The Buddha, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, Discourse, Pali, Early Buddhist, Library

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There he addressed the monks: “Monks!”

“Yes, lord,” the monks responded to him.

The Blessed One said, “Monks, just as all the rafters in a ridge-roofed house go to the ridge-beam, converge on the ridge-beam, and are removed when the ridge-beam is removed, in the same way, all unskillful qualities are rooted in ignorance, converge on ignorance, and are removed when ignorance is removed.

“Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves: ‘We will dwell heedfully.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.”

See also: [SN 48:52](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-48-52/); [AN 10:15](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-10-15/)

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*Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) licence, for free distribution only. Source: [dhammatalks.org](https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN20%5F1.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) (Metta Forest Monastery).*