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# SN 20:3 · Families (Kula Sutta)
- URL: https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-20-3/
- Published: 2026-06-01T02:41:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-13T16:35:14.000Z
- Description: Saṁyutta Nikāya · SN 20:3. 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

Dwelling near Sāvatthi. “Just as families with many women and few men are easy for thieves & burglars to overpower, in the same way, when a monk’s awareness-release through goodwill is undeveloped & uncultivated, he is easy for non-human beings to overpower.

“Just as families with few women and many men are hard for thieves & burglars to overpower, in the same way, when a monk’s awareness-release through goodwill is developed, cultivated, handed the reins, taken as a basis, steadied, consolidated, & well-undertaken, he is hard for non-human beings to overpower.[1](https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN20%5F3.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co)

“Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves: ‘Our awareness-release through goodwill will be developed, cultivated, handed the reins, taken as a basis, steadied, consolidated, & well-undertaken.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.”

Note

1\. Following the Thai edition of the Canon. The Sri Lankan and Burmese editions have: “when a monk’s awareness-release through goodwill is developed and cultivated, he is hard for non-human beings to overpower.”

See also: [MN 21](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/mn-21/); [AN 11:16](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-11-16/); [Sn 1:8](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-1-8/)

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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%5F3.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) (Metta Forest Monastery).*