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# SN 20:5 · The Spear (Satti Sutta)
- URL: https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-20-5/
- Published: 2026-06-01T02:43:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-13T16:35:12.000Z
- Description: Saṁyutta Nikāya · SN 20:5. 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

Staying near Sāvatthī. “Monks, suppose there were a sharp-bladed spear, and a man were to come along saying, ‘With my hand or fist I will bend back this sharp-bladed spear, fold it in two, and roll it up.’ What do you think? Would that man be able with his hand or fist to bend back that sharp-bladed spear, fold it in two, and roll it up?”

“No, lord. Why is that? Because a sharp-bladed spear isn’t easy to bend back, fold in two, or roll up. The man would simply reap his share of trouble & vexation.”

“In the same way, monks, when a monk’s awareness-release through good-will is cultivated, developed, pursued, given a means of transport, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, & well-undertaken, any non-human being who would think of deranging that monk’s mind would simply reap his share of trouble & vexation.

“Thus you should train yourselves: ‘Our awareness-release through good-will will be cultivated, developed, pursued, given a means of transport, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, & well-undertaken. That’s how you should train yourselves.”

See also: [MN 21](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/mn-21/); [AN 3:66](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-3-66/); [AN 3:101](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-3-101/); [AN 11:16](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-11-16/); [Iti 22](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/iti-22/); [Iti 27](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/iti-27/)

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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%5F5.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) (Metta Forest Monastery).*