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# SN 35:135 · The Opportunity (Khaṇa Sutta)
- URL: https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-35-135/
- Published: 2026-06-01T04:45:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-13T17:02:34.000Z
- Description: Saṁyutta Nikāya · SN 35:135. Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu.
- Author: Ninth Heaven Literature & Arts Association (NHLAA)
- Tags: Buddhism, Sutta Piṭaka, Text, Indian, The Buddha, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, Saṁyutta Nikāya, Discourse, Pali, Early Buddhist, Library

“It’s a gain for you, monks, a great gain, that you’ve gained the opportunity to live the holy life. I have seen a hell named ‘Six Media of Contact.’ Whatever form one sees there with the eye is undesirable, never desirable; displeasing, never pleasing; disagreeable, never agreeable. Whatever sound one hears there with the ear… Whatever aroma one smells there with the nose… Whatever flavor one tastes there with the tongue… Whatever tactile sensation one touches there with the body… Whatever idea one cognizes there with the intellect is undesirable, never desirable; displeasing, never pleasing; disagreeable, never agreeable.

“It’s a gain for you, monks, a great gain, that you’ve gained the opportunity to live the holy life. I have seen a heaven named ‘Six Media of Contact.’ Whatever form one sees there with the eye is desirable, never undesirable; pleasing, never displeasing; agreeable, never disagreeable. Whatever sound one hears there with the ear… Whatever aroma one smells there with the nose… Whatever flavor one tastes there with the tongue… Whatever tactile sensation one touches there with the body… Whatever idea one cognizes there with the intellect is desirable, never undesirable; pleasing, never displeasing; agreeable, never disagreeable.

“It’s a gain for you, monks, a great gain, that you’ve gained the opportunity to live the holy life.”[1](https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN35%5F135.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co)

Note

1\. The message here is that in realms where sense objects are totally disagreeable or totally agreeable it is very difficult to practice the holy life, for in the former, one is too distracted by pain; in the latter, too distracted by pleasure.

See also: [MN 130](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/mn-130/); [SN 9:9](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-9-9/)

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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/SN35%5F135.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) (Metta Forest Monastery).*