SN 12-21 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With Causation – Nidānavaggasaṁyutta > SN 12 Connected Discourses on Causation – Nidānasaṁyutta > SN 12.2 Analysis

Linked Discourses 12.2 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.2

1. The Buddhas – 1. Buddhavagga

SN 12.2 Analysis – Vibhaṅgasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Bhikkhū, I will teach and analyze for you dependent origination.

“Paṭiccasamuppādaṁ vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi vibhajissāmi.

Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, sir,” they replied.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

The Buddha said this:

Bhagavā etadavoca:

“And what is dependent origination?

“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppādo?

Ignorance is a condition for saṅkhāra.

Avijjāpaccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

Saṅkhāra are a condition for consciousness.

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ;

Consciousness is a condition for name and form.

viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṁ;

Name and form are conditions for the six sense fields.

nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatanaṁ;

The six sense fields are conditions for contact.

saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso;

Contact is a condition for feeling.

phassapaccayā vedanā;

Feeling is a condition for craving.

vedanāpaccayā taṇhā;

Craving is a condition for grasping.

taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ;

Grasping is a condition for continued existence.

upādānapaccayā bhavo;

Continued existence is a condition for rebirth.

bhavapaccayā jāti;

Rebirth is a condition for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be.

jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti.

That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

And what is old age and death?

Katamañca, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ?

The old age, decrepitude, broken teeth, grey hair, wrinkly skin, diminished vitality, and failing faculties of the various sentient beings in the various orders of sentient beings.

Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jarā jīraṇatā khaṇḍiccaṁ pāliccaṁ valittacatā āyuno saṁhāni indriyānaṁ paripāko;

This is called old age.

ayaṁ vuccati jarā.

The passing away, perishing, disintegration, demise, mortality, death, decease, breaking up of the aggregates, and laying to rest of the corpse of the various sentient beings in the various orders of sentient beings.

Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā tamhā sattanikāyā cuti cavanatā bhedo antaradhānaṁ maccu maraṇaṁ kālakiriyā khandhānaṁ bhedo kaḷevarassa nikkhepo (…),

This is called death.

idaṁ vuccati maraṇaṁ.

Such is old age, and such is death.

Iti ayañca jarā, idañca maraṇaṁ.

This is called old age and death.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ.

And what is rebirth?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, jāti?

The rebirth, inception, conception, reincarnation, manifestation of the aggregates, and acquisition of the sense fields of the various sentient beings in the various orders of sentient beings.

Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jāti sañjāti okkanti abhinibbatti khandhānaṁ pātubhāvo āyatanānaṁ paṭilābho.

This is called rebirth.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, jāti.

And what is continued existence?

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, bhavo?

There are these three states of existence.

Tayome, bhikkhave, bhavā—

Existence in the sensual realm, the realm of luminous form, and the formless realm.

kāmabhavo, rūpabhavo, arūpabhavo.

This is called continued existence.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhavo.

And what is grasping?

Katamañca, bhikkhave, upādānaṁ?

There are these four kinds of grasping.

Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, upādānāni—

Grasping at sensual pleasures, views, precepts and observances, and theories of a self.

kāmupādānaṁ, diṭṭhupādānaṁ, sīlabbatupādānaṁ, attavādupādānaṁ.

This is called grasping.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, upādānaṁ.

And what is craving?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhā?

There are these six classes of craving.

Chayime, bhikkhave, taṇhākāyā—

Craving for sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and thoughts.

rūpataṇhā, saddataṇhā, gandhataṇhā, rasataṇhā, phoṭṭhabbataṇhā, dhammataṇhā.

This is called craving.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, taṇhā.

And what is feeling?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, vedanā?

There are these six classes of feeling.

Chayime, bhikkhave, vedanākāyā—

Feeling born of contact through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

cakkhusamphassajā vedanā, sotasamphassajā vedanā, ghānasamphassajā vedanā, jivhāsamphassajā vedanā, kāyasamphassajā vedanā, manosamphassajā vedanā.

This is called feeling.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, vedanā.

And what is contact?

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, phasso?

There are these six classes of contact.

Chayime, bhikkhave, phassakāyā—

Contact through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

cakkhusamphasso, sotasamphasso, ghānasamphasso, jivhāsamphasso, kāyasamphasso, manosamphasso.

This is called contact.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, phasso.

And what are the six sense fields?

Katamañca, bhikkhave, saḷāyatanaṁ?

The sense fields of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

Cakkhāyatanaṁ, sotāyatanaṁ, ghānāyatanaṁ, jivhāyatanaṁ, kāyāyatanaṁ, manāyatanaṁ—

These are called the six sense fields.

idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, saḷāyatanaṁ.

And what are name and form?

Katamañca, bhikkhave, nāmarūpaṁ?

Feeling, perception, intention, contact, and attention.

Vedanā, saññā, cetanā, phasso, manasikāro—

This is called name.

idaṁ vuccati nāmaṁ.

The four primary elements, and form derived from the four primary elements.

Cattāro ca mahābhūtā, catunnañca mahābhūtānaṁ upādāyarūpaṁ.

This is called form.

Idaṁ vuccati rūpaṁ.

Such is name and such is form.

Iti idañca nāmaṁ, idañca rūpaṁ.

These are called name and form.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, nāmarūpaṁ.

And what is consciousness?

Katamañca, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ?

There are these six classes of consciousness.

Chayime, bhikkhave, viññāṇakāyā—

Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness.

cakkhuviññāṇaṁ, sotaviññāṇaṁ, ghānaviññāṇaṁ, jivhāviññāṇaṁ, kāyaviññāṇaṁ, manoviññāṇaṁ.

This is called consciousness.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ.

And what are saṅkhāra?

Katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā?

There are three kinds of saṅkhāra.

Tayome, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā—

Saṅkhāra by way of body, speech, and mind.

kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāro.

These are called saṅkhāra.

Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.

And what is ignorance?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, avijjā?

Not knowing about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.

Yaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe aññāṇaṁ, dukkhasamudaye aññāṇaṁ, dukkhanirodhe aññāṇaṁ, dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya aññāṇaṁ.

This is called ignorance.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, avijjā.

And so, ignorance is a condition for saṅkhāra.

Iti kho, bhikkhave, avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;

Saṅkhāra are a condition for consciousness. …

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…

That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, saṅkhāra cease.

Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;

When saṅkhāra cease, consciousness ceases. …

saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe…

That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.