SN 12-21 The Group of Connected Discourses Beginning With Causation – Nidānavaggasaṁyutta > SN 12 Connected Discourses on Causation – Nidānasaṁyutta > SN 12.12 Phagguna of the Top-Knot

Linked Discourses 12.12 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.12

2. Fuel – 2. Āhāravagga

SN 12.12 Phagguna of the Top-Knot – Moḷiyaphaggunasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Bhikkhū, there are these four fuels. They maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those that are about to be born.

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāya.

What four?

Katame cattāro?

Solid food, whether coarse or fine; contact is the second, mental intention the third, and consciousness the fourth.

Kabaḷīkāro āhāro oḷāriko vā sukhumo vā, phasso dutiyo, manosañcetanā tatiyā, viññāṇaṁ catutthaṁ.

These are the four fuels that maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those that are about to be born.”

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāyā”ti.

When he said this, Venerable Phagguna of the Top-Knot said to the Buddha,

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā moḷiyaphagguno bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“But sir, who consumes the fuel for consciousness?”

“ko nu kho, bhante, viññāṇāhāraṁ āhāretī”ti?

“That’s not a fitting question,” said the Buddha.

“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca:

“I don’t speak of one who consumes.

“‘āhāretī’ti ahaṁ na vadāmi.

If I were to speak of one who consumes, then it would be fitting to ask

‘Āhāretī’ti cāhaṁ vadeyyaṁ, tatrassa kallo pañho:

who consumes.

‘ko nu kho, bhante, āhāretī’ti?

But I don’t speak like that.

Evañcāhaṁ na vadāmi.

Hence it would be fitting to ask:

Evaṁ maṁ avadantaṁ yo evaṁ puccheyya:

‘Consciousness is a fuel for what?’

‘kissa nu kho, bhante, viññāṇāhāro’ti, esa kallo pañho.

And a fitting answer to this would be:

Tatra kallaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ:

‘Consciousness is a fuel that conditions rebirth into a new state of existence in the future. When that which has been reborn is present, there are the six sense fields. The six sense fields are a condition for contact.’”

‘viññāṇāhāro āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbattiyā paccayo, tasmiṁ bhūte sati saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso’”ti.

“But sir, who contacts?”

“Ko nu kho, bhante, phusatī”ti?

“That’s not a fitting question,” said the Buddha.

“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca:

“I don’t speak of one who contacts.

“‘phusatī’ti ahaṁ na vadāmi.

If I were to speak of one who contacts, then it would be fitting to ask

‘Phusatī’ti cāhaṁ vadeyyaṁ, tatrassa kallo pañho:

who contacts.

‘ko nu kho, bhante, phusatī’ti?

But I don’t speak like that.

Evañcāhaṁ na vadāmi.

Hence it would be fitting to ask:

Evaṁ maṁ avadantaṁ yo evaṁ puccheyya:

‘What is a condition for contact?’

‘kiṁpaccayā nu kho, bhante, phasso’ti, esa kallo pañho.

And a fitting answer to this would be:

Tatra kallaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ:

‘The six sense fields are a condition for contact. Contact is a condition for feeling.’”

‘saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā’”ti.

“But sir, who feels?”

“Ko nu kho, bhante, vedayatī”ti?

“That’s not a fitting question,” said the Buddha.

“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca:

“I don’t speak of one who feels.

“‘vedayatī’ti ahaṁ na vadāmi.

If I were to speak of one who feels, then it would be fitting to ask

‘Vedayatī’ti cāhaṁ vadeyyaṁ, tatrassa kallo pañho:

who feels.

‘ko nu kho, bhante, vedayatī’ti?

But I don’t speak like that.

Evañcāhaṁ na vadāmi.

Hence it would be fitting to ask:

Evaṁ maṁ avadantaṁ yo evaṁ puccheyya:

‘What is a condition for feeling?’

‘kiṁpaccayā nu kho, bhante, vedanā’ti, esa kallo pañho.

And a fitting answer to this would be:

Tatra kallaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ:

‘Contact is a condition for feeling. Feeling is a condition for craving.’”

‘phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā’”ti.

“But sir, who craves?”

“Ko nu kho, bhante, tasatī”ti?

“That’s not a fitting question,” said the Buddha.

“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca:

“I don’t speak of one who craves.

“‘tasatī’ti ahaṁ na vadāmi.

If I were to speak of one who craves, then it would be fitting to ask

‘Tasatī’ti cāhaṁ vadeyyaṁ, tatrassa kallo pañho:

who craves.

‘ko nu kho, bhante, tasatī’ti?

But I don’t speak like that.

Evañcāhaṁ na vadāmi.

Hence it would be fitting to ask:

Evaṁ maṁ avadantaṁ yo evaṁ puccheyya:

‘What is a condition for craving?’

‘kiṁpaccayā nu kho, bhante, taṇhā’ti, esa kallo pañho.

And a fitting answer to this would be:

Tatra kallaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ:

‘Feeling is a condition for craving. Craving is a condition for grasping.’”

‘vedanāpaccayā taṇhā, taṇhāpaccayā upādānan’”ti.

“But sir, who grasps?”

“Ko nu kho, bhante, upādiyatī”ti?

“That’s not a fitting question,” said the Buddha.

“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca:

“I don’t speak of one who grasps.

“‘upādiyatī’ti ahaṁ na vadāmi.

If I were to speak of one who grasps, then it would be fitting to ask

‘Upādiyatī’ti cāhaṁ vadeyyaṁ, tatrassa kallo pañho:

who grasps.

‘ko nu kho, bhante, upādiyatī’ti?

But I don’t speak like that.

Evañcāhaṁ na vadāmi.

Hence it would be fitting to ask:

Evaṁ maṁ avadantaṁ yo evaṁ puccheyya:

‘What is a condition for grasping?’

‘kiṁpaccayā nu kho, bhante, upādānan’ti, esa kallo pañho.

And a fitting answer to this would be:

Tatra kallaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ:

‘Craving is a condition for grasping.

‘taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ;

Grasping is a condition for continued existence.’ …

upādānapaccayā bhavo’ti …pe…

That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

When the six sense fields fade away and cease with nothing left over, contact ceases.

Channaṁ tveva, phagguna, phassāyatanānaṁ asesavirāganirodhā phassanirodho;

When contact ceases, feeling ceases.

phassanirodhā vedanānirodho;

When feeling ceases, craving ceases.

vedanānirodhā taṇhānirodho;

When craving ceases, grasping ceases.

taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho;

When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases.

upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho;

When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases.

bhavanirodhā jātinirodho;

When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease.

jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti.

That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.