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SN 12.20PTS SN 2.252 min read

Conditions

Paccayasutta

The Buddha distinguishes between “dependently originated phenomena”—the twelve factors—and “dependent origination”—the principle of conditionality. Someone who understands these things no longer worries about the past or future.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.20Linked Discourses 12.20
  • 0.22. Āhāravagga2. Fuel

0.3PaccayasuttaConditions

1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Paṭiccasamuppādañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi paṭiccasamuppanne ca dhamme.“Mendicants, I will teach you dependent origination and dependently originated phenomena.11.3Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

1.4“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.“Yes, sir,” they replied.1.5Bhagavā etadavoca:The Buddha said this:

2.1“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppādo?“And what is dependent origination?2.2Jātipaccayā, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ.Rebirth is a requirement for old age and death.2.3Uppādā vā tathāgatānaṁ anuppādā vā tathāgatānaṁ, ṭhitāva sā dhātu dhammaṭṭhitatā dhammaniyāmatā idappaccayatā.Whether Realized Ones arise or not, this law of nature persists, this regularity of natural principles, this surety of natural principles, specific conditionality.22.4Taṁ tathāgato abhisambujjhati abhisameti.A Realized One awakens to this and comprehends it,2.5Abhisambujjhitvā abhisametvā ācikkhati deseti paññāpeti paṭṭhapeti vivarati vibhajati uttānīkaroti.then he explains, teaches, asserts, establishes, clarifies, analyzes, and discloses it.2.6‘Passathā’ti cāha:‘Look,’ he says,2.7‘jātipaccayā, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ’.‘Rebirth is a requirement for old age and death.’

3.1PTS 2.26Bhavapaccayā, bhikkhave, jāti …pe…Continued existence is a requirement for rebirth …3.2upādānapaccayā, bhikkhave, bhavo …Grasping is a requirement for continued existence …3.3taṇhāpaccayā, bhikkhave, upādānaṁ …Craving is a requirement for grasping …

3.4vedanāpaccayā, bhikkhave, taṇhā …Feeling is a requirement for craving …3.5phassapaccayā, bhikkhave, vedanā …Contact is a requirement for feeling …3.6saḷāyatanapaccayā, bhikkhave, phasso …The six sense fields are requirements for contact …3.7nāmarūpapaccayā, bhikkhave, saḷāyatanaṁ …Name and form are requirements for the six sense fields …

3.8viññāṇapaccayā, bhikkhave, nāmarūpaṁ …Consciousness is a requirement for name and form …

3.9saṅkhārapaccayā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ …Choices are a requirement for consciousness …3.10avijjāpaccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārāIgnorance is a requirement for choices.3.11uppādā vā tathāgatānaṁ anuppādā vā tathāgatānaṁ, ṭhitāva sā dhātu dhammaṭṭhitatā dhammaniyāmatā idappaccayatā.Whether Realized Ones arise or not, this law of nature persists, this regularity of natural principles, this surety of natural principles, specific conditionality.3.12Taṁ tathāgato abhisambujjhati abhisameti.A Realized One awakens to this and comprehends it,3.13Abhisambujjhitvā abhisametvā ācikkhati deseti paññāpeti paṭṭhapeti vivarati vibhajati uttānīkaroti.then he explains, teaches, asserts, establishes, clarifies, analyzes, and discloses it.3.14‘Passathā’ti cāha:‘Look,’ he says,3.15‘avijjāpaccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā’.‘Ignorance is a requirement for choices.’3.16Iti kho, bhikkhave, yā tatra tathatā avitathatā anaññathatā idappaccayatā—So the fact that this is real, not unreal, not otherwise; the specific conditionality of it:3.17ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppādo.this is called dependent origination.3

4.1Katame ca, bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā?And what are the dependently originated phenomena?4.2Jarāmaraṇaṁ, bhikkhave, aniccaṁ saṅkhataṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ khayadhammaṁ vayadhammaṁ virāgadhammaṁ nirodhadhammaṁ.Old age and death are impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated, liable to end, vanish, fade away, and cease.4.3Jāti, bhikkhave, aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.Rebirth …4.4Bhavo, bhikkhave, anicco saṅkhato paṭiccasamuppanno khayadhammo vayadhammo virāgadhammo nirodhadhammo.Continued existence …4.5Upādānaṁ bhikkhave …pe…Grasping …4.6taṇhā, bhikkhave …Craving …

4.7vedanā, bhikkhave …Feeling …4.8phasso, bhikkhave …Contact …4.9saḷāyatanaṁ, bhikkhave …The six sense fields …4.10nāmarūpaṁ, bhikkhave …Name and form …

4.11viññāṇaṁ, bhikkhave …Consciousness …

4.12saṅkhārā, bhikkhave …Choices …4.13avijjā, bhikkhave, aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.Ignorance is impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated, liable to end, vanish, fade away, and cease.4.14Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā.These are called the dependently originated phenomena.

5.1PTS 2.27Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa ‘ayañca paṭiccasamuppādo, ime ca paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā’ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhā honti, so vata pubbantaṁ vā paṭidhāvissati:When a noble disciple has clearly seen with right wisdom this dependent origination and these dependently originated phenomena as they are, it will be quite impossible for them to turn back to the first beginning, thinking:45.2‘ahosiṁ nu kho ahaṁ atītamaddhānaṁ, nanu kho ahosiṁ atītamaddhānaṁ, kiṁ nu kho ahosiṁ atītamaddhānaṁ, kathaṁ nu kho ahosiṁ atītamaddhānaṁ, kiṁ hutvā kiṁ ahosiṁ nu kho ahaṁ atītamaddhānan’ti;‘Did I exist in the past? Did I not exist in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? After being what, what did I become in the past?’55.3aparantaṁ vā upadhāvissati:Or to turn forward to the final end, thinking:5.4‘bhavissāmi nu kho ahaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, nanu kho bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṁ, kiṁ nu kho bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṁ, kathaṁ nu kho bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṁ, kiṁ hutvā kiṁ bhavissāmi nu kho ahaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti;‘Will I exist in the future? Will I not exist in the future? What will I be in the future? How will I be in the future? After being what, what will I become in the future?’5.5etarahi vā paccuppannaṁ addhānaṁ ajjhattaṁ kathaṅkathī bhavissati:Or to be undecided about the present, thinking:5.6‘ahaṁ nu khosmi, no nu khosmi, kiṁ nu khosmi, kathaṁ nu khosmi, ayaṁ nu kho satto kuto āgato, so kuhiṁ gamissatī’ti—‘Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? This sentient being—where did it come from? And where will it go?’5.7netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.5.8Taṁ kissa hetu?Why is that?5.9Tathā hi, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa ayañca paṭiccasamuppādo ime ca paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhā”ti.Because that noble disciple has clearly seen with right wisdom this dependent origination and these dependently originated phenomena as they are.”

5.10Dasamaṁ.

5.11Āhāravaggo dutiyo.

6.0Tassuddānaṁ

6.1Āhāraṁ phagguno ceva,6.2Dve ca samaṇabrāhmaṇā;6.3Kaccānagotta dhammakathikaṁ,6.4Acelaṁ timbarukena ca;6.5Bālapaṇḍitato ceva,6.6Dasamo paccayena cāti.

Translator’s notes

  1. Dependent origination is the process, dependently originated phenomena are the products.

    ↩ sn12.20:1.2
  2. The principles of the Dhamma are not impermanent, since they are not things that exist. Rather, they are laws of nature that describe a process or a pattern which is always observable, so it is always true to describe it in that way. At AN 3.136 the same idea applies to impermanence, suffering and not-self. Also see Poṭṭhapāda at DN 9:31.10.

    For “surety” (niyāmatā) compare Rig Veda 4.3.9, “With truth I invoke the truth set down” (ṛtena ṛtaṁ niyatam). It is related to the idea that the stream-enterer “steps into the sure path”, i.e. enters the noble eightfold path, and is therefore “assured” in the sense of confident, and “assured” in the sense of being bound for awakening.

    ↩ sn12.20:2.3
  3. This phrase is also at SN 12.1:2.14. Note that there is no corresponding “dependent cessation”. The ending of dependent origination is Nibbāna, extinguishment.

    ↩ sn12.20:3.17
  4. Compare MN 38:23.1.

    ↩ sn12.20:5.1
  5. These are called “irrational thoughts” at MN 2:7.3. These are ways of thinking driven by anxiety over the perpetuation or dissolution of the assumed Self.

    ↩ sn12.20:5.2