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SN 12.23PTS SN 2.293 min read

Vital Conditions

Upanisasutta

The ending of defilements comes only when the truth is seen. But seeing the truth comes about due to a vital condition. In this way, twelve factors leading to freedom are united with the twelve factors leading to suffering.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.23Linked Discourses 12.23
  • 0.23. Dasabalavagga3. The Ten Powers

0.3UpanisasuttaVital Conditions

1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.At Sāvatthī.1

1.2“Jānato ahaṁ, bhikkhave, passato āsavānaṁ khayaṁ vadāmi, no ajānato no apassato.“Mendicants, I say that the ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know or see.21.3Kiñca, bhikkhave, jānato kiṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti?For one who knows and sees what?1.4Iti rūpaṁ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo,‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the disappearance of form.1.5iti vedanā …pe…Such is feeling …1.6iti saññā …Such is perception …1.7iti saṅkhārā …Such are choices …1.8iti viññāṇaṁ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamoti.Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the disappearance of consciousness.’1.9Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, jānato evaṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti.The ending of the defilements is for one who knows and sees this.

2.1PTS 2.30Yampissa taṁ, bhikkhave, khayasmiṁ khaye ñāṇaṁ, tampi saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that this knowledge of ending has a vital condition, it doesn’t lack a vital condition.32.2Kā ca, bhikkhave, khaye ñāṇassa upanisā?And what is it?2.3‘Vimuttī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Freedom.’42.4Vimuttimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that freedom has a vital condition, it doesn’t lack a vital condition.2.5Kā ca, bhikkhave, vimuttiyā upanisā?And what is it?2.6‘Virāgo’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Dispassion.’52.7Virāgampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that dispassion has a vital condition.2.8Kā ca, bhikkhave, virāgassa upanisā?And what is it?2.9‘Nibbidā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Disillusionment.’62.10Nibbidampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that disillusionment has a vital condition.2.11Kā ca, bhikkhave, nibbidāya upanisā?And what is it?2.12‘Yathābhūtañāṇadassanan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Truly knowing and seeing.’72.13Yathābhūtañāṇadassanampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that truly knowing and seeing has a vital condition.2.14Kā ca, bhikkhave, yathābhūtañāṇadassanassa upanisā?And what is it?2.15‘Samādhī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Immersion.’82.16Samādhimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that immersion has a vital condition.

3.1Kā ca, bhikkhave, samādhissa upanisā?And what is it?3.2‘Sukhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Bliss.’93.3Sukhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that bliss has a vital condition.3.4Kā ca, bhikkhave, sukhassa upanisā?And what is it?3.5‘Passaddhī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Tranquility.’103.6Passaddhimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that tranquility has a vital condition.3.7Kā ca, bhikkhave, passaddhiyā upanisā?And what is it?3.8‘Pītī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Rapture.’113.9Pītimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that rapture has a vital condition.3.10Kā ca, bhikkhave, pītiyā upanisā?And what is it?3.11‘Pāmojjan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Joy.’123.12Pāmojjampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that joy has a vital condition.3.13Kā ca, bhikkhave, pāmojjassa upanisā?And what is it?3.14‘Saddhā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Faith.’133.15Saddhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that faith has a vital condition.

4.1PTS 2.31Kā ca, bhikkhave, saddhāya upanisā?And what is it?4.2‘Dukkhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Suffering.’144.3Dukkhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that suffering has a vital condition.4.4Kā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhassa upanisā?And what is it?4.5‘Jātī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Rebirth.’154.6Jātimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that rebirth has a vital condition.4.7Kā ca, bhikkhave, jātiyā upanisā?And what is it?4.8‘Bhavo’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Continued existence.’4.9Bhavampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that continued existence has a vital condition.4.10Kā ca, bhikkhave, bhavassa upanisā?And what is it?4.11‘Upādānan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Grasping.’4.12Upādānampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that grasping has a vital condition.4.13Kā ca, bhikkhave, upādānassa upanisā?And what is it?4.14‘Taṇhā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Craving.’4.15Taṇhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.I say that craving has a vital condition.

5.1Kā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhāya upanisā?And what is it?5.2‘Vedanā’tissa vacanīyaṁ …pe…You should say: ‘Feeling.’ …5.3‘phasso’tissa vacanīyaṁ …You should say: ‘Contact.’ …5.4‘saḷāyatanan’tissa vacanīyaṁ …You should say: ‘The six sense fields.’ …5.5‘nāmarūpan’tissa vacanīyaṁ …You should say: ‘Name and form.’ …5.6‘viññāṇan’tissa vacanīyaṁ …You should say: ‘Consciousness.’ …5.7‘saṅkhārā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Choices.’ …5.8Saṅkhārepāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanise vadāmi, no anupanise.I say that choices have a vital condition, they don’t lack a vital condition.5.9Kā ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārānaṁ upanisā?And what is the vital condition for choices?5.10‘Avijjā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.You should say: ‘Ignorance.’

6.1PTS 2.32Iti kho, bhikkhave, avijjūpanisā saṅkhārā,So, mendicants: ignorance is the vital condition for choices.166.2saṅkhārūpanisaṁ viññāṇaṁ,Choices are the vital condition for consciousness.6.3viññāṇūpanisaṁ nāmarūpaṁ,Consciousness is the vital condition for name and form.6.4nāmarūpūpanisaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ,Name and form are the vital conditions for the six sense fields.6.5saḷāyatanūpaniso phasso,The six sense fields are the vital conditions for contact.6.6phassūpanisā vedanā,Contact is the vital condition for feeling.6.7vedanūpanisā taṇhā,Feeling is the vital condition for craving.6.8taṇhūpanisaṁ upādānaṁ,Craving is the vital condition for grasping.6.9upādānūpaniso bhavo,Grasping is the vital condition for continued existence.6.10bhavūpanisā jāti,Continued existence is the vital condition for rebirth.6.11jātūpanisaṁ dukkhaṁ,Rebirth is the vital condition for suffering.6.12dukkhūpanisā saddhā,Suffering is the vital condition for faith.6.13saddhūpanisaṁ pāmojjaṁ,Faith is the vital condition for joy.6.14pāmojjūpanisā pīti,Joy is the vital condition for rapture.6.15pītūpanisā passaddhi,Rapture is the vital condition for tranquility.6.16passaddhūpanisaṁ sukhaṁ,Tranquility is the vital condition for bliss.6.17sukhūpaniso samādhi,Bliss is the vital condition for immersion.6.18samādhūpanisaṁ yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ,Immersion is the vital condition for truly knowing and seeing.6.19yathābhūtañāṇadassanūpanisā nibbidā,Truly knowing and seeing is the vital condition for disillusionment.6.20nibbidūpaniso virāgo,Disillusionment is the vital condition for dispassion.6.21virāgūpanisā vimutti,Dispassion is the vital condition for freedom.6.22vimuttūpanisaṁ khaye ñāṇaṁ.Freedom is the vital condition for the knowledge of ending.

7.1Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, uparipabbate thullaphusitake deve vassante taṁ udakaṁ yathāninnaṁ pavattamānaṁ pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūreti. Pabbatakandarapadarasākhāparipūrā kusobbhe paripūrenti. Kusobbhā paripūrā mahāsobbhe paripūrenti. Mahāsobbhā paripūrā kunnadiyo paripūrenti. Kunnadiyo paripūrā mahānadiyo paripūrenti. Mahānadiyo paripūrā mahāsamuddaṁ paripūrenti.It’s like when the heavens rain heavily on a mountain top, and the water flows downhill to fill the hollows, crevices, and creeks. As they become full, they fill up the pools. The pools fill up the lakes, the lakes fill up the streams, and the streams fill up the rivers. And as the rivers become full, they fill up the ocean.17

8.1Evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjūpanisā saṅkhārā, saṅkhārūpanisaṁ viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇūpanisaṁ nāmarūpaṁ, nāmarūpūpanisaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatanūpaniso phasso, phassūpanisā vedanā, vedanūpanisā taṇhā, taṇhūpanisaṁ upādānaṁ, upādānūpaniso bhavo, bhavūpanisā jāti, jātūpanisaṁ dukkhaṁ, dukkhūpanisā saddhā, saddhūpanisaṁ pāmojjaṁ, pāmojjūpanisā pīti, pītūpanisā passaddhi, passaddhūpanisaṁ sukhaṁ, sukhūpaniso samādhi, samādhūpanisaṁ yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ, yathābhūtañāṇadassanūpanisā nibbidā, nibbidūpaniso virāgo, virāgūpanisā vimutti, vimuttūpanisaṁ khaye ñāṇan”ti.In the same way, ignorance is the vital condition for choices. … Freedom is the vital condition for the knowledge of ending.”

8.2Tatiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This discourse uniquely links the conditional arising of suffering with the conditional unfolding of the path, showing that liberation is not possible without suffering.

    ↩ sn12.23:1.1

  2. The “ending of defilements” (āsavānaṁ khayaṁ) is a common sutta term for arahantship.

    “Knowing and seeing” refers to the penetrating insight that arises from meditative immersion (samādhi, eg. AN 5.168:2.2, AN 10.2:2.3, SN 12.23:6.18, DN 2:83.1).

    The opening is shared with SN 22.101, SN 56.25, MN 2, and Iti 102.

    ↩ sn12.23:1.2

  3. An upanisā is a conditional factor that is both necessary and strongly conducive. It functions as a contraction of upanissaya (“rely on”). Elsewhere, saupanisa is used of the seven path factors as “vital conditions” for right immersion (SN 45.28:1.2, MN 117:2.1). Pali upanisā is also found in the distinct sense “sitting close” to a teacher (AN 3.67:6.7).

    It is not clear if upanisā is the same as the Sanskrit upaniṣad, for which the oldest sense is “correspondence, equivalence”, referring to the secret links between things (Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 10.4.5.1; Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.9.26, 4.2.1; Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.11.3, 8.8.4; Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.11.4, 2.9.1). These equivalences are explained in the esoteric teachings that themselves came to be known as Upaniṣads.

    ↩ sn12.23:2.1

  4. “Freedom” here is the liberation from defilements, namely arahantship itself. The arahant reviews their freedom, which is the “knowledge of ending”.

    ↩ sn12.23:2.3

  5. “Dispassion” (virāga) has a dual sense in Pali: a state where lust (rāga) is absent, and the process of defilements “fading away”, which leans on the sense of rāga as “dye” (eg. the “fading away of ignorance” at SN 12.51:9.4).

    ↩ sn12.23:2.6

  6. “Disillusionment” (nibbidā) is the turning away in disappointment upon realizing that one cannot get what one wants (MN 50:31.15, SN 35.240:1.8).

    ↩ sn12.23:2.9

  7. This is the insight of stream-entry.

    ↩ sn12.23:2.12

  8. “Immersion” (samādhi) is a general term for the absorptions (jhāna) and other profound meditations free of the hindrances. It is an integrated emotional state of elevated consciousness, during which the mind is extremely bright and powerful. For a meditator with right view, the empowered mind emerging from immersion naturally inclines toward insight into the suffering of holding on and the bliss of letting go.

    ↩ sn12.23:2.15

  9. Because immersion is an emotional release, its primary condition is deep, pervasive, lasting, and subtle bliss or pleasure (sukha). It cannot be realized with purely neutral feeling.

    ↩ sn12.23:3.2

  10. “Tranquility” is a settled and serene body and mind, as activities or energies become stilled through the process of meditation.

    ↩ sn12.23:3.5

  11. “Rapture” (pīti) is a heightened emotional response to happiness or joy. Minor forms appear as tingling or thrill, and it deepens into a pervasive spiritual sense of elevation or uplift in meditation.

    ↩ sn12.23:3.8

  12. “Joy” (pāmojja) is the upwelling of happiness connected with wholesome things, such as hearing the Dhamma (MN 33:23.2), or reflecting on one’s progress (MN 7:11.1, MN 40:8.2) or ethical purity (AN 10.2:1.6).

    ↩ sn12.23:3.11

  13. “Faith” inspires the courage to progress. It is a “grounded faith” based on experience, and tested through the path (MN 47:16.1).

    ↩ sn12.23:3.14

  14. Someone afflicted by suffering looks about in despair to find anyone who can help. When they hear the Buddha or a disciple speaking about suffering, faith arises (AN 6.63:42.3).

    With this link, the discourse reveals the connection between the path to freedom and dependent origination. Suffering is the condition into which we have been born, but the experience of suffering is also the stimulus we need to seek freedom.

    ↩ sn12.23:4.2

  15. From here the discourse proceeds back through the standard links in reverse order.

    ↩ sn12.23:4.5

  16. The syntax is subtly different to the standard sequence (SN 12.2:2.2). There, the initial term is ablative, which conveys the causal sense and might be literally rendered, “Due to the ignorance dependency, choices”. Here the two terms are both nominative, so there is no causal sense in the nouns. We must assume, then, that the causal sense is supplied by the implicit verb hoti in the pregnant sense “bring about, beget, yield”. A literal rendering might be, “The ignorance vital condition begets choices.”

    ↩ sn12.23:6.1

  17. This simile is also found in SN 55.38, AN 3.95, AN 4.147, AN 10.61, and AN 10.62. Compare Kaṭha Upaniṣad 4.15.

    ↩ sn12.23:7.1