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SN 12.3PTS SN 2.41 min read

Practice

Paṭipadāsutta

The origin of suffering is the wrong way, the end is the right way.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.3Linked Discourses 12.3
  • 0.21. Buddhavagga1. The Buddhas

0.3PaṭipadāsuttaPractice

1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati …pe…At Sāvatthī.

1.2“micchāpaṭipadañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi sammāpaṭipadañca.“Mendicants, I will teach you the wrong practice and the right practice.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“Katamā ca, bhikkhave, micchāpaṭipadā?“And what’s the wrong practice?2.2Avijjāpaccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;Ignorance is a requirement for choices.

2.3saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…Choices are a requirement for consciousness. …2.4evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.2.5Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, micchāpaṭipadā.This is called the wrong practice.

3.1PTS 2.5Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammāpaṭipadā?And what’s the right practice?3.2Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, choices cease.3.3saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe…When choices cease, consciousness ceases. …3.4evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.3.5Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammāpaṭipadā”ti.This is called the right practice.”

3.6Tatiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This discourse, located so prominently in the Saṁyutta, heads off the misconception that dependent origination is purely a theoretical or philosophical doctrine. Obviously it has a philosophical dimension, but it is aligned with the path of practice which also proceeds via cessation. The next Sutta shows how the sequence unfolded as a contemplative reflection. See too SN 45.1, where ignorance lies at the head of the noble eightfold path.

    ↩ sn12.3:1.2