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SN 12.35PTS SN 2.604 min read

Ignorance is a Requirement

Avijjāpaccayasutta

A mendicant asks who possesses old age and death, and the other factors. The Buddha says the question is improper, as it assumes a self as agent. Rather, dependent origination is the teaching “by the middle”, explaining phenomena according to natural conditions.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.35Linked Discourses 12.35
  • 0.24. Kaḷārakhattiyavagga4. Kaḷāra the Aristocrat

0.3AvijjāpaccayasuttaIgnorance is a Requirement

1.1PTS 2.61Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Avijjāpaccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;“Ignorance is a requirement for choices.

1.3saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…Choices are a requirement for consciousness. …1.4evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hotī”ti.That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.”

1.5Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When this was said, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha,1.6“‘katamaṁ nu kho, bhante, jarāmaraṇaṁ, kassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇan’ti?“What are old age and death, sir, and who do they belong to?”

1.7‘No kallo pañho’ti bhagavā avoca, ‘katamaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, kassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇan’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ‘aññaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ aññassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇan’ti, iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ.“That’s not a cogent question,” said the Buddha. “You might say, ‘What are old age and death, and who do they belong to?’ Or you might say, ‘Old age and death are one thing, who they belong to is another.’ But both of these mean the same thing, only the phrasing differs.1.8Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.Mendicant, if you have the view that the soul and the body are one and the same, there is no living of the spiritual life.1.9Aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.If you have the view that the soul is one thing, the body another, there is no living of the spiritual life.1.10Ete te, bhikkhu, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:1.11‘jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇan’”ti.‘Rebirth is a requirement for old age and death.’”

2.1“Katamā nu kho, bhante, jāti, kassa ca panāyaṁ jātī”ti?“What is rebirth, sir, and who does it belong to?”

2.2“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca, “‘katamā jāti, kassa ca panāyaṁ jātī’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ‘aññā jāti aññassa ca panāyaṁ jātī’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ.“That’s not a cogent question,” said the Buddha. “You might say, ‘What is rebirth, and who does it belong to?’ Or you might say, ‘Rebirth is one thing, who it belongs to is another.’ But both of these mean the same thing, only the phrasing differs.2.3Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.Mendicant, if you have the view that the soul and the body are one and the same, there is no living of the spiritual life.2.4Aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.If you have the view that the soul is one thing, the body another, there is no living of the spiritual life.2.5Ete te, bhikkhu, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:2.6‘bhavapaccayā jātī’”ti.‘Continued existence is a requirement for rebirth.’”

3.1PTS 2.62“Katamo nu kho, bhante, bhavo, kassa ca panāyaṁ bhavo”ti?“What is continued existence, sir, and who is it for?”

3.2“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca, “‘katamo bhavo, kassa ca panāyaṁ bhavo’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ‘añño bhavo aññassa ca panāyaṁ bhavo’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ.“That’s not a cogent question,” said the Buddha. “You might say, ‘What is continued existence, and who does it belong to?’ Or you might say, ‘Continued existence is one thing, who it belongs to is another.’ But both of these mean the same thing, only the phrasing differs.3.3Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti;Mendicant, if you have the view that the soul and the body are one and the same, there is no living of the spiritual life.3.4aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.If you have the view that the soul is one thing, the body another, there is no living of the spiritual life.3.5Ete te, bhikkhu, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:3.6‘upādānapaccayā bhavo’ti …pe…‘Grasping is a requirement for continued existence.’ …3.7‘taṇhāpaccayā upādānanti …‘Craving is a requirement for grasping.’ …3.8vedanāpaccayā taṇhāti …‘Feeling is a requirement for craving.’ …3.9phassapaccayā vedanāti …‘Contact is a requirement for feeling.’ …3.10saḷāyatanapaccayā phassoti …‘The six sense fields are requirements for contact.’ …3.11nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatananti …‘Name and form are requirements for the six sense fields.’ …3.12viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpanti …‘Consciousness is a requirement for name and form.’ …3.13saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇan’”ti.‘Choices are a requirement for consciousness.’”

4.1“Katame nu kho, bhante, saṅkhārā, kassa ca panime saṅkhārā”ti?“What are choices, sir, and who do they belong to?”

4.2“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca, “‘katame saṅkhārā kassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ‘aññe saṅkhārā aññassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ.“That’s not a cogent question,” said the Buddha. “You might say, ‘What are choices, and who do they belong to?’ Or you might say, ‘Choices are one thing, who they belong to is another.’ But both of these mean the same thing, only the phrasing differs.4.3Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti;Mendicant, if you have the view that the soul and the body are one and the same, there is no living of the spiritual life.4.4aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.If you have the view that the soul is one thing, the body another, there is no living of the spiritual life.4.5Ete te, bhikkhu, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:4.6‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā’”ti.‘Ignorance is a requirement for choices.’

5.1“Avijjāya tveva, bhikkhu, asesavirāganirodhā yānissa tāni visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni kānici kānici.When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, then any twists, ducks, and dodges are given up:15.2‘Katamaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, kassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, aññassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ’ iti vā, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā.‘What are old age and death, and who do they belong to?’ or ‘old age and death are one thing, who they belong to is another’, or ‘the soul and the body are one and the same’, or ‘the soul is one thing, the body another.’5.3Sabbānissa tāni pahīnāni bhavanti ucchinnamūlāni tālāvatthukatāni anabhāvaṅkatāni āyatiṁ anuppādadhammāni.These are all cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.

6.1Avijjāya tveva, bhikkhu, asesavirāganirodhā yānissa tāni visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni kānici kānici.When ignorance fades away and ceases no residue left behind, then any twists, ducks, and dodges are given up:6.2‘Katamā jāti, kassa ca panāyaṁ jāti’ iti vā, ‘aññā jāti, aññassa ca panāyaṁ jāti’ iti vā, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā.‘What is rebirth, and who does it belong to?’ or ‘rebirth is one thing, who it belongs to is another’, or ‘the soul and the body are one and the same’, or ‘the soul is one thing, the body another.’6.3Sabbānissa tāni pahīnāni bhavanti ucchinnamūlāni tālāvatthukatāni anabhāvaṅkatāni āyatiṁ anuppādadhammāni.These are all cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.

7.1PTS 2.63Avijjāya tveva, bhikkhu, asesavirāganirodhā yānissa tāni visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni kānici kānici.When ignorance fades away and ceases no residue left behind, then any twists, ducks, and dodges are given up:7.2Katamo bhavo …pe…‘What is continued existence …’7.3katamaṁ upādānaṁ …‘What is grasping …’7.4katamā taṇhā …‘What is craving …’7.5katamā vedanā …‘What is feeling …’7.6katamo phasso …‘What is contact …’7.7katamaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ …‘What are the six sense fields …’7.8katamaṁ nāmarūpaṁ …‘What are name and form …’7.9katamaṁ viññāṇaṁ …pe….‘What is consciousness …’

8.1Avijjāya tveva, bhikkhu, asesavirāganirodhā yānissa tāni visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni kānici kānici.When ignorance fades away and ceases no residue left behind, then any twists, ducks, and dodges are given up:8.2‘Katame saṅkhārā, kassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ iti vā, ‘aññe saṅkhārā, aññassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ iti vā, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ, aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā.‘What are choices, and who do they belong to?’ or ‘choices are one thing, who they belong to is another’, or ‘the soul and the body are one and the same’, or ‘the soul is one thing, the body another.’8.3Sabbānissa tāni pahīnāni bhavanti ucchinnamūlāni tālāvatthukatāni anabhāvaṅkatāni āyatiṁ anuppādadhammānī”ti.These are all cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.”

8.4Pañcamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. “Twist” (visūka) is used with “dodge” (vipphandita) and sometimes “duck” (visevita) for a horse fighting the bit (MN 65:33.2) or a crab escaping the torment of children (MN 35:23.9). Visūka is also used for a “show” of dance, etc., where the commentarial gloss paṭāṇi (“screw”) reinforces the sense “twist, gyrate”. As descriptions of views, they suggest the active process of denial and distortion through which views shape how we see the world.

    ↩ sn12.35:5.1