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SN 12.38PTS SN 2.651 min read

Intention

Cetanāsutta

Intentions or choices are the force that propels consciousness from one life to the next.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.38Linked Discourses 12.38
  • 0.24. Kaḷārakhattiyavagga4. Kaḷāra the Aristocrat

0.3CetanāsuttaIntention

1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Yañca, bhikkhave, ceteti yañca pakappeti yañca anuseti, ārammaṇametaṁ hoti viññāṇassa ṭhitiyā.“Mendicants, what you intend or plan, and what you have underlying tendencies for become a support for the continuation of consciousness.11.3Ārammaṇe sati patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa hoti.When this support exists, consciousness becomes established.21.4Tasmiṁ patiṭṭhite viññāṇe virūḷhe āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti.When consciousness is established and grows, there is regeneration into a new state of existence in the future.31.5Āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbattiyā sati āyatiṁ jāti jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti.When there is regeneration into a new state of existence in the future, future rebirth, old age, and death come to be, as do sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.1.6Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

2.1No ce, bhikkhave, ceteti no ce pakappeti, atha ce anuseti, ārammaṇametaṁ hoti viññāṇassa ṭhitiyā.If you don’t intend or plan, but still have underlying tendencies, this becomes a support for the continuation of consciousness.42.2Ārammaṇe sati patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa hoti.When this support exists, consciousness becomes established.2.3Tasmiṁ patiṭṭhite viññāṇe virūḷhe āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti.When consciousness is established and grows, there is regeneration into a new state of existence in the future.2.4Āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbattiyā sati āyatiṁ jāti jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti.When there is regeneration into a new state of existence in the future, future rebirth, old age, and death come to be, as do sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.2.5Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

3.1PTS 2.66Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, no ceva ceteti no ca pakappeti no ca anuseti, ārammaṇametaṁ na hoti viññāṇassa ṭhitiyā.If you don’t intend or plan or have underlying tendencies, this doesn’t become a support for the continuation of consciousness.3.2Ārammaṇe asati patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa na hoti.With no support, consciousness is not established.3.3Tadappatiṭṭhite viññāṇe avirūḷhe āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti na hoti.When consciousness is not established and doesn’t grow, there’s no regeneration into a new state of existence in the future.3.4Āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbattiyā asati āyatiṁ jāti jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti.When there is no regeneration into a new state of existence in the future, future rebirth, old age, and death cease, as do sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.3.5Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”

3.6Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. “Intend” (ceteti) and “plan” (pakappeti) play the role of “choices” (saṅkhāra), while “underlying tendencies” (anuseti) stand for “ignorance”.

    This Sutta illustrates the threefold pattern (tivaṭṭa) into which dependent origination was later analyzed. The twelve factors are grouped under three headings: ignorance, craving, and grasping are “defilements” (kilesavaṭṭa); choices and continued existence are “deeds” (kammavaṭṭa); the remainder are “results” (vipākavaṭṭa). Within these groups we find different synonyms or related terms are used in particular contexts (see eg. SN 12.19). The least fitting in this scheme is bhava, which includes all three, but is counted under “deeds” here as it connects grasping with rebirth. We find this pattern expressed in different ways elsewhere in the suttas; for example, SN 46.26:2.2 says that due to practicing the awakening factors, craving is given up (kilesavaṭṭa), then deeds (kammavaṭṭa), then suffering (vipākavaṭṭa).

    ↩ sn12.38:1.2

  2. That is, it takes rebirth in a new life.

    ↩ sn12.38:1.3

  3. It “grows” as the individual grows up and matures, leading to renewal of the cycle (see SN 12.64, SN 22.53, MN 38:28.1).

    ↩ sn12.38:1.4

  4. Underlying tendencies manifest as morally potent choices. But we usually don’t make such choices continually; they only occur from time to time. Much of the time there is no active volition, for example, when we are asleep. But so long as the tendencies are still there, one is not freed.

    ↩ sn12.38:2.1