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SN 12.40PTS SN 2.661 min read

Intention (3rd)

Tatiyacetanāsutta

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 12.40Linked Discourses 12.40
  • 0.24. Kaḷārakhattiyavagga4. Kaḷāra the Aristocrat

0.3TatiyacetanāsuttaIntention (3rd)

1.1PTS 2.67Sāvatthiyaṁ 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.1.3Ārammaṇe sati patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa hoti.When this support exists, consciousness becomes established.1.4Tasmiṁ patiṭṭhite viññāṇe virūḷhe nati hoti.When consciousness is established and grows, there is an inclination.11.5Natiyā sati āgatigati hoti.When there is an inclination, there is coming and going.21.6Āgatigatiyā sati cutūpapāto hoti.When there is coming and going, there is passing away and reappearing.1.7Cutūpapāte sati āyatiṁ jāti jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti.When there is passing away and reappearing, future rebirth, old age, and death come to be, as do sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.1.8Evametassa 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.2.2Ārammaṇe sati patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa hoti.When this support exists, consciousness becomes established.2.3Tasmiṁ patiṭṭhite viññāṇe virūḷhe nati hoti.When consciousness is established and grows, there is an inclination.2.4Natiyā sati āgatigati hoti.When there is an inclination, there is coming and going.2.5Āgatigatiyā sati cutūpapāto hoti.When there is coming and going, there is passing away and reappearing.2.6Cutūpapāte sati āyatiṁ jāti jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti.When there is passing away and reappearing, future rebirth, old age, and death come to be, as do sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.2.7Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

3.1Yato 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 nati na hoti.When consciousness is not established and doesn’t grow, there’s no inclination.3.4Natiyā asati āgatigati na hoti.When there’s no inclination, there’s no coming and going.3.5Āgatigatiyā asati cutūpapāto na hoti.When there’s no coming and going, there’s no passing away and reappearing.3.6Cutūpapāte asati āyatiṁ jāti jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti.When there’s no passing away and reappearing, future rebirth, old age, and death cease, as do sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.3.7Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”

3.8Dasamaṁ.

3.9Kaḷārakhattiyavaggo catuttho.

4.0Tassuddānaṁ

4.1PTS 2.68Bhūtamidaṁ kaḷārañca,4.2duve ca ñāṇavatthūni;4.3Avijjāpaccayā ca dve,4.4natumhā cetanā tayoti.

Translator’s notes

  1. This evocative passage is also at Ud 8.4:3.4, MN 144:11.6, and SN 35.87:11.6.

    “Inclination” is nati, from a root meaning “to bend”. Sometimes used in the sense of a “inclination of mind” (MN 19:6.1), here, as the following lines make clear, it refers to the mind inclining to rebirth; explained by the commentary as “craving”. Compare the English idiom, “one is bent on destruction”.

    ↩ sn12.40:1.4
  2. The phrase “coming and going” is often used in the context of rebirth (eg. AN 5.57:11.2).

    ↩ sn12.40:1.5