Skip to content
True DhammaLibrary · Community
SN 12.43PTS SN 2.712 min read

Suffering

Dukkhasutta

The origin and ending of suffering are explained in terms of sense experience giving rise to craving.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.43Linked Discourses 12.43
  • 0.25. Gahapativagga5. Householders

0.3DukkhasuttaSuffering

1.1PTS 2.72Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Dukkhassa, bhikkhave, samudayañca atthaṅgamañca desessāmi.“Mendicants, I will teach you the origin and disappearance of suffering.1.3Taṁ 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“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, dukkhassa samudayo?“And what, mendicants, is the origin of suffering?2.2Cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṁ. Tiṇṇaṁ saṅgati phasso.Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights. The meeting of the three is contact.12.3Phassapaccayā vedanā;Contact is a requirement for feeling.2.4vedanāpaccayā taṇhā.Feeling is a requirement for craving. …22.5Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhassa samudayo.This is the origin of suffering.

3.1Sotañca paṭicca sadde ca uppajjati sotaviññāṇaṁ …pe…Ear consciousness arises dependent on the ear and sounds. …3.2ghānañca paṭicca gandhe ca …pe…Nose consciousness arises dependent on the nose and smells. …3.3jivhañca paṭicca rase ca …pe…Tongue consciousness arises dependent on the tongue and tastes. …3.4kāyañca paṭicca phoṭṭhabbe ca …pe…Body consciousness arises dependent on the body and touches. …3.5manañca paṭicca dhamme ca uppajjati manoviññāṇaṁ. Tiṇṇaṁ saṅgati phasso.Mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and ideas. The meeting of the three is contact.3.6Phassapaccayā vedanā;Contact is a requirement for feeling.3.7vedanāpaccayā taṇhā.Feeling is a requirement for craving. …3.8Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhassa samudayo.This is the origin of suffering.

4.1Katamo ca, bhikkhave, dukkhassa atthaṅgamo?And what is the disappearance of suffering?4.2Cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṁ. Tiṇṇaṁ saṅgati phasso.Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights. The meeting of the three is contact.4.3Phassapaccayā vedanā;Contact is a requirement for feeling.4.4vedanāpaccayā taṇhā.Feeling is a requirement for craving.4.5Tassāyeva taṇhāya asesavirāganirodhā upādānanirodho;When that craving fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, grasping ceases.34.6upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho;When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases.4.7bhavanirodhā jātinirodho;When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases.4.8jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti.When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease.4.9Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.4.10Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhassa atthaṅgamo.This is the disappearance of suffering.

5.1PTS 2.73Sotañca paṭicca sadde ca uppajjati sotaviññāṇaṁ …pe…Ear consciousness arises dependent on the ear and sounds. …5.2ghānañca paṭicca gandhe ca …pe…Nose consciousness arises dependent on the nose and smells. …5.3jivhañca paṭicca rase ca …pe…Tongue consciousness arises dependent on the tongue and tastes. …5.4kāyañca paṭicca phoṭṭhabbe ca …pe…Body consciousness arises dependent on the body and touches. …5.5manañca paṭicca dhamme ca uppajjati manoviññāṇaṁ. Tiṇṇaṁ saṅgati phasso.Mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and ideas. The meeting of the three is contact.5.6Phassapaccayā vedanā;Contact is a requirement for feeling.5.7vedanāpaccayā taṇhā.Feeling is a requirement for craving.5.8Tassāyeva taṇhāya asesavirāganirodhā upādānanirodho;When that craving fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, grasping ceases.5.9upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho;When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases.5.10bhavanirodhā jātinirodho;When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases.5.11jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti.When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease.5.12Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.5.13Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhassa atthaṅgamo”ti.This is the disappearance of suffering.”

5.14Tatiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This discourse (and the next two) begin with consciousness in the process of sense stimulation. They offer a compressed sequence that focuses on the arising of suffering in the present life, and how by letting go of craving it is possible to not generate a future life.

    ↩ sn12.43:2.2
  2. The text jumps straight from craving to suffering, although the full sequence is stated in the cessation series. The next discourse, which is otherwise similar, lists all the factors, and the one after that goes to grasping, then indicates an abbreviation. I think the full sequence is meant in every case, and the sign of abbreviation in the Pali text is missing by mistake.

    ↩ sn12.43:2.4
  3. Craving can cease without leading to grasping for one practicing the path.

    ↩ sn12.43:4.5