True DhammaLibrary · Community
SN 22.54PTS SN 3.542 min read

Seeds of Plants

Bījasutta

Consciousness is like a seed that is planted in the soil of the other four aggregates and watered with craving.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.54Linked Discourses 22.54
  • 0.26. Upayavagga6. Involvement

0.3BījasuttaSeeds of Plants

1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, bījajātāni.“Mendicants, there are five kinds of plants.11.3Katamāni pañca?What five?1.4Mūlabījaṁ, khandhabījaṁ, aggabījaṁ, phalubījaṁ, bījabījaññeva pañcamaṁ.Plants propagated from roots, trunks, cuttings, or joints; and those from regular seeds are the fifth.2

1.5Imāni cassu, bhikkhave, pañca bījajātāni akhaṇḍāni apūtikāni avātātapahatāni sārādāni sukhasayitāni, pathavī ca nāssa, āpo ca nāssa;Suppose these five kinds of plants were intact, unspoiled, not weather-damaged, fertile, and well-kept. But there’s no earth or water.31.6api numāni, bhikkhave, pañca bījajātāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyyun”ti?Then would these five kinds of plants reach growth, increase, and maturity?”

1.7“No hetaṁ, bhante”.“No, sir.”

1.8“Imāni cassu, bhikkhave, pañca bījajātāni akhaṇḍāni …pe… sukhasayitāni, pathavī ca assa, āpo ca assa;“Suppose these five kinds of plants were intact, unspoiled, not weather-damaged, fertile, and well-kept. And there is earth and water.1.9api numāni, bhikkhave, pañca bījajātāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyyun”ti?Then would these five kinds of plants reach growth, increase, and maturity?”

1.10“Evaṁ, bhante”.“Yes, sir.”

1.11“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātu, evaṁ catasso viññāṇaṭṭhitiyo daṭṭhabbā.“The four establishings of consciousness should be seen as like the earth element.41.12Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, āpodhātu, evaṁ nandirāgo daṭṭhabbo.Relishing and greed should be seen as like the water element.1.13Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pañca bījajātāni, evaṁ viññāṇaṁ sāhāraṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ.Consciousness with its fuel should be seen as like the five kinds of plants.5

2.1PTS 3.55Rūpupayaṁ, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, rūpārammaṇaṁ rūpappatiṭṭhaṁ nandūpasecanaṁ vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyya.Should consciousness involved with form, supported by form, established on form continue to remain, with a sprinkling of relishing it would grow, increase, and mature.

2.2Vedanupayaṁ vā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya …pe…Or should consciousness involved with feeling remain …

2.3saññupayaṁ vā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya …pe…Or should consciousness involved with perception remain …

2.4saṅkhārupayaṁ vā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, saṅkhārārammaṇaṁ saṅkhārappatiṭṭhaṁ nandūpasecanaṁ vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyya.Or should consciousness involved with choices, supported by choices, established on choices continue to remain, with a sprinkling of relishing it would grow, increase, and mature.

3.1Yo, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadeyya:Mendicants, suppose you say:3.2‘ahamaññatra rūpā aññatra vedanāya aññatra saññāya aññatra saṅkhārehi viññāṇassa āgatiṁ vā gatiṁ vā cutiṁ vā upapattiṁ vā vuddhiṁ vā virūḷhiṁ vā vepullaṁ vā paññāpessāmī’ti, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.‘Apart from form, feeling, perception, and choices, I will describe the coming and going of consciousness, its passing away and reappearing, its growth, increase, and maturity.’ That is not possible.

4.1Rūpadhātuyā ceva, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno rāgo pahīno hoti.If a mendicant has given up greed for the form element,4.2Rāgassa pahānā vocchijjatārammaṇaṁ patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa na hoti.the support is cut off, and there is no establishment of consciousness.6

4.3Vedanādhātuyā ce …If a mendicant has given up greed for the feeling element …

4.4saññādhātuyā ce …perception element …

4.5saṅkhāradhātuyā ce …choices element …

4.6viññāṇadhātuyā ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno rāgo pahīno hoti.consciousness element,4.7Rāgassa pahānā vocchijjatārammaṇaṁ patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa na hoti.the support is cut off, and there is no establishment of consciousness.4.8Tadappatiṭṭhitaṁ viññāṇaṁ avirūḷhaṁ anabhisaṅkhacca vimuttaṁ.Since that consciousness does not become established and does not grow, not making choices, it is freed.

4.9Vimuttattā ṭhitaṁ. Ṭhitattā santusitaṁ. Santusitattā na paritassati. Aparitassaṁ paccattaññeva parinibbāyati.Being free, it’s stable. Being stable, it’s content. Being content, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished.

4.10‘Khīṇā jāti …pe… nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended … there is nothing further for this place.’”

4.11Dutiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. These terms are defined in detail in Bu Pc 11:2.1.1. Bījajāta are not “kinds of seeds” but “that which is born from a seed” i.e. “plants” (bhūtagāmo nāma pañca bījajātāni).

    ↩ sn22.54:1.2

  2. “Plants propagated from roots” (mūlabīja, literally “that which has a root for a seed”) include ginger and turmeric; from “trunks” (khandhabīja) are parasitic stranglers such as the Bodhi tree and the banyan tree, which take root in the trunk of another tree (SN 46.39); from “cuttings” (aggabīja) basil and hemp; from “joints” (phalubīja) sugarcane and bamboo; and from “regular seeds” (bījabīja), grains and vegetables.

    ↩ sn22.54:1.4

  3. Sukhasayita is sometimes understood as “well planted”, but how can it be planted when there is no soil? It is explained by the commentary as “well-kept”, literally “well laid by”.

    ↩ sn22.54:1.5

  4. Pali uses the same word viññāṇaṭṭhiti for the seven “planes of consciousness” (realms of rebirth, AN 7.44, DN 15:33.1) as for the four “grounds for consciousness”, the other four aggregates on which consciousness is based.

    ↩ sn22.54:1.11

  5. See too AN 3.76:2.3: “deeds are the field, consciousness is the seed, and craving is the moisture”.

    ↩ sn22.54:1.13

  6. For the “establishment of consciousness”, namely the rebirth of consciousness in a new life, see too SN 12.64.

    ↩ sn22.54:4.2