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SN 35.93PTS SN 4.672 min read

A Duality (2nd)

Dutiyadvayasutta

Consciousness arises from the dyad of the interior sense organ with its corresponding exterior sense stimulus. All these things are conditioned, impermanent, and constantly falling apart.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.93Linked Discourses 35.93
  • 0.29. Channavagga9. With Channa

0.3DutiyadvayasuttaA Duality (2nd)

1.1PTS 4.68“Dvayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca viññāṇaṁ sambhoti.“Mendicants, consciousness originates dependent on a duality.11.2Kathañca, bhikkhave, dvayaṁ paṭicca viññāṇaṁ sambhoti?And what is that duality?

1.3Cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṁ.Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights.1.4Cakkhu aniccaṁ vipariṇāmi aññathābhāvi.The eye is impermanent, decaying, and perishing.1.5Rūpā aniccā vipariṇāmino aññathābhāvino.Sights are impermanent, decaying, and perishing.1.6Itthetaṁ dvayaṁ calañceva byathañca aniccaṁ vipariṇāmi aññathābhāvi.So this duality is tottering and toppling; it’s impermanent, decaying, and perishing.1.7Cakkhuviññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ vipariṇāmi aññathābhāvi.Eye consciousness is impermanent, decaying, and perishing.1.8Yopi hetu yopi paccayo cakkhuviññāṇassa uppādāya, sopi hetu sopi paccayo anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.And the causes and reasons that give rise to eye consciousness are also impermanent, decaying, and perishing.1.9Aniccaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, paccayaṁ paṭicca uppannaṁ cakkhuviññāṇaṁ kuto niccaṁ bhavissati.But since eye consciousness has arisen dependent on conditions that are impermanent, how could it be permanent?

1.10Yā kho, bhikkhave, imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ saṅgati sannipāto samavāyo, ayaṁ vuccati cakkhusamphasso.The meeting, coming together, and joining together of these three things is called eye contact.21.11Cakkhusamphassopi anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.Eye contact is also impermanent, decaying, and perishing.1.12Yopi hetu yopi paccayo cakkhusamphassassa uppādāya, sopi hetu sopi paccayo anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.And the causes and reasons that give rise to eye contact are also impermanent, decaying, and perishing.1.13Aniccaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, paccayaṁ paṭicca uppanno cakkhusamphasso kuto nicco bhavissati.But since eye contact has arisen dependent on conditions that are impermanent, how could it be permanent?

1.14Phuṭṭho, bhikkhave, vedeti, phuṭṭho ceteti, phuṭṭho sañjānāti.Contacted one feels; contacted one intends; contacted one perceives.31.15Itthetepi dhammā calā ceva byathā ca aniccā vipariṇāmino aññathābhāvino …pe…So these things too are tottering and toppling; they’re impermanent, decaying, and perishing.

2.1PTS 4.69Jivhañca paṭicca rase ca uppajjati jivhāviññāṇaṁ.Ear consciousness … Nose consciousness … Tongue consciousness … Body consciousness …2.2Jivhā aniccā vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.2.3Rasā aniccā vipariṇāmino aññathābhāvino.2.4Itthetaṁ dvayaṁ calañceva byathañca aniccaṁ vipariṇāmi aññathābhāvi.2.5Jivhāviññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ vipariṇāmi aññathābhāvi.2.6Yopi hetu yopi paccayo jivhāviññāṇassa uppādāya, sopi hetu sopi paccayo anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.2.7Aniccaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, paccayaṁ paṭicca uppannaṁ jivhāviññāṇaṁ, kuto niccaṁ bhavissati.2.8Yā kho, bhikkhave, imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ saṅgati sannipāto samavāyo, ayaṁ vuccati jivhāsamphasso.2.9Jivhāsamphassopi anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.2.10Yopi hetu yopi paccayo jivhāsamphassassa uppādāya, sopi hetu sopi paccayo anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.2.11Aniccaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, paccayaṁ paṭicca uppanno jivhāsamphasso, kuto nicco bhavissati.2.12Phuṭṭho, bhikkhave, vedeti, phuṭṭho ceteti, phuṭṭho sañjānāti.2.13Itthetepi dhammā calā ceva byathā ca aniccā vipariṇāmino aññathābhāvino …pe…

3.1Manañca paṭicca dhamme ca uppajjati manoviññāṇaṁ.Mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and ideas.3.2Mano anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.The mind is impermanent, decaying, and perishing.3.3Dhammā aniccā vipariṇāmino aññathābhāvino.Ideas are impermanent, decaying, and perishing.3.4Itthetaṁ dvayaṁ calañceva byathañca aniccaṁ vipariṇāmi aññathābhāvi.So this duality is tottering and toppling; it’s impermanent, decaying, and perishing.3.5Manoviññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ vipariṇāmi aññathābhāvi.Mind consciousness is impermanent, decaying, and perishing.3.6Yopi hetu yopi paccayo manoviññāṇassa uppādāya, sopi hetu sopi paccayo anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.And the causes and reasons that give rise to mind consciousness are also impermanent, decaying, and perishing.3.7Aniccaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, paccayaṁ paṭicca uppannaṁ manoviññāṇaṁ, kuto niccaṁ bhavissati.But since mind consciousness has arisen dependent on conditions that are impermanent, how could it be permanent?

3.8Yā kho, bhikkhave, imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ saṅgati sannipāto samavāyo, ayaṁ vuccati manosamphasso.The meeting, coming together, and joining together of these three things is called mind contact.3.9Manosamphassopi anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.Mind contact is also impermanent, decaying, and perishing.3.10Yopi hetu yopi paccayo manosamphassassa uppādāya, sopi hetu sopi paccayo anicco vipariṇāmī aññathābhāvī.And the causes and reasons that give rise to mind contact are also impermanent, decaying, and perishing.3.11Aniccaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, paccayaṁ paṭicca uppanno manosamphasso, kuto nicco bhavissati.But since mind contact has arisen dependent on conditions that are impermanent, how could it be permanent?

3.12Phuṭṭho, bhikkhave, vedeti, phuṭṭho ceteti, phuṭṭho sañjānāti.Contacted one feels; contacted one intends; contacted one perceives.3.13Itthetepi dhammā calā ceva byathā ca aniccā vipariṇāmino aññathābhāvino.So these things too are tottering and toppling; they’re impermanent, decaying, and perishing.

3.14Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dvayaṁ paṭicca viññāṇaṁ sambhotī”ti.This is how consciousness originates dependent on a duality.”

3.15Dasamaṁ.

3.16Channavaggo catuttho.

4.0Tassuddānaṁ

4.1Palokasuññā saṅkhittaṁ,4.2channo puṇṇo ca bāhiyo;4.3Ejena ca duve vuttā,4.4dvayehi apare duveti.

Translator’s notes

  1. Yājñavalkya taught that the ultimate Self was “this great reality, infinite, unbounded, a sheer mass of consciousness” (idaṁ mahadbhūtam anantam apāraṁ vijñānaghana eva, Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.4.12). It arises as an individuated self from the mass of particularized elements making up the world, but for the realized being it returns to its essential oneness with Divinity. Thus Yājñavalkya spoke of the “uncognized cognizer”, the eternal and changeless core of awareness at the heart of the ephemeral world of changing illusions. Rejecting this, the Buddha asserts that consciousness, far from being an eternal or mysterious essence, is dependent on the dualistic structure of experience.

    ↩ sn35.93:1.1
  2. Compare the subtly different usage at MN 28:8.2.

    ↩ sn35.93:1.10
  3. The three aggregates of feeling, choices (saṅkhārā, here expressed as ceteti, “intends”), and perception are dependent on contact.

    ↩ sn35.93:1.14