Nidānasaṁyutta - Connected Discourses on Causation

The Buddha explains the twelve links of dependent co-arising, and how there is an arising and ending of this entire heap of suffering.

The Buddha analyzes each of the twelve links of dependent co-arising, and explains how there is an arising and ending of this entire heap of suffering.

The Buddha explains the wrong way of practice as that which leads to the arising of suffering, and the right way of practice as that which leads to the cessation of suffering.

In the far past, the Buddha Vipassī prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through radical attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

In the far past, the Buddha Sikhī prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through radical attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

In the far past, the Buddha Vessabhū prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through radical attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

In the far past, the Buddha Kakusandha prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through radical attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

In the far past, the Buddha Koṇāgamana prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through radical attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

In the far past, the Buddha Kassapa prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through radical attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

The Buddha prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through radical attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

The Buddha explains the four kinds of nutriments that sustain beings that are existing and support those seeking birth, and how they arise from craving.

The Buddha explains dependent co-arising as a process rather than an agentive sequence.

Venerable Kaccānagotta asks the Buddha about right view, and the Buddha explains how the world depends on a duality of existence and non-existence, and how the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma by the middle way.

The Buddha explains the similarities and the differences between the wise and the immature persons through dependent co-arising.

The Buddha distinguishes the invariant principle of dependent co-arising from the impermanent phenomena arisen through it.

Endowed with ten powers and four assurances, the Buddha reveals the impermanence of the five aggregates and teaches dependent co-arising.

The Buddha, endowed with the ten powers and four assurances, reveals the impermanence of the five aggregates and teaches dependent co-arising. He then urges the bhikkhus to practice with diligence for their highest welfare as well as for the welfare of others.

The Buddha explains the proximate causes for the wearing away of the taints. The twelve factors leading to the wearing away of the taints are explained along with twelve factors that lead to suffering.

Dismantling contemporary debates on the origin of experience, the Buddha and Sāriputta declare that pleasure and pain are dependently arisen from contact. The text maps how intentions regarding the body, speech, and mind actively generate bodily, verbal, and mental constructs under the condition of ignorance.

Asked by Upavāṇa about competing claims on the cause of suffering, the Buddha describes that suffering dependently arises from contact.

The Buddha describes the forty-four bases of knowledge by understanding.

Intention, planning, and underlying tendencies provide the foundation for consciousness to fuel future rebirth. When all three cease, consciousness remains unestablished, bringing the complete cessation of suffering.

The Buddha explains how one can independently verify stream-entry. By subsiding the five perilous animosities through ethical restraint, establishing perfect clarity in the Triple Gem, and penetrating dependent co-arising, a disciple of the Noble Ones is assuredly bound for full awakening.

The Buddha explains the arising and passing away of the world through the six sense bases.

A brahmin asks the Buddha whether the one who acts is the same as the one who experiences the result. The Buddha points these as two extreme views, and without approaching either, explains the arising of suffering and its ending through the principle of dependent co-arising.

The Buddha explains the process of thoroughly investigating the arising and cessation of suffering through dependent co-arising.

The Buddha uses the simile of a bonfire to explain how perceiving gratification in objects that can be grasped at leads to clinging, to suffering, and how perceiving drawbacks in objects that can be grasped at leads to the cessation of clinging, to the cessation of suffering.

Using the simile of a great tree nourished by sap, the Buddha explains that perceiving gratification in graspable objects fuels craving and perpetuates suffering, whereas seeing their drawbacks leads to the cessation of craving and the cessation of suffering.

When one dwells perceiving enjoyment in things that are the basis for fetters, there is a descent of consciousness. When one dwells perceiving the drawback in things that are the basis for fetters, there is no descent of consciousness.

The Buddha contrasts the body’s visible decay with the mind’s instability, which is clung to as ‘self’, comparing it to a restless monkey jumping between branches. He teaches that wisdom arises from understanding the full twelve-link chain of dependent co-arising, which explains the origin and cessation of all suffering.

The Buddha explains that while one can become detached from the decaying body, it is harder to detach from the mind, which is far more fleeting. He illustrates the principle of dependent co-arising with a specific example—just as fire arises from rubbing two sticks together and ceases when they are separated, so too feeling arises from contact and ceases with the cessation of contact.

Likening consciousness to a sunbeam entering through a window and becoming established on a wall or on the ground, the Buddha reveals how a future renewed existence comes to be through lust, delight, and craving.

The Buddha recounts how he attained full awakening by examining the principle of dependent co-arising. He likens this realization to a man discovering an ancient, forgotten city.

The Buddha uses a simile of a bronze cup of beverage mixed with poison to illustrate how craving for agreeable and pleasant sense experiences leads to acquisition and suffering, while wisely seeing their impermanent nature leads to the cessation of suffering through the abandoning of craving.

Using the famous simile of two sheaves of reeds leaning against each other, venerable Sāriputta explains the reciprocal conditioning of consciousness and name-and-form.