The Buddha teaches on ascetics and brahmins (2nd), explaining an aspect of dependent origination—its origin, cessation, and the practice leading to its cessation.

SN 12.14 Ascetics and Brahmins (2nd)

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā ime dhamme nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti, katame dhamme nappajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ nappajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ nappajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti?

Jarāmaraṇaṁ nappajānanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti; jātiṁ …pe… bhavaṁupādānaṁtaṇhaṁvedanaṁphassaṁsaḷāyatanaṁnāmarūpaṁviññāṇaṁsaṅkhāre nappajānanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ nappajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti. Ime dhamme nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti. Na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca pana te āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ brahmaññatthaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā ime dhamme pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti, katame dhamme pajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ pajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ pajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti?

Jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti; jātiṁ …pe… bhavaṁupādānaṁtaṇhaṁvedanaṁphassaṁsaḷāyatanaṁnāmarūpaṁviññāṇaṁsaṅkhāre pajānanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ pajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ pajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti. Ime dhamme pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti. Te kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā, brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā. Te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.

Catutthaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthī.

“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā ime dhamme nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti, katame dhamme nappajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ nappajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ nappajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti?

“Mendicants, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t understand these things, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. What things don’t they understand?

Jarāmaraṇaṁ nappajānanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;

They don’t understand old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation.

jātiṁ …pe…

They don’t understand rebirth …

bhavaṁ

continued existence …

upādānaṁ

grasping …

taṇhaṁ

craving …

vedanaṁ

feeling …

phassaṁ

contact …

saḷāyatanaṁ

the six sense fields …

nāmarūpaṁ

name and form …

viññāṇaṁ

consciousness …

saṅkhāre nappajānanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ nappajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti.

They don’t understand choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation.

Ime dhamme nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ nappajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti.

They don’t understand these things, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation.

Na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca pana te āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ brahmaññatthaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.

I don’t deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight.

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā ime dhamme pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti, katame dhamme pajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ pajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ pajānanti, katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti?

There are ascetics and brahmins who do understand these things, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. What things do they understand?

Jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti;

They understand old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation.

jātiṁ …pe…

They understand rebirth …

bhavaṁ

continued existence …

upādānaṁ

grasping …

taṇhaṁ

craving …

vedanaṁ

feeling …

phassaṁ

contact …

saḷāyatanaṁ

the six sense fields …

nāmarūpaṁ

name and form …

viññāṇaṁ

consciousness …

saṅkhāre pajānanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ pajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ pajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti.

They understand choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation.

Ime dhamme pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ samudayaṁ pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhaṁ pajānanti, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ nirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti.

They understand these things, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation.

Te kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā brāhmaṇā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā, brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā. Te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.

I deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and live having realized it with their own insight.”

Catutthaṁ.

Qualities:

Attachment

Attachment

A mental fastening onto people, things, views, or states as “me” or “mine,” unwilling to release them. This clinging can give a sense of security and sweetness.

Also known as: acquisition, bond, clinging, grasping, holding on, possession, entanglement, bound, connected, taking as mine
Pāli: upadhi, upādāna, sakiñcana, mamatta
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Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Insight

Insight

Insight is deep, intuitive realization that transforms understanding and guides practice.

Also known as: having insight, with understanding, right knowledge
Pāli: ñāṇa, sammāñāṇa
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Last updated on July 27, 2026