Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthi.
“Paṭiccasamuppādañca vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi paṭiccasamuppanne ca dhamme. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“I will teach you|, bhikkhus,::::| about |dependent co-arising::arising together from a cause, chain of causation, dependent origination [paṭiccasamuppāda]| and dependently arisen phenomena. Listen to this and pay close attention; I will speak.”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Yes, venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said:
“Katamo ca, bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppādo? Jātipaccayā, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ. Uppādā vā tathāgatānaṁ anuppādā vā tathāgatānaṁ, ṭhitāva sā dhātu dhammaṭṭhitatā dhammaniyāmatā idappaccayatā. Taṁ tathāgato abhisambujjhati abhisameti. Abhisambujjhitvā abhisametvā ācikkhati deseti paññāpeti paṭṭhapeti vivarati vibhajati uttānīkaroti. ‘Passathā’ti cāha: ‘jātipaccayā, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ’.
“And what|, bhikkhus,::::| is dependent co-arising? With dependence on birth, |bhikkhus,::::| there is aging and death. Whether or not there is the arising of Tathāgatas, this principle remains—this stability of |phenomena::characteristics, thoughts, mental states, mental qualities [dhammā]|, this invariance of phenomena, this |actuality of dependence::general law of conditionality [idappaccayatā]|. This, a Tathāgata |awakens to::realises, discovers [abhisambujjhati]| and |breaks through to::fully understands [abhisameti]|. Having fully awakened to and broken through to it, he points it out, teaches it, declares it, establishes it, clarifies it, analyzes it, and reveals it. And he says: ‘See, |bhikkhus,::::| with dependence on birth, there is aging and death.’
Bhavapaccayā, bhikkhave, jāti …pe… upādānapaccayā, bhikkhave, bhavo … taṇhāpaccayā, bhikkhave, upādānaṁ … vedanāpaccayā, bhikkhave, taṇhā … phassapaccayā, bhikkhave, vedanā … saḷāyatanapaccayā, bhikkhave, phasso … nāmarūpapaccayā, bhikkhave, saḷāyatanaṁ … viññāṇapaccayā, bhikkhave, nāmarūpaṁ; saṅkhārapaccayā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ; avijjāpaccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā uppādā vā tathāgatānaṁ anuppādā vā tathāgatānaṁ, ṭhitāva sā dhātu dhammaṭṭhitatā dhammaniyāmatā idappaccayatā. Taṁ tathāgato abhisambujjhati abhisameti. Abhisambujjhitvā abhisametvā ācikkhati deseti paññāpeti paṭṭhapeti vivarati vibhajati uttānīkaroti. ‘Passathā’ti cāha: ‘avijjāpaccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā’. Iti kho, bhikkhave, yā tatra tathatā avitathatā anaññathatā idappaccayatā— ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppādo.
With dependence on existence, there is birth ... with dependence on clinging, there is existence ... with dependence on craving, there is clinging ... with dependence on felt experience, there is craving ... with dependence on contact, there is felt experience ... with dependence on the six sense bases, there is contact ... with dependence on name and form, there are the six sense bases ... with dependence on consciousness, there is name and form ... with dependence on intentional constructs, there is consciousness ... with dependence on ignorance, there are intentional constructs. Whether or not there is the arising of Tathāgatas, this principle remains—this stability of phenomena, this invariance of phenomena, this actuality of dependence. This, a Tathāgata awakens to and breaks through to. Having fully awakened to and broken through to it, he points it out, teaches it, declares it, establishes it, clarifies it, analyzes it, and reveals it. And he says: ‘See, |bhikkhus,::::| with dependence on ignorance, there are intentional constructs.’ Thus, |bhikkhus,::::| the |actuality::reality, suchness [tathatā]| in this, the invariability, the |not-otherwiseness::absolute certainty [anaññathatā]| in dependence—this is called dependent co-arising.
Katame ca, bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā? Jarāmaraṇaṁ, bhikkhave, aniccaṁ saṅkhataṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ khayadhammaṁ vayadhammaṁ virāgadhammaṁ nirodhadhammaṁ.
And what|, bhikkhus,::::| are the phenomena that arise through dependent co-arising? Aging and death|, bhikkhus,::::| are |impermanent::unstable, transient, unreliable [anicca]|, |conditioned::constructed, created, fabricated [saṅkhata]|, dependently arisen, subject to |wearing away::exhaustion, depletion, gradual destruction [khaya]|, subject to |disintegration::disappearance, dissolution, vanishing [vaya]|, subject to fading away and subject to |cessation::ending, termination [nirodha]|.
Jāti, bhikkhave, aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.
|Birth::rebirth, conception, coming into existence [jāti]||, bhikkhus,::::| is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Bhavo, bhikkhave, anicco saṅkhato paṭiccasamuppanno khayadhammo vayadhammo virāgadhammo nirodhadhammo.
|Existence::being, becoming; continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]||, bhikkhus,::::| is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Upādānaṁ bhikkhave, aniccaṁ saṅkhataṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ khayadhammaṁ vayadhammaṁ virāgadhammaṁ nirodhadhammaṁ.
|Clinging::grasping, acquiring, appropriating, taking possession, identifying; fuel for fire; lit. taking near [upādāna]||, bhikkhus,::::| is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Taṇhā, bhikkhave, aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.
|Craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]||, bhikkhus,::::| is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Vedanā, bhikkhave, aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.
|Felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling, second of the five aggregates [vedanā]||, bhikkhus,::::| is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Phasso, bhikkhave, anicco saṅkhato paṭiccasamuppanno khayadhammo vayadhammo virāgadhammo nirodhadhammo.
|Contact::sense impingement, raw experience, touch [phassa]||, bhikkhus,::::| is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Saḷāyatanaṁ, bhikkhave, aniccaṁ saṅkhataṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ khayadhammaṁ vayadhammaṁ virāgadhammaṁ nirodhadhammaṁ.
The |six sense bases::The six internal sense bases—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—are the faculties that enable sensory contact and experience. They are not the physical organs themselves, but the functional conditions that enable consciousness to meet an object [saḷāyatana]||, bhikkhus,::::| are impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Nāmarūpaṁ, bhikkhave, aniccaṁ saṅkhataṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ khayadhammaṁ vayadhammaṁ virāgadhammaṁ nirodhadhammaṁ.
|Name and form::mentality and materiality—the integrated structure of mental capacities (intention, attention, contact, feeling, perception) and physical form that together constitute and sustain an individual being [nāmarūpa]||, bhikkhus,::::| are impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Viññāṇaṁ, bhikkhave, aniccaṁ saṅkhataṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ khayadhammaṁ vayadhammaṁ virāgadhammaṁ nirodhadhammaṁ.
|Consciousness::quality of awareness — distinctive knowing that arises in dependence on the meeting of eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and tangible object, mind and mind object [viññāṇa]||, bhikkhus,::::| is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Saṅkhārā, bhikkhave, aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.
|Intentional constructs::intentions, decisions, choices, volitional activities, constructed experiences, production of kamma [saṅkhāra]||, bhikkhus,::::| are impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Avijjā, bhikkhave, aniccā saṅkhatā paṭiccasamuppannā khayadhammā vayadhammā virāgadhammā nirodhadhammā.
|Ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]||, bhikkhus,::::| is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away and subject to ending.
Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā.
These are called|, bhikkhus,::::| dependently arisen phenomena.
Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa ‘ayañca paṭiccasamuppādo, ime ca paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā’ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhā honti, so vata pubbantaṁ vā paṭidhāvissati: ‘ahosiṁ nu kho ahaṁ atītamaddhānaṁ, nanu kho ahosiṁ atītamaddhānaṁ, kiṁ nu kho ahosiṁ atītamaddhānaṁ, kathaṁ nu kho ahosiṁ atītamaddhānaṁ, kiṁ hutvā kiṁ ahosiṁ nu kho ahaṁ atītamaddhānan’ti; aparantaṁ vā upadhāvissati: ‘bhavissāmi nu kho ahaṁ anāgatamaddhānaṁ, nanu kho bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṁ, kiṁ nu kho bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṁ, kathaṁ nu kho bhavissāmi anāgatamaddhānaṁ, kiṁ hutvā kiṁ bhavissāmi nu kho ahaṁ anāgatamaddhānan’ti; etarahi vā paccuppannaṁ addhānaṁ ajjhattaṁ kathaṅkathī bhavissati: ‘ahaṁ nu khosmi, no nu khosmi, kiṁ nu khosmi, kathaṁ nu khosmi, ayaṁ nu kho satto kuto āgato, so kuhiṁ gamissatī’ti— netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.
|Bhikkhus,::::| when a noble disciple has thoroughly seen |with right wisdom::with correct distinctive knowledge [sammappaññāya]|, |as it truly is::as it has come to be, as it is in actuality [yathābhūta]|, ‘This is dependent co-arising, and these are dependently arisen phenomena,’ they will no longer run back to the past, wondering, ‘Was I in the past? Was I not in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been what, what was I in the past?’ Nor will they run forward to the future, wondering, ‘Will I be in the future? Will I not be in the future? What will I be in the future? How will I be in the future? Having become what, what will I be in the future?’ Nor will they be inwardly |doubtful::perplexed [kathaṅkathī]| about the present, wondering, ‘Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? Where has this being come from, and where will it go?’
Taṁ kissa hetu? Tathā hi, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa ayañca paṭiccasamuppādo ime ca paṭiccasamuppannā dhammā yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhā”ti.
For what reason? Because|, bhikkhus,::::| a noble disciple has thoroughly seen with right wisdom, as it truly is, ‘This is dependent co-arising, and these are dependently arisen phenomena.’”