The Buddha teaches on a mendicant, explaining an aspect of dependent origination—its origin, cessation, and the practice leading to its cessation.

SN 12.28 A Mendicant

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Tatra kho …pe… idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānāti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānāti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānāti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, jātiṁ pajānāti …pe… bhavaṁ pajānātiupādānaṁ pajānātitaṇhaṁ pajānātivedanaṁ pajānātiphassaṁ pajānātisaḷāyatanaṁ pajānātināmarūpaṁ pajānātiviññāṇaṁ pajānātisaṅkhāre pajānāti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ pajānāti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ pajānāti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ? tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jarā jīraṇatā khaṇḍiccaṁ pāliccaṁ valittacatā āyuno saṁhāni indriyānaṁ paripāko ayaṁ vuccati jarā. tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā tamhā sattanikāyā cuti cavanatā bhedo antaradhānaṁ maccu maraṇaṁ kālakiriyā khandhānaṁ bhedo kaḷevarassa nikkhepo; idaṁ vuccati maraṇaṁ. Iti ayañca jarā idañca maraṇaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ. Jātisamudayā jarāmaraṇasamudayo; jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho. Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminī paṭipadā. Seyyathidaṁsammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, jāti …pe… katamo ca, bhikkhave, bhavokatamañca, bhikkhave, upādānaṁkatamā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhāvedanāphassosaḷāyatanaṁnāmarūpaṁviññāṇaṁ ….

Katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā? Tayome, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāro. Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā. Avijjāsamudayā saṅkhārasamudayo; avijjānirodhā saṅkhāranirodho. Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhāranirodhagāminī paṭipadā. Seyyathidaṁsammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jātiṁ pajānāti …pe… bhavaṁupādānaṁtaṇhaṁvedanaṁphassaṁsaḷāyatanaṁnāmarūpaṁviññāṇaṁsaṅkhāresaṅkhārasamudayaṁsaṅkhāranirodhaṁevaṁ saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu diṭṭhisampanno itipi, dassanasampanno itipi, āgato imaṁ saddhammaṁ itipi, passati imaṁ saddhammaṁ itipi, sekkhena ñāṇena samannāgato itipi, sekkhāya vijjāya samannāgato itipi, dhammasotaṁ samāpanno itipi, ariyo nibbedhikapañño itipi, amatadvāraṁ āhacca tiṭṭhati itipī”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthī.

“Tatra kho …pe…

idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānāti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānāti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānāti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, jātiṁ pajānāti …pe…

“A mendicant understands old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. They understand rebirth …

bhavaṁ pajānāti

continued existence …

upādānaṁ pajānāti

grasping …

taṇhaṁ pajānāti

craving …

vedanaṁ pajānāti

feeling …

phassaṁ pajānāti

contact …

saḷāyatanaṁ pajānāti

the six sense fields …

nāmarūpaṁ pajānāti

name and form …

viññāṇaṁ pajānāti

consciousness …

saṅkhāre pajānāti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ pajānāti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ pajānāti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti.

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

Katamañca, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ?

And what is old age and death?

tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jarā jīraṇatā khaṇḍiccaṁ pāliccaṁ valittacatā āyuno saṁhāni indriyānaṁ paripāko

The old age, decrepitude, broken teeth, grey hair, wrinkly skin, diminished vitality, and failing faculties of the various sentient beings in the various orders of sentient beings.

ayaṁ vuccati jarā.

This is called old age.

tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā tamhā sattanikāyā cuti cavanatā bhedo antaradhānaṁ maccu maraṇaṁ kālakiriyā khandhānaṁ bhedo kaḷevarassa nikkhepo;

The passing away, passing on, disintegration, demise, mortality, death, decease, breaking up of the aggregates, and laying to rest of the corpse of the various sentient beings in the various orders of sentient beings.

idaṁ vuccati maraṇaṁ.

This is called death.

Iti ayañca jarā idañca maraṇaṁ.

Such is old age, and such is death.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ.

This is called old age and death.

Jātisamudayā jarāmaraṇasamudayo;

Rebirth is the origin of old age and death.

jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho.

When rebirth ceases, old age and death cease.

Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminī paṭipadā.

The practice that leads to the cessation of old age and death is simply this noble eightfold path,

Seyyathidaṁsammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, jāti …pe…

And what is rebirth? …

katamo ca, bhikkhave, bhavo

And what is continued existence? …

katamañca, bhikkhave, upādānaṁ

And what is grasping? …

katamā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhā

And what is craving? …

vedanā

feeling …

phasso

contact …

saḷāyatanaṁ

the six sense fields …

nāmarūpaṁ

name and form …

viññāṇaṁ ….

consciousness …

Katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā?

And what are choices?

Tayome, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā

There are three kinds of choices.

kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāro.

Choices by way of body, speech, and mind.

Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.

These are called choices.

Avijjāsamudayā saṅkhārasamudayo;

Ignorance is the origin of choices.

avijjānirodhā saṅkhāranirodho.

When ignorance ceases, choices cease.

Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhāranirodhagāminī paṭipadā.

The practice that leads to the cessation of choices is simply this noble eightfold path,

Seyyathidaṁsammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jātiṁ pajānāti …pe…

A mendicant understands old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. 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

They understand choices,

saṅkhārasamudayaṁ

their origin,

saṅkhāranirodhaṁ

their cessation,

evaṁ saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti.

and the practice that leads to their cessation.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu diṭṭhisampanno itipi, dassanasampanno itipi, āgato imaṁ saddhammaṁ itipi, passati imaṁ saddhammaṁ itipi, sekkhena ñāṇena samannāgato itipi, sekkhāya vijjāya samannāgato itipi, dhammasotaṁ samāpanno itipi, ariyo nibbedhikapañño itipi, amatadvāraṁ āhacca tiṭṭhati itipī”ti.

This mendicant is called: ‘one accomplished in view’, ‘one accomplished in vision’, ‘one who has come to the true teaching’, ‘one who sees this true teaching’, ‘one endowed with a trainee’s knowledge’, ‘one who has entered the stream of the teaching’, ‘a noble one with penetrative wisdom’, and also ‘one who stands pressing against the door to freedom from death’.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

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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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Right effort

Right effort

Energy and resolve directed toward preventing unwholesome states from arising, abandoning arisen unwholesome states, cultivating wholesome states, and maintaining arisen wholesome states; persistent application of the mind aligned with the path.

Also known as: right endeavor, right striving
Pāli: sammāvāyāma, padhāna
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Right livelihood

Right livelihood

Means of living that does not cause harm to others or oneself; earning a living ethically without deceit, exploitation, or violence.

Also known as: correct livelihood, right mode of earning a living
Pāli: sammāājīva
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Last updated on July 27, 2026