The Buddha teaches dependent origination by the middle—rejecting eternalism and annihilationism while explaining how consciousness and name-and-form are mutually dependent.

SN 12.36 Ignorance is a Condition (2nd)

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Avijjāpaccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

‘Katamaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, kassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇan’ti iti vā, bhikkhave, yo vadeyya, ‘aññaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, aññassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇan’ti iti vā, bhikkhave, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ. ‘Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti. ‘Aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti. Ete te, bhikkhave, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti: ‘jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇan’ti.

Katamā jāti …pe… katamo bhavokatamaṁ upādānaṁkatamā taṇhākatamā vedanākatamo phassokatamaṁ saḷāyatanaṁkatamaṁ nāmarūpaṁkatamaṁ viññāṇaṁkatame saṅkhārā, kassa ca panime saṅkhārāti iti vā, bhikkhave, yo vadeyya, ‘aññe saṅkhārā aññassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ti iti vā, bhikkhave, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ. ‘Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti. ‘Aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti. Ete te, bhikkhave, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti: ‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā’ti.

Avijjāya tveva, bhikkhave, asesavirāganirodhā yānissa tāni visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni kānici kānici. ‘Katamaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, kassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, aññassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ’ iti vā, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ, aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā. Sabbānissa tāni pahīnāni bhavanti ucchinnamūlāni tālāvatthukatāni anabhāvaṅkatāni āyatiṁ anuppādadhammāni.

Avijjāya tveva, bhikkhave, asesavirāganirodhā yānissa tāni visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni kānici kānici. Katamā jāti …pe… katamo bhavokatamaṁ upādānaṁkatamā taṇhākatamā vedanākatamo phassokatamaṁ saḷāyatanaṁkatamaṁ nāmarūpaṁkatamaṁ viññāṇaṁ‘katame saṅkhārā, kassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ iti vā, ‘aññe saṅkhārā, aññassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ iti vā; ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā. Sabbānissa tāni pahīnāni bhavanti ucchinnamūlāni tālāvatthukatāni anabhāvaṅkatāni āyatiṁ anuppādadhammānī”ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthī.

“Avijjāpaccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

“Ignorance is a requirement for choices.

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…

Choices are a requirement for consciousness. …

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

‘Katamaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, kassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇan’ti iti vā, bhikkhave, yo vadeyya, ‘aññaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, aññassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇan’ti iti vā, bhikkhave, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ.

Mendicants, you might say, ‘What are old age and death, and who do they belong to?’ Or you might say, ‘Old age and death are one thing, who they belong to is another.’ But both of these mean the same thing, only the phrasing differs.

‘Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.

If you have the view that the soul and the body are one and the same, there is no living of the spiritual life.

‘Aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.

If you have the view that the soul is one thing, the body another, there is no living of the spiritual life.

Ete te, bhikkhave, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:

Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:

‘jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇan’ti.

‘Rebirth is a requirement for old age and death.’

Katamā jāti …pe…

‘What is rebirth …’

katamo bhavo

‘What is continued existence …’

katamaṁ upādānaṁ

‘What is grasping …’

katamā taṇhā

‘What is craving …’

katamā vedanā

‘What is feeling …’

katamo phasso

‘What is contact …’

katamaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ

‘What are the six sense fields …’

katamaṁ nāmarūpaṁ

‘What are name and form …’

katamaṁ viññāṇaṁ

‘What is consciousness …’

katame saṅkhārā, kassa ca panime saṅkhārāti iti vā, bhikkhave, yo vadeyya, ‘aññe saṅkhārā aññassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ti iti vā, bhikkhave, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ.

You might say, ‘What are choices, and who do they belong to?’ Or you might say, ‘Choices are one thing, who they belong to is another.’ But both of these mean the same thing, only the phrasing differs.

‘Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.

If you have the view that the soul and the body are one and the same, there is no living of the spiritual life.

‘Aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.

If you have the view that the soul is one thing, the body another, there is no living of the spiritual life.

Ete te, bhikkhave, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:

Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:

‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā’ti.

‘Ignorance is a requirement for choices.’

Avijjāya tveva, bhikkhave, asesavirāganirodhā yānissa tāni visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni kānici kānici.

When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, then any twists, ducks, and dodges are given up:

‘Katamaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, kassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, aññassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ’ iti vā, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ, aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā.

‘What are old age and death, and who do they belong to?’ or ‘old age and death are one thing, who they belong to is another’, or ‘the soul and the body are one and the same’, or ‘the soul is one thing, the body another’.

Sabbānissa tāni pahīnāni bhavanti ucchinnamūlāni tālāvatthukatāni anabhāvaṅkatāni āyatiṁ anuppādadhammāni.

These are all cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.

Avijjāya tveva, bhikkhave, asesavirāganirodhā yānissa tāni visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni kānici kānici.

When ignorance fades away and ceases with no residue left behind, then any twists, ducks, and dodges are given up:

Katamā jāti …pe…

‘What is rebirth …’

katamo bhavo

‘What is continued existence …’

katamaṁ upādānaṁ

‘What is grasping …’

katamā taṇhā

‘What is craving …’

katamā vedanā

‘What is feeling …’

katamo phasso

‘What is contact …’

katamaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ

‘What are the six sense fields …’

katamaṁ nāmarūpaṁ

‘What are name and form …’

katamaṁ viññāṇaṁ

‘What is consciousness …’

‘katame saṅkhārā, kassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ iti vā, ‘aññe saṅkhārā, aññassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ iti vā; ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā.

‘What are choices, and who do they belong to?’ or ‘choices are one thing, who they belong to is another’, or ‘the soul and the body are one and the same’, or ‘the soul is one thing, the body another’.

Sabbānissa tāni pahīnāni bhavanti ucchinnamūlāni tālāvatthukatāni anabhāvaṅkatāni āyatiṁ anuppādadhammānī”ti.

These are all cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

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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Delusion

Delusion

A fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt.

Also known as: illusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view
Pāli: moha, micchāñāṇa
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Ignorance

Ignorance

A fundamental blindness to the true nature of reality. It is not merely a lack of information, but an active misperception that views the transient as permanent and the unsatisfactory as a source of happiness, thereby fueling the cycle of suffering.

Also known as: illusion of knowing, fundamental unawareness of the true nature of reality, misunderstanding of how things have come to be, not knowing the four noble truths
Pāli: avijjā
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Spiritual life

Spiritual life

A life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures

Also known as: abstinence, celibacy, chastity, holy life, sexual restraint
Pāli: brahmacariya
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026