The Buddha teaches on a noble disciple, presenting an analysis of dependent origination and the causal links that give rise to suffering.

SN 12.49 A Noble Disciple

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Na, bhikkhave, sutavato ariyasāvakassa evaṁ hoti: ‘kiṁ nu kho kismiṁ sati kiṁ hoti, kissuppādā kiṁ uppajjati? Kismiṁ sati saṅkhārā honti, kismiṁ sati viññāṇaṁ hoti, kismiṁ sati nāmarūpaṁ hoti, kismiṁ sati saḷāyatanaṁ hoti, kismiṁ sati phasso hoti, kismiṁ sati vedanā hoti, kismiṁ sati taṇhā hoti, kismiṁ sati upādānaṁ hoti, kismiṁ sati bhavo hoti, kismiṁ sati jāti hoti, kismiṁ sati jarāmaraṇaṁ hotī’ti?

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sutavato ariyasāvakassa aparappaccayā ñāṇamevettha hoti: ‘imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati. Avijjāya sati saṅkhārā honti; saṅkhāresu sati viññāṇaṁ hoti; viññāṇe sati nāmarūpaṁ hoti; nāmarūpe sati saḷāyatanaṁ hoti; saḷāyatane sati phasso hoti; phasse sati vedanā hoti; vedanāya sati taṇhā hoti; taṇhāya sati upādānaṁ hoti; upādāne sati bhavo hoti; bhave sati jāti hoti; jātiyā sati jarāmaraṇaṁ hotī’ti. So evaṁ pajānāti: ‘evamayaṁ loko samudayatī’ti.

Na, bhikkhave, sutavato ariyasāvakassa evaṁ hoti: ‘kiṁ nu kho kismiṁ asati kiṁ na hoti, kissa nirodhā kiṁ nirujjhati? Kismiṁ asati saṅkhārā na honti, kismiṁ asati viññāṇaṁ na hoti, kismiṁ asati nāmarūpaṁ na hoti, kismiṁ asati saḷāyatanaṁ na hoti, kismiṁ asati phasso na hoti, kismiṁ asati vedanā na hoti, kismiṁ asati taṇhā na hoti, kismiṁ asati upādānaṁ na hoti, kismiṁ asati bhavo na hoti, kismiṁ asati jāti na hoti, kismiṁ asati jarāmaraṇaṁ na hotī’ti?

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sutavato ariyasāvakassa aparappaccayā ñāṇamevettha hoti: ‘imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati. Avijjāya asati saṅkhārā na honti; saṅkhāresu asati viññāṇaṁ na hoti; viññāṇe asati nāmarūpaṁ na hoti; nāmarūpe asati saḷāyatanaṁ na hoti …pe… bhavo na hotijāti na hotijātiyā asati jarāmaraṇaṁ na hotī’ti. So evaṁ pajānāti: ‘evamayaṁ loko nirujjhatī’ti.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako evaṁ lokassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako diṭṭhisampanno itipi …pe… amatadvāraṁ āhacca tiṭṭhati itipī”ti.

Navamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthī.

“Na, bhikkhave, sutavato ariyasāvakassa evaṁ hoti:

“Mendicants, a learned noble disciple doesn’t think:

‘kiṁ nu kho

kismiṁ sati kiṁ hoti, kissuppādā kiṁ uppajjati?

‘When what exists, what is? Due to the arising of what, what arises?

Kismiṁ sati saṅkhārā honti, kismiṁ sati viññāṇaṁ hoti, kismiṁ sati nāmarūpaṁ hoti, kismiṁ sati saḷāyatanaṁ hoti, kismiṁ sati phasso hoti, kismiṁ sati vedanā hoti, kismiṁ sati taṇhā hoti, kismiṁ sati upādānaṁ hoti, kismiṁ sati bhavo hoti, kismiṁ sati jāti hoti, kismiṁ sati jarāmaraṇaṁ hotī’ti?

When what exists do name and form come to be? When what exists do the six sense fields … contact … feeling … craving … grasping … continued existence … rebirth … old age and death come to be?’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sutavato ariyasāvakassa aparappaccayā ñāṇamevettha hoti:

Rather, a learned noble disciple has only knowledge about this that is independent of others:

‘imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati.

‘When this exists, this comes to be; due to the arising of this, this arises.

Avijjāya sati saṅkhārā honti;

When ignorance exists choices come to be.

saṅkhāresu sati viññāṇaṁ hoti;

When choices exist consciousness comes to be.

viññāṇe sati nāmarūpaṁ hoti;

When consciousness exists name and form come to be.

nāmarūpe sati saḷāyatanaṁ hoti;

When name and form exist the six sense fields come to be.

saḷāyatane sati phasso hoti;

When the six sense fields exist contact comes to be.

phasse sati vedanā hoti;

When contact exists feeling comes to be.

vedanāya sati taṇhā hoti;

When feeling exists craving comes to be.

taṇhāya sati upādānaṁ hoti;

When craving exists grasping comes to be.

upādāne sati bhavo hoti;

When grasping exists continued existence comes to be.

bhave sati jāti hoti;

When continued existence exists rebirth comes to be.

jātiyā sati jarāmaraṇaṁ hotī’ti.

When rebirth exists old age and death come to be.’

So evaṁ pajānāti:

They understand:

‘evamayaṁ loko samudayatī’ti.

‘That is how this world originates.’

Na, bhikkhave, sutavato ariyasāvakassa evaṁ hoti:

A learned noble disciple doesn’t think:

‘kiṁ nu kho

kismiṁ asati kiṁ na hoti, kissa nirodhā kiṁ nirujjhati?

‘When what doesn’t exist, what is not? Due to the cessation of what, what ceases?

Kismiṁ asati saṅkhārā na honti, kismiṁ asati viññāṇaṁ na hoti, kismiṁ asati nāmarūpaṁ na hoti, kismiṁ asati saḷāyatanaṁ na hoti, kismiṁ asati phasso na hoti, kismiṁ asati vedanā na hoti, kismiṁ asati taṇhā na hoti, kismiṁ asati upādānaṁ na hoti, kismiṁ asati bhavo na hoti, kismiṁ asati jāti na hoti, kismiṁ asati jarāmaraṇaṁ na hotī’ti?

When what doesn’t exist do choices not come to be? When what doesn’t exist do name and form not come to be? When what doesn’t exist do the six sense fields … contact … feeling … craving … grasping … continued existence … rebirth … old age and death not come to be?’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sutavato ariyasāvakassa aparappaccayā ñāṇamevettha hoti:

Rather, a learned noble disciple has only knowledge about this that is independent of others:

‘imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati.

‘When this doesn’t exist, this doesn’t come to be; due to the cessation of this, this ceases.

Avijjāya asati saṅkhārā na honti;

When ignorance doesn’t exist choices don’t come to be.

saṅkhāresu asati viññāṇaṁ na hoti;

When choices don’t exist consciousness doesn’t come to be.

viññāṇe asati nāmarūpaṁ na hoti;

When consciousness doesn’t exist name and form don’t come to be.

nāmarūpe asati saḷāyatanaṁ na hoti …pe…

When name and form don’t exist the six sense fields don’t come to be. …

bhavo na hoti

continued existence doesn’t come to be …

jāti na hoti

rebirth doesn’t come to be …

jātiyā asati jarāmaraṇaṁ na hotī’ti.

When rebirth doesn’t exist old age and death don’t come to be.’

So evaṁ pajānāti:

They understand:

‘evamayaṁ loko nirujjhatī’ti.

‘That is how this world ceases.’

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako evaṁ lokassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako diṭṭhisampanno itipi …pe…

A noble disciple comes to truly understand the origin and disappearance of the world. Such a noble disciple is one who 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 knocking at the door to freedom from death’.”

amatadvāraṁ āhacca tiṭṭhati itipī”ti.

Navamaṁ.

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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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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Learning

Learning

One who has broad learning and retention of the Dhamma, gained through hearing, reciting, and carefully investigating the teachings. Such learning penetrates their meaning through discernment and serves as a strong support for practice.

Also known as: having knowledge, well studied
Pāli: bahussuta, suta
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Vision

Vision

The corrective clarity that clearly sees into the true nature of things as they actually are.

Also known as: knowledge and vision, seeing clearly, seeing things as they are, seeing the truth, seeing the dhamma
Pāli: dassana, ñāṇadassana, yathābhūtañāṇadassana
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Last updated on July 27, 2026