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

SN 12.60 Causation

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kurūsu viharati kammāsadhammaṁ nāma kurūnaṁ nigamo. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāva gambhīro cāyaṁ, bhante, paṭiccasamuppādo gambhīrāvabhāso ca, atha ca pana me uttānakuttānako viya khāyatī”ti.

“Mā hevaṁ, ānanda, hevaṁ, ānanda. Gambhīro cāyaṁ, ānanda, paṭiccasamuppādo gambhīrāvabhāso ca. Etassa, ānanda, dhammassa ananubodhā appaṭivedhā evamayaṁ pajā tantākulakajātā kulagaṇṭhikajātā muñjapabbajabhūtā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ saṁsāraṁ nātivattati.

Upādāniyesu, ānanda, dhammesu assādānupassino viharato taṇhā pavaḍḍhati. Taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ; upādānapaccayā bhavo; bhavapaccayā jāti; jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, mahārukkho. Tassa yāni ceva mūlāni adhogamāni, yāni ca tiriyaṅgamāni, sabbāni tāni uddhaṁ ojaṁ abhiharanti. Evañhi so, ānanda, mahārukkho tadāhāro tadupādāno ciraṁ dīghamaddhānaṁ tiṭṭheyya.

Evameva kho, ānanda, upādāniyesu dhammesu assādānupassino viharato taṇhā pavaḍḍhati. Taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ; upādānapaccayā bhavo …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

Upādāniyesu, ānanda, dhammesu ādīnavānupassino viharato taṇhā nirujjhati. Taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, mahārukkho. Atha puriso āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya. So taṁ rukkhaṁ mūle chindeyya, mūle chetvā palikhaṇeyya, palikhaṇitvā mūlāni uddhareyya antamaso usīranāḷimattānipi. So taṁ rukkhaṁ khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chindeyya. Khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chinditvā phāleyya; phāletvā sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ kareyya, sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ karitvā vātātape visoseyya, vātātape visosetvā agginā ḍaheyya, agginā ḍahetvā masiṁ kareyya, masiṁ karitvā mahāvāte ophuṇeyya, nadiyā sīghasotāya pavāheyya. Evañhi so, ānanda, mahārukkho ucchinnamūlo assa tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo.

Evameva kho, ānanda, upādāniyesu dhammesu ādīnavānupassino viharato taṇhā nirujjhati. Taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho; bhavanirodhā jātinirodho; jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Dukkhavaggo chaṭṭho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Parivīmaṁsanupādānaṁ,
dve ca saṁyojanāni ca;
Mahārukkhena dve vuttā,
taruṇena ca sattamaṁ;
Nāmarūpañca viññāṇaṁ,
nidānena ca te dasāti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kurūsu viharati kammāsadhammaṁ nāma kurūnaṁ nigamo.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kurus, near the Kuru town named Kammāsadamma.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to the Buddha:

“acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante.

“It’s incredible, sir! It’s amazing,

Yāva gambhīro cāyaṁ, bhante, paṭiccasamuppādo gambhīrāvabhāso ca, atha ca pana me uttānakuttānako viya khāyatī”ti.

in that this dependent origination is deep and appears deep, yet to me it seems as plain as can be.”

“Mā hevaṁ, ānanda, hevaṁ, ānanda.

“Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda!

Gambhīro cāyaṁ, ānanda, paṭiccasamuppādo gambhīrāvabhāso ca.

This dependent origination is deep and appears deep.

Etassa, ānanda, dhammassa ananubodhā appaṭivedhā evamayaṁ pajā tantākulakajātā kulagaṇṭhikajātā muñjapabbajabhūtā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ saṁsāraṁ nātivattati.

It is because of not understanding and not penetrating this teaching that this population has become tangled like string, knotted like a ball of thread, and matted like rushes and reeds, and it doesn’t escape the places of loss, the bad places, the underworld, transmigration.

Upādāniyesu, ānanda, dhammesu assādānupassino viharato taṇhā pavaḍḍhati.

There are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows.

Taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ;

Craving is a requirement for grasping.

upādānapaccayā bhavo;

Grasping is a requirement for continued existence.

bhavapaccayā jāti;

Continued existence is a requirement for rebirth.

jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti.

Rebirth is a requirement for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be.

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, mahārukkho.

Suppose there was a great tree.

Tassa yāni ceva mūlāni adhogamāni, yāni ca tiriyaṅgamāni, sabbāni tāni uddhaṁ ojaṁ abhiharanti.

And its roots going downwards and across all draw the sap upwards.

Evañhi so, ānanda, mahārukkho tadāhāro tadupādāno ciraṁ dīghamaddhānaṁ tiṭṭheyya.

Fed and fuelled by that, the great tree would stand for a long time.

Evameva kho, ānanda, upādāniyesu dhammesu assādānupassino viharato taṇhā pavaḍḍhati.

In the same way, there are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows.

Taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ;

Craving is a requirement for grasping.

upādānapaccayā bhavo …pe…

Grasping is a requirement for continued existence. …

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

Upādāniyesu, ānanda, dhammesu ādīnavānupassino viharato taṇhā nirujjhati.

There are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the drawbacks of these things, your craving ceases.

Taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho;

When craving ceases, grasping ceases.

upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho …pe…

When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. …

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.

That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, mahārukkho.

Suppose there was a great tree.

Atha puriso āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya.

Then a person comes along with a spade and basket.

So taṁ rukkhaṁ mūle chindeyya, mūle chetvā palikhaṇeyya, palikhaṇitvā mūlāni uddhareyya antamaso usīranāḷimattānipi.

They’d cut the tree down at the roots, dig them up, and pull them out, down to the fibers and stems.

So taṁ rukkhaṁ khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chindeyya.

Then they’d split the tree apart, cut up the parts, and chop it into splinters. They’d dry the splinters in the wind and sun, burn them with fire, and reduce them to ashes. Then they’d winnow the ashes in a strong wind, or float them away down a swift stream.

Khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chinditvā phāleyya;

phāletvā sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ kareyya, sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ karitvā vātātape visoseyya, vātātape visosetvā agginā ḍaheyya, agginā ḍahetvā masiṁ kareyya, masiṁ karitvā mahāvāte ophuṇeyya, nadiyā sīghasotāya pavāheyya.

Evañhi so, ānanda, mahārukkho ucchinnamūlo assa tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo.

In this way the great tree is cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.

Evameva kho, ānanda, upādāniyesu dhammesu ādīnavānupassino viharato taṇhā nirujjhati.

In the same way, there are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the drawbacks of these things, your craving ceases.

Taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho;

When craving ceases, grasping ceases.

upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho;

When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases.

bhavanirodhā jātinirodho;

When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases.

jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti.

When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease.

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.

That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”

Dasamaṁ.

Dukkhavaggo chaṭṭho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Parivīmaṁsanupādānaṁ,

dve ca saṁyojanāni ca;

Mahārukkhena dve vuttā,

taruṇena ca sattamaṁ;

Nāmarūpañca viññāṇaṁ,

nidānena ca te dasāti.

Qualities:

Anxiety

Anxiety

A fluttering, unsettled state of mind, worried about past or future and unsure what is right to do. It keeps the mind circling around concerns without resolution, weakening confidence and obscuring calm discernment.

Also known as: agitation, confusion about what is right and wrong, distress, fickleness, fidgetiness, edginess, restlessness, wavering, worry
Pāli: kukkucca, uddhacca, darathaja
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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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Lamentation

Lamentation

The verbal and bodily expression of grief—crying, wailing, and mourning—that arises from loss or separation from what is held dear. It gives voice to sorrow and can deepen the mind's entanglement with pain.

Also known as: crying, wailing, mourning
Pāli: parideva
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Sorrow

Sorrow

Grief or sadness that follows loss or disappointment, dimming the mind’s natural brightness. It clouds clear perception.

Also known as: grief, sadness
Pāli: soka, socati
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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