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

SN 12.69 Surge

Evaṁ me sutaṁ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho …pe…

“mahāsamuddo, bhikkhave, upayanto mahānadiyo upayāpeti, mahānadiyo upayantiyo kunnadiyo upayāpenti, kunnadiyo upayantiyo mahāsobbhe upayāpenti, mahāsobbhā upayantā kusobbhe upayāpenti.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjā upayantī saṅkhāre upayāpeti, saṅkhārā upayantā viññāṇaṁ upayāpenti, viññāṇaṁ upayantaṁ nāmarūpaṁ upayāpeti, nāmarūpaṁ upayantaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ upayāpeti, saḷāyatanaṁ upayantaṁ phassaṁ upayāpeti, phasso upayanto vedanaṁ upayāpeti, vedanā upayantī taṇhaṁ upayāpeti, taṇhā upayantī upādānaṁ upayāpeti, upādānaṁ upayantaṁ bhavaṁ upayāpeti, bhavo upayanto jātiṁ upayāpeti, jāti upayantī jarāmaraṇaṁ upayāpeti.

Mahāsamuddo, bhikkhave, apayanto mahānadiyo apayāpeti, mahānadiyo apayantiyo kunnadiyo apayāpenti, kunnadiyo apayantiyo mahāsobbhe apayāpenti, mahāsobbhā apayantā kusobbhe apayāpenti.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjā apayantī saṅkhāre apayāpeti, saṅkhārā apayantā viññāṇaṁ apayāpenti, viññāṇaṁ apayantaṁ nāmarūpaṁ apayāpeti, nāmarūpaṁ apayantaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ apayāpeti, saḷāyatanaṁ apayantaṁ phassaṁ apayāpeti, phasso apayanto vedanaṁ apayāpeti, vedanā apayantī taṇhaṁ apayāpeti, taṇhā apayantī upādānaṁ apayāpeti, upādānaṁ apayantaṁ bhavaṁ apayāpeti, bhavo apayanto jātiṁ apayāpeti, jāti apayantī jarāmaraṇaṁ apayāpetī”ti.

Navamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Evaṁ me sutaṁ

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tatra kho …pe…

“mahāsamuddo, bhikkhave, upayanto mahānadiyo upayāpeti, mahānadiyo upayantiyo kunnadiyo upayāpenti, kunnadiyo upayantiyo mahāsobbhe upayāpenti, mahāsobbhā upayantā kusobbhe upayāpenti.

“Mendicants, when the ocean surges it makes the rivers surge. When the rivers surge they make the streams surge. When the streams surge they make the lakes surge. When the lakes surge they make the ponds surge.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjā upayantī saṅkhāre upayāpeti, saṅkhārā upayantā viññāṇaṁ upayāpenti, viññāṇaṁ upayantaṁ nāmarūpaṁ upayāpeti, nāmarūpaṁ upayantaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ upayāpeti, saḷāyatanaṁ upayantaṁ phassaṁ upayāpeti, phasso upayanto vedanaṁ upayāpeti, vedanā upayantī taṇhaṁ upayāpeti, taṇhā upayantī upādānaṁ upayāpeti, upādānaṁ upayantaṁ bhavaṁ upayāpeti, bhavo upayanto jātiṁ upayāpeti, jāti upayantī jarāmaraṇaṁ upayāpeti.

In the same way, when ignorance surges it makes choices surge. When choices surge they make consciousness surge. When consciousness surges it makes name and form surge. When name and form surge they make the six sense fields surge. When the six sense fields surge they make contact surge. When contact surges it makes feeling surge. When feeling surges it makes craving surge. When craving surges it makes grasping surge. When grasping surges it makes continued existence surge. When continued existence surges it makes rebirth surge. When rebirth surges it makes old age and death surge.

Mahāsamuddo, bhikkhave, apayanto mahānadiyo apayāpeti, mahānadiyo apayantiyo kunnadiyo apayāpenti, kunnadiyo apayantiyo mahāsobbhe apayāpenti, mahāsobbhā apayantā kusobbhe apayāpenti.

When the ocean recedes it makes the rivers recede. When the rivers recede they make the streams recede. When the streams recede they make the lakes recede. When the lakes recede they make the ponds recede.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjā apayantī saṅkhāre apayāpeti, saṅkhārā apayantā viññāṇaṁ apayāpenti, viññāṇaṁ apayantaṁ nāmarūpaṁ apayāpeti, nāmarūpaṁ apayantaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ apayāpeti, saḷāyatanaṁ apayantaṁ phassaṁ apayāpeti, phasso apayanto vedanaṁ apayāpeti, vedanā apayantī taṇhaṁ apayāpeti, taṇhā apayantī upādānaṁ apayāpeti, upādānaṁ apayantaṁ bhavaṁ apayāpeti, bhavo apayanto jātiṁ apayāpeti, jāti apayantī jarāmaraṇaṁ apayāpetī”ti.

In the same way, when ignorance recedes it makes choices recede. When choices recede they make consciousness recede. When consciousness recedes it makes name and form recede. When name and form recede they make the six sense fields recede. When the six sense fields recede they make contact recede. When contact recedes it makes feeling recede. When feeling recedes it makes craving recede. When craving recedes it makes grasping recede. When grasping recedes it makes continued existence recede. When continued existence recedes it makes rebirth recede. When rebirth recedes it makes old age and death recede.”

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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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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Last updated on July 27, 2026