Various kinds of views arise in the world due to not knowing intentional constructs, the arising of intentional constructs, the cessation of intentional constructs, and the practice leading to the cessation of intentional constructs.

SN 33.4  Saṅkhāraaññāṇa sutta - Not Knowing Volitional Formations

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

While seated to one side, the wanderer Vacchagotta addressed the Blessed One:

“ko nu kho, bho gotama, hetu, ko paccayo, yānimāni anekavihitāni diṭṭhigatāni loke uppajjantisassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti …pe… neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā”ti?

“Venerable Gotama, what is the cause and condition for the various kinds of views that arise in the world, such as: ‘The world is eternal,’ or ‘The world is not eternal,’ ... or ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist’?”

“Saṅkhāresu kho, vaccha, aññāṇā, saṅkhārasamudaye aññāṇā, saṅkhāranirodhe aññāṇā, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya aññāṇā; evamimāni anekavihitāni diṭṭhigatāni loke uppajjantisassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti …pe… neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vāti. Ayaṁ kho, vaccha, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yānimāni anekavihitāni diṭṭhigatāni loke uppajjantisassato lokoti vā, asassato lokoti …pe… neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇāti vā”ti.

[The Blessed One replied]: “Vaccha, it is from not knowing intentional constructs, not knowing the arising of intentional constructs, not knowing the cessation of intentional constructs, not knowing the practice leading to the cessation of intentional constructs that these various kinds of views arise in the world, such as: ‘The world is eternal,’ ... or ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist.’ This, Vaccha, is the cause and condition for the various kinds of views that arise in the world: ‘The world is eternal,’ or ‘The world is not eternal,’ ... or ‘After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist.’”

Topics:

Intentional Constructs

Intentional Constructs

Intentional constructs are intentions, volitions, and choices expressed through body, speech, and mind. These are the kamma-producing processes that ‘fabricate’ experience. It is the fourth of the five aggregates.

Also known as: volitional formations, fabrications
Pāli: saṅkhāra
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Last updated on June 10, 2026