The Buddha contemplates dependent co-arising in forward and reverse order just after his awakening.

UD 1.3  Tatiya bodhi sutta - Upon Awakening (Third)

Evaṁ me sutaṁekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre bodhirukkhamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena nisinno hoti vimuttisukhapaṭisaṁvedī. Atha kho bhagavā tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhahitvā rattiyā pacchimaṁ yāmaṁ paṭiccasamuppādaṁ anulomapaṭilomaṁ sādhukaṁ manasākāsi:

Thus have I heard. At one time, the |Blessed One::Sublime One, Fortunate One, epithet of the Buddha [bhagavā]| was dwelling at |Uruvelā::name of a town in Magadha, lit. broad banks [uruvelā]| on the bank of the river Nerañjarā at the foot of a goatherd’s banyan tree, having just attained full awakening. Then, for seven days, the Blessed One sat in one posture experiencing the ease of liberation. At the end of those seven days, the Blessed One, emerging from that |perfect peace of mind::stability of mind, stillness of mind [samādhi]|, during the last watch of the night, thoroughly paid attention to dependent co-arising in both forward and reverse order:

“Iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati, imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati; yadidaṁavijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā, saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṁ, nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā, taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ, upādānapaccayā bhavo, bhavapaccayā jāti, jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. That is: with ignorance as a condition, formations arise; from formations as a condition, consciousness arises; from consciousness as a condition, name-and-form arises; from name-and-form as a condition, the six sense bases arise; from the six sense bases as a condition, contact arises; from contact as a condition, feeling arises; from feeling as a condition, craving arises; from craving as a condition, clinging arises; from clinging as a condition, continued existence comes to be; from continued existence as a condition, birth comes to be; from birth as a condition, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be. Thus is the arising of this whole mass of suffering.

Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho, saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho, viññāṇanirodhā nāmarūpanirodho, nāmarūpanirodhā saḷāyatananirodho, saḷāyatananirodhā phassanirodho, phassanirodhā vedanānirodho, vedanānirodhā taṇhānirodho, taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho, upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho, bhavanirodhā jātinirodho, jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.

But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance, formations cease; with the cessation of formations, consciousness ceases; with the cessation of consciousness, name-and-form cease; with the cessation of name-and-form, the six sense bases cease; with the cessation of the six sense bases, contact ceases; with the cessation of contact, feeling ceases; with the cessation of feeling, craving ceases; with the cessation of craving, clinging ceases; with the cessation of clinging, becoming ceases; with the cessation of becoming, birth ceases; with the cessation of birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease. Thus, there is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering.

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:

“Yadā have pātubhavanti dhammā,
Ātāpino jhāyato brāhmaṇassa;
Vidhūpayaṁ tiṭṭhati mārasenaṁ,
Sūriyova obhāsayamantalikkhan”ti.

“When the nature of things becomes evident,
to the Brahmin meditating with continuous effort;
He persists dispelling Māra’s army,
as the sun illuminating the sky.

Last updated on April 11, 2026