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1. Addhānamūlapañha

Question on the Root of Time

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, atītassa addhānassa kiṁ mūlaṁ, anāgatassa addhānassa kiṁ mūlaṁ, paccuppannassa addhānassa kiṁ mūlan”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, what is the root of transmigration time in the past, what is the root of transmigration time in the future, what is the root of transmigration time in the present?”

“Atītassa ca, mahārāja, addhānassa anāgatassa ca addhānassa paccuppannassa ca addhānassa avijjā mūlaṁ.
“The root of transmigration time in the past, your majesty, and of transmigration time in the future, and of transmigration time in the present is ignorance.

Avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā, saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṁ, nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā, taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ, upādānapaccayā bhavo, bhavapaccayā jāti, jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti.
From the condition of ignorance there are fabrications, from the condition of fabrications there is consciousness, from the condition of consciousness there is name-and-form, from the condition of name-and-form there are the six sense bases, from the condition of the six sense bases there is contact, from the condition of contact there is feeling, from the condition of feeling there is craving, from the condition of craving there is clinging, from the condition of clinging there is becoming, from the condition of becoming there is birth, from the condition of birth there is old age and death; sorrow, lamentation, suffering, anguish, and despair arise.

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa addhānassa purimā koṭi na paññāyatī”ti.
Thus, no earliest point of this whole mass of suffering of transmigration time can be discerned.”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”

Addhānamūlapañho paṭhamo.
Question on the Root of Time first