Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.10

Translators: sujato and bodhi

Linked Discourses 12.10

1. Buddhavagga
1. The Buddhas

Gotamasutta

Gotama the Great Sakyan Sage Gotama

“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi:
“Bhikkhus, before my enlightenment, while I was still a bodhisatta, not yet fully enlightened, it occurred to me:
“Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought:

‘kicchaṁ vatāyaṁ loko āpanno jāyati ca jīyati ca mīyati ca cavati ca upapajjati ca.
‘Alas, this world has fallen into trouble, in that it is born, ages, and dies, it passes away and is reborn,
‘Alas, this world has fallen into trouble. It’s born, grows old, dies, passes away, and is reborn,

Atha ca panimassa dukkhassa nissaraṇaṁ nappajānāti jarāmaraṇassa.
yet it does not understand the escape from this suffering [headed by] aging-and-death.
yet it doesn’t understand how to escape from this suffering, from old age and death.

Kudāssu nāma imassa dukkhassa nissaraṇaṁ paññāyissati jarāmaraṇassā’ti?
When now will an escape be discerned from this suffering [headed by] aging-and-death?’
Oh, when will an escape be found from this suffering, from old age and death?’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
Then it occurred to me:

‘kimhi nu kho sati jarāmaraṇaṁ hoti, kiṁpaccayā jarāmaraṇan’ti?
‘When what exists does aging-and-death come to be? By what is aging-and-death conditioned?’
‘When what exists is there old age and death? What is a condition for old age and death?’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo:
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
Then, through rational application of mind, I comprehended with wisdom:

‘jātiyā kho sati jarāmaraṇaṁ hoti, jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇan’ti.
‘When there is birth, aging-and-death comes to be; aging-and-death has birth as its condition.’
‘When rebirth exists there’s old age and death. Rebirth is a condition for old age and death.’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
Then it occurred to me:

‘kimhi nu kho sati jāti hoti …pe…
‘When what exists does birth come to be? By what is birth conditioned?’Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is existence, birth comes to be; birth has existence as its condition.’
‘When what exists is there rebirth? …

bhavo …
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists does existence come to be? By what is existence conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is clinging, existence comes to be; existence has clinging as its condition.’
continued existence …

upādānaṁ …
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists does clinging come to be? By what is clinging conditioned?’Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is craving, clinging comes to be; clinging has craving as its condition.’
grasping …

taṇhā …
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists does craving come to be? By what is craving conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is feeling, craving comes to be; craving has feeling as its condition.’
craving …

vedanā …
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists does feeling come to be? By what is feeling conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is contact, feeling comes to be; feeling has contact as its condition.’
feeling …

phasso …
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists does contact come to be? By what is contact conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there are the six sense bases, contact comes to be; contact has the six sense bases as its condition.’
contact …

saḷāyatanaṁ …
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists do the six sense bases come to be? By what are the six sense bases conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is name-and-form, the six sense bases come to be; the six sense bases have name-and-form as their condition.’
the six sense fields …

nāmarūpaṁ …
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists does name-and-form come to be? By what is name-and-form conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is consciousness, name-and-form comes to be; name-and-form has consciousness as its condition.’
name and form …

viññāṇaṁ …
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists does consciousness come to be? By what is consciousness conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there are volitional formations, consciousness comes to be; consciousness has volitional formations as its condition.’
consciousness …

saṅkhārā honti, kiṁpaccayā saṅkhārā’ti?
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists do volitional formations come to be? By what are volitional formations conditioned?’
‘When what exists are there choices? What is a condition for choices?’

‘avijjāya kho sati saṅkhārā honti, avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā’ti.
‘When there is ignorance, volitional formations come to be; volitional formations have ignorance as their condition.’
‘When ignorance exists there are choices. Ignorance is a condition for choices.’

Iti hidaṁ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;
Thus with ignorance as condition, volitional formations [come to be];
And so, ignorance is a condition for choices.

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…
with volitional formations as condition, consciousness….
Choices are a condition for consciousness. …

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.
Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.
That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

‘Samudayo, samudayo’ti kho me, bhikkhave, pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu cakkhuṁ udapādi, ñāṇaṁ udapādi, paññā udapādi, vijjā udapādi, āloko udapādi.
‘Origination, origination’—thus, bhikkhus, in regard to things unheard before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light.
‘Origination, origination.’ Such was the vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light that arose in me regarding teachings not learned before from another.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
Then it occurred to me:

‘kimhi nu kho asati jarāmaraṇaṁ na hoti, kissa nirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho’ti?
‘When what does not exist does aging-and-death not come to be? With the cessation of what does the cessation of aging-and-death come about?’
‘When what doesn’t exist is there no old age and death? When what ceases do old age and death cease?’

‘jātiyā kho asati jarāmaraṇaṁ na hoti, jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho’ti.
‘When there is no birth, aging-and-death does not come to be; with the cessation of birth comes cessation of aging-and-death.’
‘When rebirth doesn’t exist there’s no old age and death. When rebirth ceases, old age and death cease.’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
Then it occurred to me:

‘kimhi nu kho asati jāti na hoti …pe…
‘When what does not exist does birth not come to be? By the cessation of what does the cessation of birth come about?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is no existence, birth does not come to be; with the cessation of existence comes cessation of birth.’…
‘When what doesn’t exist is there no rebirth? …

bhavo …
‘When there is no clinging, existence does not come to be; with the cessation of clinging comes cessation of existence.’…
continued existence …

upādānaṁ …
‘When there is no craving, clinging does not come to be; with the cessation of craving comes cessation of clinging.’…
grasping …

taṇhā …
‘When there is no feeling, craving does not come to be; with the cessation of feeling comes cessation of craving.’…
craving …

vedanā …
‘When there is no contact, feeling does not come to be; with the cessation of contact comes cessation of feeling.’…
feeling …

phasso …
‘When there are no six sense bases, contact does not come to be; with the cessation of the six sense bases comes cessation of contact.’…
contact …

saḷāyatanaṁ …
‘When there is no name-and-form, the six sense bases do not come to be; with the cessation of name-and-form comes cessation of the six sense bases.’…
the six sense fields …

nāmarūpaṁ …
‘When there is no consciousness, name-and-form does not come to be; with the cessation of consciousness comes cessation of name-and-form.’…
name and form …

viññāṇaṁ …
‘When there are no volitional formations, consciousness does not come to be; with the cessation of volitional formations comes cessation of consciousness.’…
consciousness …

saṅkhārā na honti, kissa nirodhā saṅkhāranirodho’ti?
‘When what does not exist does volitional formations not come to be? By the cessation of what does the cessation of volitional formations come about?’
‘When what doesn’t exist are there no choices? When what ceases do choices cease?’

‘avijjāya kho asati saṅkhārā na honti, avijjānirodhā saṅkhāranirodho’ti.
‘When there is no ignorance, volitional formations do not come to be; with the cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations.’
‘When ignorance doesn’t exist there are no choices. When ignorance ceases, choices cease.’

Iti hidaṁ avijjānirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;
Thus with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations;
And so, when ignorance ceases, choices cease.

saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe…
with the cessation of volitional formations, cessation of consciousness….
When choices cease, consciousness ceases. …

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.
That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.

‘Nirodho, nirodho’ti kho me, bhikkhave, pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu cakkhuṁ udapādi, ñāṇaṁ udapādi, paññā udapādi, vijjā udapādi, āloko udapādī”ti.
‘Cessation, cessation’—thus, bhikkhus, in regard to things unheard before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light.”
‘Cessation, cessation.’ Such was the vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light that arose in me regarding teachings not learned before from another.”

Dasamo.

Buddhavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Desanā vibhaṅgapaṭipadā ca,

Vipassī sikhī ca vessabhū;

Kakusandho koṇāgamano kassapo,

Mahāsakyamuni ca gotamoti.