Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.10

Translators: sujato and bodhi

Linked Discourses 12.10

1. Buddhavagga
1. The Buddhas

Gotamasutta

Gotama Gotama the Great Sakyan Sage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘kimhi nu kho sati jāti hoti …pe…
‘When what exists is there rebirth? …
‘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.’

bhavo …
continued existence …
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.’

upādānaṁ …
grasping …
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.’

taṇhā …
craving …
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.’

vedanā …
feeling …
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.’

phasso …
contact …
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.’

saḷāyatanaṁ …
the six sense fields …
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.’

nāmarūpaṁ …
name and form …
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.’

viññāṇaṁ …
consciousness …
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.’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘kimhi nu kho asati jarāmaraṇaṁ na hoti, kissa nirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho’ti?
‘When what doesn’t exist is there no old age and death? When what ceases do old age and death cease?’
‘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?’

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

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

‘kimhi nu kho asati jāti na hoti …pe…
‘When what doesn’t exist is there no rebirth? …
‘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.’…

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

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

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

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

phasso …
contact …
‘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.’…

saḷāyatanaṁ …
the six sense fields …
‘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.’…

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

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

saṅkhārā na honti, kissa nirodhā saṅkhāranirodho’ti?
‘When what doesn’t exist are there no choices? When what ceases do choices cease?’
‘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?’

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

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

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

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

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

Dasamo.

Buddhavaggo paṭhamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Desanā vibhaṅgapaṭipadā ca,

Vipassī sikhī ca vessabhū;

Kakusandho koṇāgamano kassapo,

Mahāsakyamuni ca gotamoti.