sutta » sn » sn12 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.11

Āhārasutta

Nutriment Fuel

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
Thus have I heard.
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme …
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthı̄ in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. …
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. …

“cattārome, bhikkhave, āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāya.
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of nutriment for the maintenance of beings that have already come to be and for the assistance of those about to come to be.
“Mendicants, there are these four fuels. They maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those that are about to be born.

Katame cattāro?
What four?
What four?

Kabaḷīkāro āhāro oḷāriko vā sukhumo vā, phasso dutiyo, manosañcetanā tatiyā, viññāṇaṁ catutthaṁ.
The nutriment edible food, gross or subtle; second, contact; third, mental volition; fourth, consciousness.
Solid food, whether coarse or fine; contact is the second, mental intention the third, and consciousness the fourth.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāya.
These are the four kinds of nutriment for the maintenance of beings that have already come to be and for the assistance of those about to come to be.
These are the four fuels that maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those that are about to be born.

Ime, bhikkhave, cattāro āhārā kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?
Bhikkhus, these four kinds of nutriment have what as their source, what as their origin, from what are they born and produced?
What is the source, origin, birthplace, and inception of these four fuels?

Ime cattāro āhārā taṇhānidānā taṇhāsamudayā taṇhājātikā taṇhāpabhavā.
These four kinds of nutriment have craving as their source, craving as their origin; they are born and produced from craving.
Craving.

Taṇhā cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?
And this craving has what as its source, what as its origin, from what is it born and produced?
And what is the source, origin, birthplace, and inception of craving?

Taṇhā vedanānidānā vedanāsamudayā vedanājātikā vedanāpabhavā.
This craving has feeling as its source, feeling as its origin; it is born and produced from feeling.
Feeling.

Vedanā cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?
And this feeling has what as its source…?
And what is the source of feeling?

Vedanā phassanidānā phassasamudayā phassajātikā phassapabhavā.
Feeling has contact as its source….
Contact.

Phasso cāyaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidāno kiṁsamudayo kiṁjātiko kiṁpabhavo?
And this contact has what as its source…?
And what is the source of contact?

Phasso saḷāyatananidāno saḷāyatanasamudayo saḷāyatanajātiko saḷāyatanapabhavo.
Contact has the six sense bases as its source….
The six sense fields.

Saḷāyatanañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātikaṁ kiṁpabhavaṁ?
And these six sense bases have what as their source…?
And what is the source of the six sense fields?

Saḷāyatanaṁ nāmarūpanidānaṁ nāmarūpasamudayaṁ nāmarūpajātikaṁ nāmarūpapabhavaṁ.
The six sense bases have name-and-form as their source….
Name and form.

Nāmarūpañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātikaṁ kiṁpabhavaṁ?
And this name-and-form has what as its source…?
And what is the source of name and form?

Nāmarūpaṁ viññāṇanidānaṁ viññāṇasamudayaṁ viññāṇajātikaṁ viññāṇapabhavaṁ.
Name-and-form has consciousness as its source….
Consciousness.

Viññāṇañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātikaṁ kiṁpabhavaṁ?
And this consciousness has what as its source…?
And what is the source of consciousness?

Viññāṇaṁ saṅkhāranidānaṁ saṅkhārasamudayaṁ saṅkhārajātikaṁ saṅkhārapabhavaṁ.
Consciousness has volitional formations as its source….
Choices.

Saṅkhārā cime, bhikkhave, kiṁnidānā kiṁsamudayā kiṁjātikā kiṁpabhavā?
And these volitional formations have what as their source, what as their origin, from what are they born and produced?
And what is the source of choices?

Saṅkhārā avijjānidānā avijjāsamudayā avijjājātikā avijjāpabhavā.
Volitional formations have ignorance as their source, ignorance as their origin; they are born and produced from ignorance.
Ignorance.

Iti kho, bhikkhave, avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;
Thus, bhikkhus, 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.

Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;
But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations;
When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices cease.

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

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

Paṭhamaṁ.