sutta » sn » sn12 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.11

Āhārasutta

Fuel Nutriment

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

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

“cattārome, bhikkhave, āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāya.
“Mendicants, there are these four fuels. They maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those that are about to be born.
“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.

Katame cattāro?
What four?
What four?

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

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro āhārā bhūtānaṁ vā sattānaṁ ṭhitiyā sambhavesīnaṁ vā anuggahāya.
These are the four fuels that maintain sentient beings that have been born and help those that are about to be born.
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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iti kho, bhikkhave, avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;
And so, ignorance is a condition for choices.
Thus, bhikkhus, 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.

Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;
When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices cease.
But 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 hotī”ti.
That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.”

Paṭhamaṁ.