Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.35

Translators: sujato

Linked Discourses 12.35

4. Kaḷārakhattiyavagga
4. Kaḷāra the Aristocrat

Avijjāpaccayasutta

Ignorance is a Condition

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.

“Avijjāpaccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;
“Ignorance is a condition for choices.

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…
Choices are a condition for consciousness. …

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hotī”ti.
That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.”

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When this was said, one of the mendicants asked the Buddha,

“‘katamaṁ nu kho, bhante, jarāmaraṇaṁ, kassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇan’ti?
“What are old age and death, sir, and who do they belong to?”

‘No kallo pañho’ti bhagavā avoca, ‘katamaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, kassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇan’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ‘aññaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ aññassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇan’ti, iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ.
“That’s not a fitting question,” said the Buddha. “You might say, ‘What are old age and death, and who do they belong to?’ Or you might say, ‘Old age and death are one thing, who they belong to is another.’ But both of these mean the same thing, only the phrasing differs.

Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.
Mendicant, if you have the view that the soul and the body are the same thing, there is no living of the spiritual life.

Aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.
If you have the view that the soul and the body are different things, there is no living of the spiritual life.

Ete te, bhikkhu, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:
Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:

‘jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇan’”ti.
‘Rebirth is a condition for old age and death.’”

“Katamā nu kho, bhante, jāti, kassa ca panāyaṁ jātī”ti?
“What is rebirth, sir, and who does it belong to?”

“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca, “‘katamā jāti, kassa ca panāyaṁ jātī’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ‘aññā jāti aññassa ca panāyaṁ jātī’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ.
“That’s not a fitting question,” said the Buddha. “You might say, ‘What is rebirth, and who does it belong to?’ Or you might say, ‘Rebirth is one thing, who it belongs to is another.’ But both of these mean the same thing, only the phrasing differs.

Ete te, bhikkhu, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:
Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:

‘bhavapaccayā jātī’”ti.
‘Continued existence is a condition for rebirth.’”

“Katamo nu kho, bhante, bhavo, kassa ca panāyaṁ bhavo”ti?
“What is continued existence, sir, and who is it for?”

“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca, “‘katamo bhavo, kassa ca panāyaṁ bhavo’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ‘añño bhavo aññassa ca panāyaṁ bhavo’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ.
“That’s not a fitting question,” said the Buddha. “You might say, ‘What is continued existence, and who does it belong to?’ Or you might say, ‘Continued existence is one thing, who it belongs to is another.’ But both of these mean the same thing, only the phrasing differs.

Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti;
Mendicant, if you have the view that the soul and the body are identical, there is no living of the spiritual life.

aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti.
If you have the view that the soul and the body are different things, there is no living of the spiritual life.

Ete te, bhikkhu, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:
Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:

‘upādānapaccayā bhavo’ti …pe…
‘Grasping is a condition for continued existence.’ …

‘taṇhāpaccayā upādānanti …
‘Craving is a condition for grasping.’ …

vedanāpaccayā taṇhāti …
‘Feeling is a condition for craving.’ …

phassapaccayā vedanāti …
‘Contact is a condition for feeling.’ …

saḷāyatanapaccayā phassoti …
‘The six sense fields are conditions for contact.’ …

nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatananti …
‘Name and form are conditions for the six sense fields.’ …

viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpanti …
‘Consciousness is a condition for name and form.’ …

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇan’”ti.
‘Choices are a condition for consciousness.’”

“Katame nu kho, bhante, saṅkhārā, kassa ca panime saṅkhārā”ti?
“What are choices, sir, and who do they belong to?”

“No kallo pañho”ti bhagavā avoca, “‘katame saṅkhārā kassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ‘aññe saṅkhārā aññassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ti iti vā, bhikkhu, yo vadeyya, ubhayametaṁ ekatthaṁ byañjanameva nānaṁ.
“That’s not a fitting question,” said the Buddha. “You might say, ‘What are choices, and who do they belong to?’ Or you might say, ‘Choices are one thing, who they belong to is another.’ But both of these mean the same thing, only the phrasing differs.

Taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīranti vā, bhikkhu, diṭṭhiyā sati brahmacariyavāso na hoti;
Mendicant, if you have the view that the soul and the body are the same thing, there is no living of the spiritual life.

Ete te, bhikkhu, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:
Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:

‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā’”ti.
‘Ignorance is a condition for choices.’

“Avijjāya tveva, bhikkhu, asesavirāganirodhā yānissa tāni visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni kānici kānici.
When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, then any twists, ducks, and dodges are given up:

‘Katamaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, kassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, aññassa ca panidaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ’ iti vā, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā.
‘What are old age and death, and who do they belong to?’ or ‘old age and death are one thing, who they belong to is another’, or ‘the soul and the body are the same thing’, or ‘the soul and the body are different things.’

Sabbānissa tāni pahīnāni bhavanti ucchinnamūlāni tālāvatthukatāni anabhāvaṅkatāni āyatiṁ anuppādadhammāni.
These are all cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.

Avijjāya tveva, bhikkhu, asesavirāganirodhā yānissa tāni visūkāyikāni visevitāni vipphanditāni kānici kānici.
When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, then any twists, ducks, and dodges are given up:

‘Katamā jāti, kassa ca panāyaṁ jāti’ iti vā, ‘aññā jāti, aññassa ca panāyaṁ jāti’ iti vā, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā.
‘What is rebirth, and who does it belong to?’ or ‘rebirth is one thing, who it belongs to is another’, or ‘the soul and the body are the same thing’, or ‘the soul and the body are different things.’

Katamo bhavo …pe…
‘What is continued existence …’

katamaṁ upādānaṁ …
‘What is grasping …’

katamā taṇhā …
‘What is craving …’

katamā vedanā …
‘What is feeling …’

katamo phasso …
‘What is contact …’

katamaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ …
‘What are the six sense fields …’

katamaṁ nāmarūpaṁ …
‘What are name and form …’

katamaṁ viññāṇaṁ …pe….
‘What is consciousness …’

‘Katame saṅkhārā, kassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ iti vā, ‘aññe saṅkhārā, aññassa ca panime saṅkhārā’ iti vā, ‘taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā, ‘aññaṁ jīvaṁ, aññaṁ sarīraṁ’ iti vā.
‘What are choices, and who do they belong to?’ or ‘choices are one thing, who they belong to is another’, or ‘the soul and the body are the same thing’, or ‘the soul and the body are different things.’

Sabbānissa tāni pahīnāni bhavanti ucchinnamūlāni tālāvatthukatāni anabhāvaṅkatāni āyatiṁ anuppādadhammānī”ti.
These are all cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.”

Pañcamaṁ.