sutta » sn » sn12 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.55

Mahārukkhasutta

A Great Tree

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.

“Upādāniyesu, bhikkhave, dhammesu assādānupassino viharato taṇhā pavaḍḍhati.
“There are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows.

Taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ;
Craving is a condition for grasping.

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

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.
That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahārukkho.
Suppose there was a great tree.

Tassa yāni ceva mūlāni adhogamāni, yāni ca tiriyaṅgamāni, sabbāni tāni uddhaṁ ojaṁ abhiharanti.
And its roots going downwards and across all draw the sap upwards.

Evañhi so, bhikkhave, mahārukkho tadāhāro tadupādāno ciraṁ dīghamaddhānaṁ tiṭṭheyya.
Fed and fuelled by that, the great tree would stand for a long time.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, upādāniyesu dhammesu assādānupassino viharato taṇhā pavaḍḍhati.
In the same way, there are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows.

Taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ …pe…
Craving is a condition for grasping. …

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.
That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

Upādāniyesu, bhikkhave, dhammesu ādīnavānupassino viharato taṇhā nirujjhati.
There are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the drawbacks of these things, your craving ceases.

Taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho;
When craving ceases, grasping ceases.

upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho …pe…
When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. …

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.
That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahārukkho.
Suppose there was a great tree.

Atha puriso āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya.
Then a person comes along with a spade and basket.

So taṁ rukkhaṁ mūle chindeyya, mūlaṁ chinditvā palikhaṇeyya, palikhaṇitvā mūlāni uddhareyya antamaso usīranāḷimattānipi.
They’d cut the tree down at the roots, dig it up, and pull the roots out, down to the fibers and stems.

So taṁ rukkhaṁ khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chindeyya, khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chinditvā phāleyya, phāletvā sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ kareyya, sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ karitvā vātātape visoseyya;
They’d cut the tree apart, cut up the parts, and chop it into splinters. They’d dry the splinters in the wind and sun, burn them with fire, and reduce them to ashes. Then they’d winnow the ashes in a strong wind, or float them away down a swift stream.

vātātape visosetvā agginā ḍaheyya, agginā ḍahetvā masiṁ kareyya, masiṁ karitvā mahāvāte vā ophuṇeyya nadiyā vā sīghasotāya pavāheyya.

Evañhi so, bhikkhave, mahārukkho ucchinnamūlo assa tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo.
In this way the great tree is cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, upādāniyesu dhammesu ādīnavānupassino viharato taṇhā nirujjhati.
In the same way, there are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the drawbacks of these things, your craving ceases.

Taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho;
When craving ceases, grasping ceases.

upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho …pe…
When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. …

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

Pañcamaṁ.