sutta » sn » sn12 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.67

Naḷakalāpīsutta

Bundles of Reeds

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.
At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana.

Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita came out of retreat, went to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Sāriputta:

“kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, sayaṅkataṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, paraṅkataṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca jarāmaraṇaṁ, udāhu asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ jarāmaraṇan”ti?
“Well, Reverend Sāriputta, are old age and death made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or do they arise by chance, not made by oneself or another?”

“Na kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkataṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, na paraṅkataṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ, na sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca jarāmaraṇaṁ, nāpi asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ.
“No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, old age and death are not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor do they arise by chance, not made by oneself or another.

Api ca jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇan”ti.
Rather, rebirth is a condition for old age and death.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, sayaṅkatā jāti, paraṅkatā jāti, sayaṅkatā ca paraṅkatā ca jāti, udāhu asayaṅkārā aparaṅkārā adhiccasamuppannā jātī”ti?
“Well, Reverend Sāriputta, is rebirth made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or does it arise by chance, not made by oneself or another?”

“Na kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkatā jāti, na paraṅkatā jāti, na sayaṅkatā ca paraṅkatā ca jāti, nāpi asayaṅkārā aparaṅkārā adhiccasamuppannā jāti.
“No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, rebirth is not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor does it arise by chance, not made by oneself or another.

Api ca bhavapaccayā jātī”ti.
Rather, continued existence is a condition for rebirth.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, sayaṅkato bhavo …pe…
“Well, Reverend Sāriputta, is continued existence made by oneself? …” …

sayaṅkataṁ upādānaṁ …
“Is grasping made by oneself? …” …

sayaṅkatā taṇhā …
“Is craving made by oneself? …” …

sayaṅkatā vedanā …
“Is feeling made by oneself? …” …

sayaṅkato phasso …
“Is contact made by oneself? …” …

sayaṅkataṁ saḷāyatanaṁ …
“Are the six sense fields made by oneself? …” …

sayaṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, paraṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca nāmarūpaṁ, udāhu asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ nāmarūpan”ti?
“Well, Reverend Sāriputta, are name and form made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or do they arise by chance, not made by oneself or another?”

“Na kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, na paraṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, na sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca nāmarūpaṁ, nāpi asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ, adhiccasamuppannaṁ nāmarūpaṁ.
“No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, name and form are not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor do they arise by chance, not made by oneself or another.

Api ca viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpan”ti.
Rather, consciousness is a condition for name and form.”

“Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, sayaṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, paraṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca viññāṇaṁ, udāhu asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ viññāṇan”ti?
“Well, Reverend Sāriputta, is consciousness made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or does it arise by chance, not made by oneself or another?”

“Na kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, na paraṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, na sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca viññāṇaṁ, nāpi asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ viññāṇaṁ.
“No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, consciousness is not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor does it arise by chance, not made by oneself or another.

Api ca nāmarūpapaccayā viññāṇan”ti.
Rather, name and form are conditions for consciousness.”

“Idāneva kho mayaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa bhāsitaṁ evaṁ ājānāma:
“Just now I understood you to say:

‘na khvāvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, na paraṅkataṁ nāmarūpaṁ, na sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca nāmarūpaṁ, nāpi asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ nāmarūpaṁ.
‘No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, name and form are not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor do they arise by chance, not made by oneself or another.

Api ca viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpan’ti.
Rather, consciousness is a condition for name and form.’

Idāneva ca pana mayaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa bhāsitaṁ evaṁ ājānāma:
But I also understood you to say:

‘na khvāvuso koṭṭhika, sayaṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, na paraṅkataṁ viññāṇaṁ, na sayaṅkatañca paraṅkatañca viññāṇaṁ, nāpi asayaṅkāraṁ aparaṅkāraṁ adhiccasamuppannaṁ viññāṇaṁ.
‘No, Reverend Koṭṭhita, consciousness is not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor does it arise by chance, not made by oneself or another.

Api ca nāmarūpapaccayā viññāṇan’ti.
Rather, name and form are conditions for consciousness.’

Yathā kathaṁ panāvuso sāriputta, imassa bhāsitassa attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?
How then should we see the meaning of this statement?”

“Tenahāvuso, upamaṁ te karissāmi.
“Well then, reverend, I shall give you a simile.

Upamāyapidhekacce viññū purisā bhāsitassa atthaṁ jānanti.
For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso, dve naḷakalāpiyo aññamaññaṁ nissāya tiṭṭheyyuṁ.
Suppose there were two bundles of reeds leaning up against each other.

Evameva kho, āvuso, nāmarūpapaccayā viññāṇaṁ;
In the same way, name and form are conditions for consciousness.

viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṁ;
Consciousness is a condition for name and form.

nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatanaṁ;
Name and form are conditions for the six sense fields.

saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso …pe…
The six sense fields are conditions for contact. …

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

Tāsañce, āvuso, naḷakalāpīnaṁ ekaṁ ākaḍḍheyya, ekā papateyya;
If the first of those bundles of reeds were to be pulled away, the other would collapse.

aparañce ākaḍḍheyya, aparā papateyya.
And if the other were to be pulled away, the first would collapse.

Evameva kho, āvuso, nāmarūpanirodhā viññāṇanirodho;
In the same way, when name and form cease, consciousness ceases.

viññāṇanirodhā nāmarūpanirodho;
When consciousness ceases, name and form cease.

nāmarūpanirodhā saḷāyatananirodho;
When name and form cease, the six sense fields cease.

saḷāyatananirodhā phassanirodho …pe…
When the six sense fields cease, contact ceases. …

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

“Acchariyaṁ, āvuso sāriputta;
“It’s incredible, Reverend Sāriputta, it’s amazing!

abbhutaṁ, āvuso sāriputta.

Yāvasubhāsitañcidaṁ āyasmatā sāriputtena.
How well spoken this was by Venerable Sāriputta!

Idañca pana mayaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa bhāsitaṁ imehi chattiṁsāya vatthūhi anumodāma:
And we can express our agreement with Venerable Sāriputta’s statement on these thirty-six grounds.

‘Jarāmaraṇassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya dhammaṁ deseti, dhammakathiko bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāya.
If a mendicant teaches Dhamma for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding old age and death, they’re qualified to be called a ‘mendicant who speaks on Dhamma’.

Jarāmaraṇassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti, dhammānudhammappaṭipanno bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāya.
If they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding old age and death, they’re qualified to be called a ‘mendicant who practices in line with the teaching’.

Jarāmaraṇassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidā virāgā nirodhā anupādā vimutto hoti, diṭṭhadhammanibbānappatto bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāya.
If they’re freed by not grasping by disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding old age and death, they’re qualified to be called a ‘mendicant who has attained extinguishment in this very life’.

Jātiyā ce …
If a mendicant teaches Dhamma for disillusionment regarding rebirth …

bhavassa ce …
continued existence …

upādānassa ce …
grasping …

taṇhāya ce …
craving …

vedanāya ce …
feeling …

phassassa ce …
contact …

saḷāyatanassa ce …
the six sense fields …

nāmarūpassa ce …
name and form …

viññāṇassa ce …
consciousness …

saṅkhārānañce …
choices …

avijjāya ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya dhammaṁ deseti, dhammakathiko bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāya.
If a mendicant teaches Dhamma for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding ignorance, they’re qualified to be called a ‘mendicant who speaks on Dhamma’.

Avijjāya ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti, dhammānudhammappaṭipanno bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāya.
If they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding ignorance, they’re qualified to be called a ‘mendicant who practices in line with the teaching’.

Avijjāya ce, āvuso, bhikkhu nibbidā virāgā nirodhā anupādā vimutto hoti, diṭṭhadhammanibbānappatto bhikkhūti alaṁvacanāyā’”ti.
If they’re freed by not grasping by disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding ignorance, they’re qualified to be called a ‘mendicant who has attained extinguishment in this very life’.”

Sattamaṁ.