Rooted in Thirst

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

[1][pts] I hear tell:

Once upon a time The Lucky Man
Sāvātthi-town revisiting
Anāthapiṇḍika's Jetavana sporting ground.

"I will tell you, beggars,
of nine things rooted in thirst.

Pay attention,
give ear,
I will speak!"

"Even so, bhante!"
the beggars responded.

And this is what The Lucky Man
said to them: —

"And what, beggars,
are those nine things
rooted in thirst?

Thirst results in quest;
quest results in obtaining;
obtaining results in thinking about;
thinking about results in passionate wishing;
passionate wishing results in attachment;
attachment results in possessiveness;
possessiveness results in avarice;
avarice results in keeping guard; and
taking up the stick,
taking up the knife,
fights,
disputes,
quarrels,
strife,
slander,
lies ...,
not just one unskillful thing,
come to be
as a consequences of keeping guard.

"These then, beggars,
are those nine things
rooted in thirst."

This is my translation of the same idea found in DN 15:

[9][pts][bodh][than]
{10} Thus it is too, Ānanda, that sense-experience rebounds in thirst,
[5.1] thirst rebounds in questing,
[5.2] questing rebounds in gain,
[5.3] gain rebounds in scheming,
[5.4] scheming rebounds in desirous wishes,
[5.5] desirous wishing rebounds in attachment,
[5.6] attachment rebounds in acquisition,
[5.7] acquisition rebounds in envy,
[5.8] envy rebounds in guarding,
and
[5.9] making-guard-over rebounds in using the stick,
using the sword,
fights,
disputes,
retort,
contention,
slander,
betrayal,
and the coming to be of many another bad unskillful thing.

Aṅguttara Nikāya VIII. Navaka Nipāta III. Sattāvāsa Vagga

The Book of Nines

Sutta 23

Taṇhā Mūlaka Suttaṃ

Rooted in Thirst

Aṅguttara Nikāya
VIII. Navaka Nipāta
III. Sattāvāsa Vagga