Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
12. Nidāna Saṃyutta
6. Rukkha Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
Part II. The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga
Containing Kindred sayings on Cause
and Other Subjects
12. The Kindred Sayings on Cause
6. 'The Tree' Suttas
Sutta 52
Upādāna Suttaṃ
Grasping
Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by F. L. Woodward
Originally Published by
The Pali Text Society
Public Domain
[1][than][bodh] Thus have I heard:
The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī
at the Jeta Grove
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren!"
"Master!" responded those brethren.
The Exalted One said:
"In him, brethren, who contemplates
the enjoyment that there is
in all that makes for grasping,
craving grows.
Grasping is conditioned by craving.
Becoming is conditioned by grasping.
Birth is conditioned by becoming.
Decay-and-death is conditioned by birth.
Grief,
lamenting,
suffering,
sorrow,
despair come to pass.
Such is the uprising of this entire mass of ill.
It is just as if there should be a blazing bonfire
of ten
or twenty
or thirty
or forty
loads of faggots;
thereon a man should throw from time to time
dry grasses,
should throw dry cow-dung,
should throw dry faggots.
Verily such a great bonfire so fed,
so supplied with fuel,
would burn for a long while.
Even so in him who contemplates
the enjoyment that there is
in all that makes for grasping,
craving grows.
Grasping is conditioned by craving.
Becoming is conditioned by grasping.
Birth is conditioned by becoming.
Decay-and-death is conditioned by birth.
Grief,
lamenting,
suffering,
sorrow,
despair come to pass.
Such is the uprising of this entire mass of ill.
§
In him, brethren, who contemplates the misery that there is
in all that makes for grasping,
craving ceases.
When craving ceases, grasping ceases.
When grasping ceases becoming ceases.
When becoming ceases birth ceases.
When birth ceases decay-and-death ceases.
Grief,
lamenting,
suffering,
sorrow,
despair cease.
Such is the ceasing of this entire mass of ill.
It is just as if there should be a blazing bonfire
of ten,
or twenty,
or thirty,
or forty
loads of faggots;
thereon no man should
from time to time
throw dry grasses,
dry cow-dung,
dry sticks.
Verily that great bonfire,
when the first laid fuel [60] were come to an end,
and it were not fed by other fuel,
would without food
become extinct.
Even so in him who contemplates
the misery that there is
in all that makes for grasping,
craving ceases.
When craving ceases, grasping ceases.
When grasping ceases becoming ceases.
When becoming ceases birth ceases.
When birth ceases decay-and-death ceases.
Grief,
lamenting,
suffering,
sorrow,
despair cease.
Such is the ceasing of this entire mass of ill.
