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 57
Taruṇa-Rukkha Suttaṃ
The Sapling
Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by F. L. Woodward
Originally Published by
The Pali Text Society
Public Domain
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 enfettering,
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, brethren, there were a tender sapling,
and a man were from time to time to clear around[1] the roots,
were from time to time to give it earth,
were from time to time to give it water.
Verily, brethren, such a tender sapling
so fed,
so given nutriment,[2] would attain to growth,
to development,
to abundance.
Even so in him who contemplates the enjoyment that there is
in all that makes for enfettering,
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,
[63] 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 enfettering,
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 were a tender sapling;
and a man were to come with axe and basket,
and were to cut down that tree at the root,
and were then to dig a trench
and were to pull out the roots
even to the rootlets
and root-fibres.
Then he were to cut the sapling into logs,
and were then to split the logs,
and were then to make the logs into chips.
Then he were to dry the chips in wind and sun,
then burn them by fire,
then make an ashheap,
then winnow the ashes in a strong wind,
or let them be borne down
by the swift stream of a river.
Verily that sapling
thus cut down at the root
would be made as a palmtree stump,
a no-thing,
incapable of growing again in the future.
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."
[1] Palisajjeyya.
[2] Tad-upādāno. The word upādāna means equally grasping and food or fuel.
