Saṃyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
12. Nidāna Saṃyutta
7. Mahā 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
7. The Great Chapter
Sutta 66
Sammasana Suttaṃ
Handling
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 among the Kurus,
at Kammasadamma,
a township of the Kurus.
And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren!"
"Lord!"[1] responded those brethren.
The Exalted One spake thus:
"Do ye handle, brethren, with an inward handling?"
[2] [76] When he had said this,
a certain brother spake thus to the Exalted One:
"I, Lord, handled with an inward handling."
"Now how, brother, do you handle
with an inward handling?"
Then that brother answered,
but thereby did not win over the heart of the Exalted One.
When he had thus said,
the venerable Ānanda spake thus:
"Now is the time, Exalted One,
now is the time, Blessed One,
for the Exalted One to speak of the inward handling,
when they have heard the Exalted One,
the brethren will bear it in mind."
"Well then, Ānanda,
do ye listen,
give your mind thoroughly
and I will speak."
"Even so, lord,"
responded those brethren to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One spake thus:
"In this religion, brethren,
a brother handling
handles the inward handling:
'This various, manifold suffering
that arises in the world
which is decay-and-death: -
this suffering
what is its basis,
what is its uprising,
what is its source,
what is its cause?
What being does decay-and-death come to be?
What not being does decay-and-death not come to be?'
He handling knows thus:
'This various, manifold suffering
that arises in the world
which is decay-and-death: -
this suffering has substance[3] as its basis,
has substance as its uprising,
has substance as its source,
has substance as its cause.
Where there is substance,
there decay-and-death comes to be.
Where substance is not,
decay-and-death comes not to be.
And he knows decay-and-death,
its uprising
and its ceasing,
and he knows the way that is meet
for going to the ceasing of decay-and-death.'
Thus practising he becomes one
who walks according to the doctrine.
Him, brethren, we call a brother who practises [77] rightly
for the entire destruction of suffering,
for the ceasing of decay-and-death.
■
Next, handling
he handles the inward handling:
'This substance
what is its basis,
what is its uprising,
what is its source,
what is its cause?
What being does substance come to be?
What not being does it not come to be?'
He rightly handling knows thus:
'Substance has craving as its basis,
has craving as its uprising,
has craving as its source,
has craving as its cause.
Where there is craving,
there substance comes to be.
Where craving is not,
substance comes not to be.'
And he knows substance,
its uprising,
and its ceasing,
and he knows the way that is meet
for going to the ceasing of substance.
Thus practising
he becomes one who walks according to the doctrine.
Him, brethren, we call a brother who practises rightly
for the entire right extinction of suffering,
for the ceasing of substance.
■
Next, handling
he handles the inward handling:
'This craving
what is its basis,
what is its uprising,
what is its source,
what is its cause?
This craving
where when it arises
does it arise?
Where when it settles
does it settle?'
He in handling comes to know this: -
'Whatever in the world seems lovely and pleasant,
here when it arises
doth craving arise,
here when it settles
doth craving settle.
And what in the world
seems lovely and pleasant?
Sight in the world
seems lovely and pleasant,
here where it arises
doth craving arise,
here when it settles
doth craving settle.
Hearing in the world
seems lovely and pleasant,
here where it arises
doth craving arise,
here when it settles
doth craving settle.
Smell in the world
seems lovely and pleasant,
here where it arises
doth craving arise,
here when it settles
doth craving settle.
Taste in the world
seems lovely and pleasant,
here where it arises
doth craving arise,
here when it settles
doth craving settle.
Touch in the world
seems lovely and pleasant,
here where it arises
doth craving arise,
here when it settles
doth craving settle.
Mind in the world
seems lovely and pleasant,
here where it arises
doth craving arise,
here when it settles
doth craving settle.'
§
Whosoever in past times, brethren,
whether recluses or brahmins,
saw whatever in the world seemed lovely and pleasant
as permanent,
saw it as happy,
saw it as good,
saw it as health,
saw it as safety,
they made craving to grow.
They in making craving to grow
made substance to grow;
in making substance to grow
they made suffering to grow;
in making suffering to grow
they were not liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they were not liberated from ill.
■
Whosoever in future times, brethren,
whether recluses or brahmins,
will see whatever in the world seems lovely and pleasing
as permanent,
will see it as happy,
as good,
as health,
as safety,
they will make craving to grow.
They in making [78] craving to grow
will make substance to grow;
they in making substance to grow
will make suffering to grow;
in making suffering to grow
they will not be liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they will not be liberated from ill.
■
Verily even so is it when whosoever now, brethren,
whether recluses or brahmins,
sees whatever in the world seems lovely and pleasing
as permanent,
sees it as happy,
as good,
as health,
as safety,
they will make craving to grow.
They in making craving to grow
make substance to grow;
they in making substance to grow
make suffering to grow;
in making suffering to grow
they are not liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they are not liberated from ill.
■
It is as if, brethren, there were a drinking-bowl,[4]
beautiful and fragrant,
and holding liquid
with poison mixed therein.
And a man foredone with heat,
far gone with heat,
weary,
trembling,
thirsty
should come by,
and they should say to him:
'Here, good fellow,
is a drinking bowl,
beautiful and fragrant,
but it has poison in it.
If you wish, drink;
surely if you drink
you will relish the beauty
and the fragrance
and the taste,
but when you have drunk,
you will thereby incur death
or mortal pain.'
Then
if heedless and unreflecting
he drink,
not denying himself,
he will thereby incur death
or mortal pain.
■
Even so, brethren, whosoever in future times,
whether recluses or brahmins,
will see whatever in the world seems lovely and pleasing
as permanent,
will see it as happy,
as good,
as health,
as safety,
they will make craving to grow.
They in making craving to grow
will make substance to grow;
they in making substance to grow
will make suffering to grow;
in making suffering to grow
they will not be liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they will not be liberated from ill.
■
Verily even so is it when whosoever now, brethren,
whether recluses or brahmins,
sees whatever in the world seems lovely and pleasing
as permanent,
sees it as happy,
as good,
as health,
as safety,
they will make craving to grow.
They in making craving to grow
make substance to grow;
they in making substance to grow
make suffering to grow;
in making suffering to grow
they are not liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they are not liberated from ill.
§
Whosoever in past times, brethren,
whether recluses or brahmins,
saw whatever in the world seemed lovely and pleasant
as impermanent,
as suffering,
as not good,
as disease,
as danger,
they put off craving.
They who put off craving
put off substance;
they who put off substance
put off suffering;
in putting off suffering
they were liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they were liberated from ill.
■
Whosoever in future times, brethren,
whether recluses or brahmins,
will see whatever in the world seems lovely and pleasant
as impermanent,
as suffering,
as not good,
as disease,
as danger,
they will put off craving.
They who will put off craving
will put off substance;
they who will put off substance
will put off suffering;
in putting off suffering
they will be liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they will be liberated from ill.
■
Verily even so is it when whosoever now, brethren,
whether recluses or brahmins,
see whatever in the world seems lovely and pleasant
as impermanent,
as suffering,
as not good,
as disease,
as danger,
they put off craving.
They who put off craving
put off substance;
they who put off substance
put off suffering;
in putting off suffering
they are liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they are liberated from ill.
■
It is just as if, brethren,
there were a drinking-bowl,
beautiful,
fragrant,
holding liquid with poison mixed therein.
And a man foredone with heat,
far gone with heat,
weary,
trembling,
thirsty,
should come by,
and they should say to him:
'Here, good fellow,
is a drinking-bowl,
beautiful,
[79] fragrant,
holding liquid,
but it has poison in it.
If you wish, drink;
surely if you drink
you will relish the beauty
and the fragrance
and the taste,
but when you have drunk,
you will thereby incur death
or mortal pain.'
And, brethren, that man should think:
'Here am I
able to allay this strong thirst
by liquor,
by a drink of curds,
or by whey
or by gruel.
But I should not drink
that which would be hurtful
and baneful to me for many a day.'
He thus reflecting
should not drink the draught,
denying himself.
He thereby should incur
neither death
nor mortal pain.
Even so, brethren, whosoever in former times,
whether recluses or brahmins,
saw whatever in the world seemed lovely and pleasant
as impermanent,
as suffering,
as not good,
as disease,
as danger,
they put off craving.
They who put off craving
put off substance;
they who put off substance
put off suffering;
in putting off suffering
they were liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they were liberated from ill.
■
Whosoever in future times, brethren,
whether recluses or brahmins,
will see whatever in the world seems lovely and pleasant
as impermanent,
as suffering,
as not good,
as disease,
as danger,
they will put off craving.
They who will put off craving
will put off substance;
they who will put off substance
will put off suffering;
in putting off suffering
they will be liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they will be liberated from ill.
■
Verily even so is it when whosoever now, brethren,
whether recluses or brahmins,
see whatever in the world seems lovely and pleasant
as impermanent,
as suffering,
as not good,
[5] as disease,
as danger,
they put off craving.
They who put off craving
put off substance;
they who put off substance
put off suffering;
in putting off suffering
they are liberated from birth,
from old age,
from death,
from griefs,
from lamentings,
from sufferings,
from sorrows,
from despairs -
yea, I declare,
they are liberated from ill.
[1] Bhadante. See p. 1., n.*
[2] Antaraṃ sammasaṃ. In Burmese MSS. abbhantaraṃ, very inward. The Comy. calls this a paccayasammasanaṃ, a handling by way of causal relations, and considers it a compliment to the intellectual calibre of the Kurus of that district that the Master taught there such Suttas as the Satipatthana Suttas (Dīgha and Majjhima collections), the Maha-Nidana, and these Suttas. The brother whose 'handling' proved unsatisfactory is said to have discoursed on the body (the 32 constituents): the Teacher's 'handled subject' was that of causal law.
[3] Upadhi. Or substrate; lit. basis, or support. 'Upadhi is here the five khandhas' (bodily and mental constituents). Comy.
[4] Told also Majjhima i, 316, to illustrate the desirability of conduct that involves both present and future happiness and not conduct that involves present happiness and future pain.
[5] Atthato attato.
