Saṃyutta Nikāya
2. Nidāna Vagga
12. Nidāna-Saṃyutta
1. Buddha Vagga
The Connected Discourses of the Buddha
Part II.
The Book of Causation Nidāna-Vagga
12. Connected Discourses on Causation
I. The Buddhas
Suttas 4-10
Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi
Copyright Bhikkhu Bodhi 2000, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2000)
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Sutta 4
Vipassī Suttaṃ
Vipassī
"Bhikkhus, before his enlightenment, while he was still a bodhisatta, not yet fully enlightened, it occurred to Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One:
'Alas, this world has fallen into trouble, in that it is born, ages, and dies, it passes away and is reborn, yet it does not understand the escape from this suffering [headed by] aging-and-death.
When now will an escape be discerned from this suffering [headed by] aging-and-death?'
"'Cessation, cessation' — thus, bhikkhus, in regard to things unheard before there arose in the Bodhisatta Vipassī vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light."
Sutta 5
Sikhī Suttaṃ
Sikhī
Sutta 6
Vessabhū Suttaṃ
Vessabhū
Sutta 7
Kakusandha Suttaṃ
Kakusandha
Sutta 8
Koṇāgamana Suttaṃ
Koṇāgamana
Sutta 9
Kassapa Suttaṃ
Kassapa
Sutta 10
Mahā Sakyamuni Gotamo Suttaṃ
Gotama the Great Sakyan Sage
(i. Origination)
"Bhikkhus, before my enlightenment, while I was still a bodhisatta, not yet fully enlightened, it occurred to me:
'Alas, this world has fallen into trouble, in that it is born, ages, and dies, it passes away and is reborn, yet it does not understand the escape from this suffering [headed by] aging-and-death.
When now will an escape be discerned from this suffering [headed by] aging-and-death?'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists does aging-and-death come to be?
By what is aging-and-death conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is birth, aging-and-death comes to be; aging-and-death has birth as its condition.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists does birth come to be?
By what is birth conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is existence, birth comes to be; birth has existence as its condition.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists does existence come to be?
By what is existence conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is clinging, existence comes to be; existence has clinging as its condition.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists does clinging come to be?
By what is clinging conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is craving, clinging comes to be; clinging has craving as its condition.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists does craving come to be?
By what is craving conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is feeling, craving comes to be; craving has feeling as its condition.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists does feeling come to be?
By what is feeling conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is contact, feeling comes to be; feeling has contact as its condition.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists does contact come to be?
By what is contact conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there are the six sense bases, contact comes to be; contact has the six sense bases as its condition.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists do the six sense bases come to be?
By what are the six sense bases conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is name-and-form, the six sense bases come to be; the six sense bases have name-and-form as their condition.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists does name-and-form come to be? By what is name-and-form conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is consciousness, name-and-form comes to be; name-and-form has consciousness as its condition.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists does consciousness come to be?
By what is consciousness conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there are volitional formations, consciousness comes to be; consciousness has volitional formations as its condition.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what exists do volitional formations come to be?
By what are volitional formations conditioned?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is ignorance, volitional formations come to be; volitional formations have ignorance as their condition.'
"Thus with ignorance as condition, volitional formations [come to be]; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness....
Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.
"'Origination, origination' — thus, bhikkhus, in regard to things unheard before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light.
(ii. Cessation)
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
'When what does not exist does aging-and-death not come to be?
With the cessation of what does the cessation of aging-and-death come about?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is no birth, aging-and-death does not come to be; with the cessation of birth comes cessation of aging-and-death.'
"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
[11] 'When what does not exist does birth not come to be?
By the cessation of what does the cessation of birth come about?'
Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
'When there is no existence, birth does not come to be; with the cessation of existence comes cessation of birth.'...
'When there is no clinging, existence does not come to be; with the cessation of clinging comes cessation of existence.'...
'When there is no craving, clinging does not come to be; with the cessation of craving comes cessation of clinging.'...
'When there is no feeling, craving does not come to be; with the cessation of feeling comes cessation of craving.'...
'When there is no contact, feeling does not come to be; with the cessation of contact comes cessation of feeling.'...
'When there are no six sense bases, contact does not come to be; with the cessation of the six sense bases comes cessation of contact.'...
'When there is no name-and-form, the six sense bases do not come to be; with the cessation of name-and-form comes cessation of the six sense bases.'...
'When there is no consciousness, name-and-form does not come to be; with the cessation of consciousness comes cessation of name-and-form.'...
'When there are no volitional formations, consciousness does not come to be; with the cessation of volitional formations comes cessation of consciousness.'...
'When there is no ignorance, volitional formations do not come to be; with the cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations.'
"Thus with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations; with the cessation of volitional formations, cessation of consciousness....
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.
"'Cessation, cessation' — thus, bhikkhus, in regard to things unheard before there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light."
