SN 12.2 (S ii 2)
Vibhaṅga Sutta
— An explanation —
[vibhaṅga]

A detailed explanation of paṭicca samuppāda, with a definition of each of the twelve links.



Note: info·bubbles on every Pali word


Pāḷi



Evaṃ me sutaṃ:

English



Thus I have heard:

Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati Jeta·vane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

On one occasion, the Bhagavā was dwelling near Sāvatthī, in Jeta's grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park.{n} There, the Bhagavā adressed the bhikkhus:

'Bhikkhavo' ti.

'Bhaddante' ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ. Bhagavā etad·avoca:

– Bhikkhus.

– Bhaddante promised the bhikkhus. The Bhagavā said:

Paṭicca-samuppādaṃ vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi vibhajissāmi. Taṃ suṇātha, sādhukaṃ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī ti.

– Bhikkhus, I will teach you and explain you in detail paṭicca-samuppāda. Listen to it with thorough attention, I shall speak.

– 'Evaṃ, Bhante' ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ. Bhagavā etad·avoca:

– Yes, Bhante, promised the bhikkhus. The Bhagavā said:

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppādo?

– And what, bhikkhus, is paṭicca-samuppāda?

Avijjā·paccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

Conditioned by avijjā, bhikkhus, there are saṅkhāras

saṅkhāra·paccayā viññāṇaṃ;

conditioned by saṅkhāras, there is viññāṇa

viññāṇa·paccayā nāmarūpaṃ;

conditioned by viññāṇa, there is nāmarūpa

nāmarūpa·paccayā saḷāyatanaṃ;

conditioned by nāmarūpa, there are saḷāyatanas

saḷāyatana·paccayā phasso;

conditioned by saḷāyatanas, there is phassa

phassa·paccayā vedanā;

conditioned by phassa, there is vedanā

vedanā·paccayā taṇhā;

conditioned by vedanā, there is taṇhā

taṇhā·paccayā upādānaṃ;

conditioned by taṇhā, there is upādāna

upādāna·paccayā bhavo;

conditioned by upādāna, there is bhava

bhava·paccayā jāti;

conditioned by bhava, there is jāti

jāti·paccayā jarā-maraṇaṃ soka parideva dukkha domanass·upāyāsā sambhavanti. Evam·etassa kevalassa dukkha'k'khandhassa samudayo hoti.


conditioned by jāti arise jarā-maraṇa, sorrow, lamentation, dukkha, domanassa and distress. Thus arises this whole mass of dukkha.


Katamañca, bhikkhave, jarā-maraṇaṃ? tesaṃ tesaṃ sattānaṃ tamhi tamhi satta·nikāye jarā jīraṇatā khaṇḍiccaṃ pāliccaṃ valittacatā āyuno saṃhāni indriyānaṃ paripāko: ayaṃ vuccati jarā. tesaṃ tesaṃ sattānaṃ tamhi tamhi satta·nikāyā cuti cavanatā bhedo antaradhānaṃ maccu maraṇaṃ kālakiriyā khandhānaṃ bhedo kaḷevarassa nikkhepo, idaṃ vuccati maraṇaṃ. Iti aya·ñca jarā, ida·ñca maraṇaṃ: idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, jarā-maraṇaṃ.

And what, bhikkhus, is jarā-maraṇa? For the various beings in the various classes of beings, jarā, the state of being decayed, of having broken [teeth], of having grey hair, of being wrinkled, the decline of vitality, the decay of the indriyas: this is called jarā. For the various beings in the various classes of beings, the decease, the state of shifting [out of existence], the break up, the disappearance, the death, maraṇa, the passing away, the break up of the khandhas, the laying down of the corpse: this is called maraṇa. Thus there is this jarā and this maraṇa: this is called, bhikkhus, jarā-maraṇa.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, jāti? tesaṃ tesaṃ sattānaṃ tamhi tamhi satta·nikāye jāti sañjāti okkanti nibbatti abhinibbatti khandhānaṃ pātubhāvo āyatanānaṃ paṭilābho. Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, jāti.

And what, bhikkhus, is jāti? For the various beings in the various classes of beings, jāti, the birth, the descent [into the womb], the arising [in the world], the appearance, the apparition of the khandhas, the acquisition of the āyatanas. This, bhikkhus, is called jāti.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, bhavo? Tayo·me, bhikkhave, bhavā: kāma-bhavo, rūpa-bhavo, arūpa-bhavo. Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhavo.

And what, bhikkhus, is bhava? There are, bhikkhus, these three [types of] bhava: kāma-bhava, rūpa-bhava and arūpa-bhava. This, bhikkhus, is called bhava.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, upādānaṃ? Cattār·imāni, bhikkhave, upādānāni: kām'upādānaṃ, diṭṭh'upādānaṃ, sīlabbat'upādānaṃ, attavād'upādānaṃ. Idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, upādānaṃ.

And what, bhikkhus, is upādāna? There are, bhikkhus, these four upādānas: kām'upādāna, diṭṭh'upādāna, sīlabbat'upādāna and attavād'upādāna. This, bhikkhus, is called upādāna.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhā? Cha'y'ime, bhikkhave, taṇhā·kāyā: rūpa·taṇhā, sadda·taṇhā, gandha·taṇhā, rasa·taṇhā, phoṭṭhabba·taṇhā, dhamma·taṇhā. Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, taṇhā.

And what, bhikkhus, is taṇhā? There are, bhikkhus, these six types of taṇhā: taṇhā for visible forms, taṇhā for sounds, taṇhā for odors, taṇhā for tastes, taṇhā for tangible bodily phenomena, taṇhā for mental phenomena. This, bhikkhus, is called taṇhā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, vedanā? Cha'y'ime, bhikkhave, vedanā·kāyā: cakkhu·samphassa· vedanā, sota·samphassa· vedanā, ghāna·samphassa· vedanā, jivhā·samphassa· vedanā, kāya·samphassa· vedanā, mano·samphassa· vedanā. Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, vedanā.

And what, bhikkhus, is vedanā? There are, bhikkhus, these six vedanās: vedanā born of phassa at cakkhu, vedanā born of phassa at sota, vedanā born of phassa at ghāna, vedanā born of phassa at jivhā, vedanā born of phassa in kāya, vedanā born of phassa in mana. This, bhikkhus, is called vedanā.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, phasso? Cha'y'ime, bhikkhave, phassa·kāyā: cakkhu·samphasso, sota·samphasso, ghāna·samphasso, jivhā·samphasso, kāya·samphasso, mano·samphasso. Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, phasso.

And what, bhikkhus, is phassa? There are, bhikkhus, these six phassas: phassa at cakkhu, phassa at sota, phassa at ghāna, phassa at jivhā, phassa at kāya and phassa at mana. This, bhikkhus, is called phassa.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, saḷāyatanaṃ? Cakkh·āyatanaṃ, sot·āyatanaṃ, ghān·āyatanaṃ, jivh·āyatanaṃ, kāy·āyatanaṃ, man·āyatanaṃ. Idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, saḷāyatanaṃ.

And what, bhikkhus, are the saḷāyatanas? The āyatana of cakkhu, the āyatana of sota, the āyatana of ghāna, the āyatana of jivhā, the āyatana of kāya, the āyatana of mana. These, bhikkhus, are called saḷāyatanas.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, nāma-rūpaṃ? Vedanā, saññā, cetanā, phasso, manasikāro: idaṃ vuccati nāmaṃ. Cattāro ca mahā-bhūtā, catunna·ñca mahā-bhūtānaṃ upādāya·rūpaṃ: Idaṃ vuccati rūpaṃ. Iti ida·ñca nāmaṃ, ida·ñca rūpaṃ: idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, nāma-rūpaṃ.

And what, bhikkhus, is nāma-rūpa? Vedanā, saññā, cetanā, phassa and manasikāra: this is called nāma. The four great elements and the rūpa derived from the four great elements: this is called rūpa. Thus, there is this nāma and this rūpa: this is called nāma-rūpa.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṃ? Cha'y'ime, bhikkhave, viññāṇa·kāyā: cakkhu·viññāṇaṃ, sota·viññāṇaṃ, ghāna·viññāṇaṃ, jivhā·viññāṇaṃ, kāya·viññāṇaṃ, mano·viññāṇaṃ. Idaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṃ.

And what, bhikkhus, is viññāṇa? There are, bhikkhus, six viññāṇas: the viññāṇa of cakkhu, the viññāṇa of sota, the viññāṇa of ghāna, the viññāṇa of jivhā, the viññāṇa of kāya and the viññāṇa of mana. This, bhikkhus, is called viññāṇa.

Katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā? Tay·ome, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā: kāya·saṅkhāro, vacī·saṅkhāro, citta·saṅkhāro. Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.

And what, bhikkhus, is saṅkhāra? There are, bhikkhus, three [types of] saṅkhāras: kāya·saṅkhāras, vācā·saṅkhāras, citta·saṅkhāras. These, bhikkhus, are called saṅkhāras.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, avijjā? Yaṃ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe aññāṇaṃ, dukkha-samudaye aññāṇaṃ, dukkha-nirodhe aññāṇaṃ, dukkha-nirodha-gāminiyā paṭipadāya aññāṇaṃ. Ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, avijjā.

And what, bhikkhus, is avijjā? Not knowing dukkha, not knowing dukkha-samudaya, not knowing dukkha-nirodha, not knowing dukkha-nirodha-gāmini paṭipada. This, bhikkhus, is called avijjā.

Iti kho, bhikkhave,

Thus, bhikkhus,

avijjā·paccayā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;

conditioned by avijjā, bhikkhus, there are saṅkhāras

saṅkhāra·paccayā viññāṇaṃ;

conditioned by saṅkhāras, there is viññāṇa

viññāṇa·paccayā nāmarūpaṃ;

conditioned by viññāṇa, there is nāmarūpa

nāmarūpa·paccayā saḷāyatanaṃ;

conditioned by nāmarūpa, there are saḷāyatanas

saḷāyatana·paccayā phasso;

conditioned by saḷāyatanas, there is phassa

phassa·paccayā vedanā;

conditioned by phassa, there is vedanā

vedanā·paccayā taṇhā;

conditioned by vedanā, there is taṇhā

taṇhā·paccayā upādānaṃ;

conditioned by taṇhā, there is upādāna

upādāna·paccayā bhavo;

conditioned by upādāna, there is bhava

bhava·paccayā jāti;

conditioned by bhava, there is jāti

jāti·paccayā jarā-maraṇaṃ soka parideva dukkha domanass·upāyāsā sambhavanti. Evam·etassa kevalassa dukkha'k'khandhassa samudayo hoti.


conditioned by jāti arise jarā-maraṇa, sorrow, lamentation, dukkha, domanassa and distress. Thus arises this whole mass of dukkha.


Avijjāya tv·eva asesa·virāga·nirodhā saṅkhāra·nirodho;

Now, with the complete virāga and nirodha of avijjā, there is the nirodha of saṅkhāra;

saṅkhāra·nirodhā viññāṇa·nirodho;

with the nirodha of saṅkhāra, there is the nirodha of viññāṇa;

viññāṇa·nirodhā nāma-rūpa·nirodho;

with the nirodha of viññāṇa, there is the nirodha of nāma-rūpa;

nāma-rūpa·nirodhā saḷāyatana·nirodho;

with the nirodha of nāma-rūpa, there is the nirodha of the saḷāyatanas;

saḷāyatana·nirodhā phassa·nirodho;

with the nirodha of the saḷāyatanas, there is the nirodha of phassa;

phassa·nirodhā vedanā·nirodho;

with the nirodha of phassa, there is the nirodha of vedanā;

vedanā·nirodhā taṇhā·nirodho;

with the nirodha of vedanā, there is the nirodha of taṇhā;

taṇhā·nirodhā upādāna·nirodho;

with the nirodha of taṇhā, there is the nirodha of upādāna;

upādāna·nirodhā bhava·nirodho;

with the nirodha of upādāna, there is the nirodha of bhava;

bhava·nirodhā jāti·nirodho;

with the nirodha of bhava, there is the nirodha of jāti;

jāti·nirodhā jarā-maraṇaṃ soka parideva dukkha domanass·upāyāsā nirujjhanti. Evam·etassa kevalassa dukkha'k'khandhassa nirodho hotī ti.

with the nirodha of jāti, jarā-maraṇa, sorrow, lamentation, dukkha, domanassa and distress come to cease. Such is the nirodha of this entire mass of dukkha.



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