Sacred-Texts Buddhism Index Sources Previous Next

§ 37. DISCUSSION OF DEPENDENT ORIGINATION.

Translated from the Mahâ-Nidâna-Sutta of the Dighâ-Nikâya (Grimblot's edition, p. 245¹).

   Thus have I heard.

   On a certain occasion The Blessed One was dwelling among the Kurus where was the Kuru-town named Kammâsadhamma.

   Then drew near the venerable Ânanda to where The Blessed One was; and having drawn near and greeted The Blessed One, he sat down respectfully at one side. And seated respectfully at one side, the venerable Ânanda spoke to The Blessed One as follows:

   "O wonderful is it, Reverend Sir! O marvellous is it, Reverend Sir! How profound, Reverend Sir, is Dependent Origination, and of how profound an appearance! To me, nevertheless, it is as clear as clear can be."

   "O Ânanda, say not so! O Ânanda, say not so! Profound, Ânanda, is Dependent Origination, and profound of appearance. It is through not understanding this doctrine, Ânanda, through not penetrating it, that thus mankind is like to an entangled warp, or to an ensnarled web, or to muñja-grass and pabbaja-grass, and fails to extricate itself from punishment, suffering, perdition, rebirth.

   "Ânanda, if it be asked, 'Do old age and death depend on anything?' the reply should be, 'They do.' And if it be asked, 'On what do old age and death depend?' the reply should be, 'Old age and death depend on birth.'

   "Ânanda, if it be asked, 'Does birth depend on anything?' the reply should be, 'It does.' And if it be asked, 'On what does birth depend?' the reply should be, 'Birth depends on existence.'

   "Ânanda, if it be asked, 'Does existence depend on anything?' the reply should be, 'It does.' And if it be asked, 'On what does existence depend?' the reply should be, 'Existence depends on attachment.'

   "Ânanda, if it be asked, 'Does attachment depend on anything?' the reply should be, 'It does.' And if it be asked, 'On what does attachment depend?' the reply should be, 'Attachment depends on desire.'

   "Ânanda, if it be asked, 'Does desire depend on anything?' the reply should be, 'It does.' And if it be asked, 'On what does desire depend?' the reply should be, 'Desire depends on sensation.'

   "Ânanda, if it be asked, 'Does sensation depend on anything?' the reply should be, 'It does.' And if it be asked,

'On what does sensation depend?' the reply should be, 'Sensation depends on contact.'

   "Ânanda, if it be asked, 'Does contact depend on anything?' the reply should be, 'It does.' And if it be asked, 'On what does contact depend?' the reply should be, 'Contact depends on name and form.'

   "Ânanda, if it be asked, 'Do name and form depend on anything?' the reply should be, 'They do.' And if it be asked, 'On what do name and form depend?' the reply should be, 'Name and form depend on consciousness.'

   "Ânanda, if it be asked, 'Does consciousness depend on anything?' the reply should be, 'It does.' And if it be asked, 'On what does consciousness depend?' the reply should be, 'Consciousness depends on name and form.'

   "Thus, Ânanda, on name and form depends consciousness;

   "On consciousness depend name and form;

   "On name and form depends contact;

   "On contact depends sensation;

   "On sensation depends desire;

   "On desire depends attachment;

   "On attachment depends existence;

   "On existence depends birth;

   "On birth depend old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, misery, grief, and despair. Thus does this entire aggregation of misery arise.

   "I have said that on birth depend old age and death. This truth, Ânanda, that on birth depend old age and death, is to be understood in this way. Suppose, Ânanda, there were utterly and completely no birth at all for any one into any world, as, namely, for gods into the world of gods; for genii into the world of genii; for ogres into the world of ogres; for demons into the world of demons; for men into the world of men; for quadrupeds into the world of quadrupeds; for winged creatures into the world of winged creatures; for creeping things into the world of creeping things;--suppose, Ânanda, there were no birth for any of these beings into their several worlds: if there were nowhere any

birth, pray, on the cessation of birth would there be any old age and death?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Accordingly, Ânanda, here we have in birth the cause, the occasion, the origin, and the dependence of old age and death.

   "I have said that on existence depends birth. This truth, Ânanda, that on existence depends birth, is to be understood in this way. Suppose, Ânanda, there were utterly and completely no existence at all for any one in any mode, as, namely, existence in the realm of sensual pleasure, existence in the realm of form, existence in the realm of formlessness;--if there were nowhere any existence, pray, on the cessation of existence would there be any birth?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Accordingly, Ânanda, here we have in existence the cause, the occasion, the origin, and the dependence of birth.

   "I have said that on attachment depends existence. This truth Ânanda, that on attachment depends existence, is to be understood in this way. Suppose, Ânanda, there were utterly and completely no attachment at all of any one to anything, as, namely, the attachment of sensual pleasure, the attachment of heresy, the attachment of fanatical conduct, the attachment of the assertion of an Ego;--if there were nowhere any attachment, pray, on the cessation of attachment would there be any existence?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Accordingly, Ânanda, here we have in attachment the cause, the occasion, the origin, and the dependence of existence.

   "I have said that on desire depends attachment. This truth, Ânanda, that on desire depends attachment, is to be understood in this way. Suppose, Ânanda, there were utterly and completely no desire at all on the part of any one for anything, as, namely, desire for forms, desire for sounds, desire for odors, desire for tastes, desire for things tangible, desire for ideas;--if there were nowhere any desire, pray, on the cessation of desire would there be any attachment?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Accordingly, Ânanda, here we have in desire the cause, the occasion, the origin, and the dependence of attachment.

   "I have said that on sensation depends desire. This truth, Ânanda, that on sensation depends desire, is to be understood in this way. Suppose, Ânanda, there were utterly and completely no sensation at all on the part of any one for anything, as, namely, sensation sprung from contact of the eye, sensation sprung from contact of the ear, sensation sprung from contact of the nose, sensation sprung from contact of the tongue, sensation sprung from contact of the body, sensation sprung from contact of the mind;--if there were nowhere any sensation, pray, on the cessation of sensation would there be any desire?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Accordingly, Ânanda, here we have in sensation the cause, the occasion, the origin, and the dependence of desire."

     .     .     .     .     .     [Grimblot 253⁴.]     .     .     .     .     .     

   "I have said that on contact depends sensation. This truth, Ânanda, that on contact depends sensation, is to be understood in this way. Suppose, Ânanda, there were utterly and completely no contact at all of any organ with any object, as, namely, contact of the eye, contact of the ear, contact of the nose, contact of the tongue, contact of the body, contact of the mind;--if there were nowhere any contact, pray, on the cessation of contact would there be any sensation?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Accordingly, Ânanda, here we have in contact the cause, the occasion, the origin, and the dependence of sensation.

   "I have said that on name and form depends contact. This truth, Ânanda, that on name and form depends contact, is to be understood in this way. Suppose, Ânanda, there were not these different traits, peculiarities, signs, and indications by which are made manifest the multitude of elements of being constituting name;--if there were not these different

traits, peculiarities, signs, and indications, pray, would there be any designative contact appearing in form?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Suppose, Ânanda, there were not these different traits, peculiarities, signs, and indications by which are made manifest the multitude of elements of being constituting form;-- if there were not these different traits, peculiarities, signs, and indications, pray, would there be any inertia-contact appearing in name?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Suppose, Ânanda, there were not these different traits, peculiarities, signs, and indications by which are made manifest the multitude of elements of being constituting name and the multitude of elements of being constituting form;--if there were not these different traits, peculiarities, signs, and indications, pray, would there be any contact?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Accordingly, Ânanda, here we have in name and form the cause, the occasion, the origin, and the dependence of contact.

   "I have said that on consciousness depend name and form. This truth, Ânanda, that on consciousness depend name and form, is to be understood in this way. Suppose, Ânanda, consciousness were not to descend into the maternal womb, pray, would name and form consolidate in the maternal womb?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Suppose, Ânanda, consciousness, after descending into the maternal womb, were then to go away again, pray, would name and form be born to life in the world?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Suppose, Ânanda, consciousness were to be severed from a child, either boy or girl, pray, would name and form attain to growth, increase, and development?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Accordingly Ânanda, here we have in consciousness the cause, the occasion, the origin, and the dependence of name and form.

   "I have said that on name and form depends consciousness. This truth, Ânanda, that on name and form depends consciousness, is to be understood in this way. Suppose, Ânanda, that name and form were not to become established, pray, would there, in the future, be birth, old age and death, and the coming into existence of misery's host?"

   "Nay, verily, Reverend Sir."

   "Accordingly, Ânanda, here we have in name and form the cause, the occasion, the origin, and the dependence of consciousness.

   "Verily, Ânanda, this name and form coupled with consciousness is all there is to be born, or to grow old, or to die, or to leave one existence, or to spring up in another. It is all that is meant by any affirmation, predication, or declaration we may make concerning anybody. It constitutes knowledge's field of action. And it is all that is reborn to appear in its present shape."

Next: Introduction to Chapter III: Karma and Rebirth