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Paṭiccasamuppādasutta (The Discourse on Dependent Origination)

· 12 min read

12S2/1.1.1, the first discourse of the Nidānasaṃyutta: at Sāvatthī the Bhagavā states dependent origination to the bhikkhū, the twelve causes from ignorance to ageing and death, in origin and in cessation.

Original text: 12S2/1.1.1 Paṭiccasamuppādasutta 2–5 in the World Tipitaka Edition

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

At Sāvatthī the Bhagavā states paṭiccasamuppāda (dependent origination) to the bhikkhū: the twelve causes from ignorance to ageing and death, by which this whole mass of suffering originates, and their cessation in turn with the remainderless fading away of ignorance. It is the first discourse of the Nidānasaṃyutta (12S2/1.1.1) and gives the formula bare; the Vibhaṅgasutta that follows defines its terms.

Diagram

Section titled “Diagram”
flowchart LR
    subgraph O["Origin (3)"]
        direction TB
        o1["avijjā (ignorance)"] --> o2["saṅkhārā (mental constructions)"] --> o3["viññāṇa (consciousness)"] --> o4["nāmarūpa (phenomenal objects)"] --> o5["saḷāyatana (six sense bases)"] --> o6["phassa (contact)"] --> o7["vedanā (feeling)"] --> o8["taṇhā (craving)"] --> o9["upādāna (fuel)"] --> o10["bhava (existence)"] --> o11["jāti (birth)"] --> o12["jarāmaraṇa (ageing and death)"]
    end
    subgraph C["Cessation (4)"]
        direction TB
        c1["cessation of ignorance"] --> c2["cessation of mental constructions"] --> c3["cessation of consciousness"] --> c4["cessation of phenomenal objects"] --> c5["cessation of the six sense bases"] --> c6["cessation of contact"] --> c7["cessation of feeling"] --> c8["cessation of craving"] --> c9["cessation of fuel"] --> c10["cessation of existence"] --> c11["cessation of birth"] --> c12["cessation of ageing and death"]
    end

Text

Section titled “Text”

(1.)

2. Thus heard by me — At one time the Bhagavā was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There the Bhagavā addressed the bhikkhū: “Bhikkhavo!” “Bhadante,” those bhikkhū replied to the Bhagavā. The Bhagavā said this: “I will teach you, Bhikkhave, paṭiccasamuppāda (dependent origination). Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.” “Yes, Bhante,” those bhikkhū replied to the Bhagavā. The Bhagavā said this:

3. “And what, Bhikkhave, is paṭiccasamuppādo (dependent origination)? With avijjā (ignorance) as cause, Bhikkhave, saṅkhārā (mental constructions) [arise]; with mental constructions as cause, viññāṇaṃ (consciousness) [arises]; with consciousness as cause, nāmarūpaṃ (phenomenal objects) [arise]; with phenomenal objects as cause, saḷāyatanaṃ (the six sense bases) [arise]; with the six sense bases as cause, phasso (contact) [arises]; with contact as cause, vedanā (feeling) [arises]; with feeling as cause, taṇhā (craving) [arises]; with craving as cause, upādānaṃ (fuel for existence: the will to live) [arises]; with fuel as cause, bhavo (existence of a false perception of an eternal independent “self” (atta)) [arises]; with existence as cause, jāti (birth of suffering) [arises]; with birth as cause, jarāmaraṇaṃ (ageing and death), sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure and despair come into being. Thus is the origin of this whole mass of dukkha (suffering). This, Bhikkhave, is called dependent origination.

4. But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes the cessation of mental constructions; with the cessation of mental constructions comes the cessation of consciousness; with the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of phenomenal objects; with the cessation of phenomenal objects comes the cessation of the six sense bases; with the cessation of the six sense bases comes the cessation of contact; with the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling; with the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving; with the cessation of craving comes the cessation of fuel for existence; with the cessation of fuel comes the cessation of existence (constructed self); with the cessation of existence comes the cessation of the birth (of suffering); with the cessation of birth, ageing and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure and despair cease. Thus is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.” This the Bhagavā said. Those bhikkhū, delighted, rejoiced in the Bhagavā’s words.

5. The first [discourse of the chapter].

Commentary

Section titled “Commentary”
  • The bare formula of the twelve causes, in origin and in cessation; the Vibhaṅgasutta that follows it (12S2/1.1.2) defines each term.
  • Paragraphs 3–4 are the text of buddhavacana’s Dependent Origination page and of the textbook’s chapter 3; their wording stands here verbatim, with the author’s glosses of upādāna and bhava that belong to this chain alone.
  • paccaya is “cause”, never “condition”: “with ignorance as cause, mental constructions [arise]”.
  • The same chain is reviewed under the Bodhi tree in the Mahākhandhaka’s Bodhikathā.
  • As the first sutta of the saṃyutta it carries the full opening (Evaṃ me sutaṃ, Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi); the suttas that follow abbreviate it to “Sāvatthiyaṃ viharati”.

Parallels

Section titled “Parallels”

SA 298 is one sūtra for this sutta and the Vibhaṅgasutta that follows it. Its frame is the same: the Buddha addresses the bhikkhus, announces that he will teach dependent origination (緣起法) and asks them to listen and attend well (諦聽，善思，當為汝說, p. 85a), and the bhikkhus delight at the end (佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行, p. 85b). It divides the teaching into a “teaching of the principle” (法說) and a “teaching of the meaning” (義說); the 法說 (p. 85a) corresponds to the Paṭiccasamuppādasutta, the 義說 (pp. 85a–b) to the Vibhaṅgasutta. The differences, read in CBETA’s text:

  • Setting. The Chinese places the discourse among the Kurus, at the village of Kammāsadhamma (佛住拘留搜調牛聚落, p. 85a); the Pāḷi at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove.
  • The abstract formula. The Chinese prefaces the chain with “this existing, that exists; this arising, that arises” (此有故彼有，此起故彼起, p. 85a), which the Pāḷi Paṭiccasamuppādasutta does not have.
  • Origin only. The 法說 gives the chain in origination alone, abbreviated to its first link and its end (謂緣無明行，乃至純大苦聚集, p. 85a); the Pāḷi gives all twelve links in origination (paragraph 3) and again in cessation (paragraph 4). SA 298 has no cessation sequence anywhere.
  • The closing. The Chinese ends the 法說 with “this is called the teaching of the principle of dependent origination” (是名緣起法法說, p. 85a) and goes straight on to the definitions; the Pāḷi closes the sutta with “This, Bhikkhave, is called dependent origination” and the bhikkhus’ delight.

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