3. Dasabalavagga

Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.23

Linked Discourses 12.23

3. Dasabalavagga

3. The Ten Powers

Upanisasutta

Vital Conditions

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthī.

“Jānato ahaṁ, bhikkhave, passato āsavānaṁ khayaṁ vadāmi, no ajānato no apassato.

“Mendicants, I say that the ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know or see.

Kiñca, bhikkhave, jānato kiṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti?

For one who knows and sees what?

Iti rūpaṁ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo,

‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form.

iti vedanā …pe…

Such is feeling …

iti saññā …

Such is perception …

iti saṅkhārā …

Such are choices …

iti viññāṇaṁ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamoti.

Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, jānato evaṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti.

The ending of the defilements is for one who knows and sees this.

Yampissa taṁ, bhikkhave, khayasmiṁ khaye ñāṇaṁ, tampi saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that this knowledge of ending has a vital condition, it doesn’t lack a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, khaye ñāṇassa upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Vimuttī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Freedom.’

Vimuttimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that freedom has a vital condition, it doesn’t lack a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, vimuttiyā upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Virāgo’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Dispassion.’

Virāgampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that dispassion has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, virāgassa upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Nibbidā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Disillusionment.’

Nibbidampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that disillusionment has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, nibbidāya upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Yathābhūtañāṇadassanan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Truly knowing and seeing.’

Yathābhūtañāṇadassanampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that truly knowing and seeing has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, yathābhūtañāṇadassanassa upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Samādhī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Immersion.’

Samādhimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that immersion has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, samādhissa upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Sukhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Bliss.’

Sukhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that bliss has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, sukhassa upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Passaddhī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Tranquility.’

Passaddhimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that tranquility has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, passaddhiyā upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Pītī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Rapture.’

Pītimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that rapture has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, pītiyā upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Pāmojjan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Joy.’

Pāmojjampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that joy has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, pāmojjassa upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Saddhā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Faith.’

Saddhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that faith has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, saddhāya upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Dukkhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Suffering.’

Dukkhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that suffering has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhassa upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Jātī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Rebirth.’

Jātimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that rebirth has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, jātiyā upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Bhavo’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Continued existence.’

Bhavampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that continued existence has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, bhavassa upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Upādānan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Grasping.’

Upādānampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that grasping has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, upādānassa upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Taṇhā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Craving.’

Taṇhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

I say that craving has a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhāya upanisā?

And what is it?

‘Vedanā’tissa vacanīyaṁ …pe…

You should say: ‘Feeling.’ …

‘phasso’tissa vacanīyaṁ …

You should say: ‘Contact.’ …

‘saḷāyatanan’tissa vacanīyaṁ …

You should say: ‘The six sense fields.’ …

‘nāmarūpan’tissa vacanīyaṁ …

You should say: ‘Name and form.’ …

‘viññāṇan’tissa vacanīyaṁ …

You should say: ‘Consciousness.’ …

‘saṅkhārā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Choices.’ …

Saṅkhārepāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanise vadāmi, no anupanise.

I say that choices have a vital condition, they don’t lack a vital condition.

Kā ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārānaṁ upanisā?

And what is the vital condition for choices?

‘Avijjā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

You should say: ‘Ignorance.’

Iti kho, bhikkhave, avijjūpanisā saṅkhārā,

So, mendicants: ignorance is the vital condition for choices.

saṅkhārūpanisaṁ viññāṇaṁ,

Choices are the vital condition for consciousness.

viññāṇūpanisaṁ nāmarūpaṁ,

Consciousness is the vital condition for name and form.

nāmarūpūpanisaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ,

Name and form are the vital conditions for the six sense fields.

saḷāyatanūpaniso phasso,

The six sense fields are the vital conditions for contact.

phassūpanisā vedanā,

Contact is the vital condition for feeling.

vedanūpanisā taṇhā,

Feeling is the vital condition for craving.

taṇhūpanisaṁ upādānaṁ,

Craving is the vital condition for grasping.

upādānūpaniso bhavo,

Grasping is the vital condition for continued existence.

bhavūpanisā jāti,

Continued existence is the vital condition for rebirth.

jātūpanisaṁ dukkhaṁ,

Rebirth is the vital condition for suffering.

dukkhūpanisā saddhā,

Suffering is the vital condition for faith.

saddhūpanisaṁ pāmojjaṁ,

Faith is the vital condition for joy.

pāmojjūpanisā pīti,

Joy is the vital condition for rapture.

pītūpanisā passaddhi,

Rapture is the vital condition for tranquility.

passaddhūpanisaṁ sukhaṁ,

Tranquility is the vital condition for bliss.

sukhūpaniso samādhi,

Bliss is the vital condition for immersion.

samādhūpanisaṁ yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ,

Immersion is the vital condition for truly knowing and seeing.

yathābhūtañāṇadassanūpanisā nibbidā,

Truly knowing and seeing is the vital condition for disillusionment.

nibbidūpaniso virāgo,

Disillusionment is the vital condition for dispassion.

virāgūpanisā vimutti,

Dispassion is the vital condition for freedom.

vimuttūpanisaṁ khaye ñāṇaṁ.

Freedom is the vital condition for the knowledge of ending.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, uparipabbate thullaphusitake deve vassante taṁ udakaṁ yathāninnaṁ pavattamānaṁ pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūreti. Pabbatakandarapadarasākhāparipūrā kusobbhe paripūrenti. Kusobbhā paripūrā mahāsobbhe paripūrenti. Mahāsobbhā paripūrā kunnadiyo paripūrenti. Kunnadiyo paripūrā mahānadiyo paripūrenti. Mahānadiyo paripūrā mahāsamuddaṁ paripūrenti.

It’s like when the heavens rain heavily on a mountain top, and the water flows downhill to fill the hollows, crevices, and creeks. As they become full, they fill up the pools. The pools fill up the lakes, the lakes fill up the streams, and the streams fill up the rivers. And as the rivers become full, they fill up the ocean.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjūpanisā saṅkhārā, saṅkhārūpanisaṁ viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇūpanisaṁ nāmarūpaṁ, nāmarūpūpanisaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatanūpaniso phasso, phassūpanisā vedanā, vedanūpanisā taṇhā, taṇhūpanisaṁ upādānaṁ, upādānūpaniso bhavo, bhavūpanisā jāti, jātūpanisaṁ dukkhaṁ, dukkhūpanisā saddhā, saddhūpanisaṁ pāmojjaṁ, pāmojjūpanisā pīti, pītūpanisā passaddhi, passaddhūpanisaṁ sukhaṁ, sukhūpaniso samādhi, samādhūpanisaṁ yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ, yathābhūtañāṇadassanūpanisā nibbidā, nibbidūpaniso virāgo, virāgūpanisā vimutti, vimuttūpanisaṁ khaye ñāṇan”ti.

In the same way, ignorance is the vital condition for choices. … Freedom is the vital condition for the knowledge of ending.”

Tatiyaṁ.