緣起經

Thus have I heard. At one time the Bhagavān (Bhagavaṃ: the World-Honored One) was dwelling in the Anāthapiṇḍada Garden (Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāma) within the Jeta Grove (Jeṭavaṇa) at the city of Śrāvastī (Śrāvastya), together with an immeasurable, innumerable assembly of Śrāvakas (Śrāvaka), Bodhisattvas (Bodhisatva), Devas (Deva), Humans (Manuṣya)… who had all come to attend.

At that time the World-Honored One addressed the assembly of Bhikṣus (Bhikṣu-saṃgha: the community of Bhikṣus): “I shall, for your sake, proclaim the meaning of the initiation and the differentiation of Dependent Origination (Pratītya-samutpāda). You should listen well and reflect skillfully. Now I shall, for your sake, discriminate and explain it.”

The assembly of Bhikṣus said: “Yes indeed! We pray you to speak. We delight in listening.”

The Buddha said: “What is called the initiation of Dependent Origination (the inception of Dependent Origination)? It is in accordance with ‘This being, that is; this arising, that arises.’ That is, Ignorance (Avidyā) conditions Formations (Saṃskāra), Formations condition Consciousness (Vijñāna), Consciousness conditions Name-and-Form (Nāma-rūpa), Name-and-Form conditions the six Sense-bases (Ṣaḍ-āyatana), the six Sense-bases condition Contact (Sparśa), Contact conditions Feeling (Vedanā), Feeling conditions Craving (Tṛṣṇā), Craving conditions Grasping (Upādāna), Grasping conditions Becoming (bhava), Becoming conditions Birth (Jāti), Birth conditions Old Age and Death (Jarā-maraṇa)… giving rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, anxiety, and vexation.

This is called the Arising of the Whole Great Mass of Suffering. Such is the meaning of the initiation of Dependent Origination.

What is called the differentiation of Dependent Origination (the differentiation of Dependent Origination)? It is that Ignorance conditions Formations.

What is Ignorance (Avidyā)? It is: with respect to the prior limit (the past) there is no understanding; with respect to the latter limit (the future) there is no understanding; with respect to the prior and latter limits (the past and future) there is no understanding; with respect to the inner there is no understanding; with respect to the outer there is no understanding; with respect to the inner and outer there is no understanding; with respect to Karma (Karma) there is no understanding; with respect to Maturation (Vipāka: retribution; the general term for receiving a result in accordance with good and evil deeds of the past) there is no understanding; with respect to Karma (Karma) and Maturation (Vipāka) there is no understanding;

with respect to the Buddha (Buddha) there is no understanding; with respect to the Dharma (Dharma) there is no understanding; with respect to the Saṃgha (Saṃgha) there is no understanding; with respect to Suffering (Duḥkha) there is no understanding; with respect to Origination (Samudaya) there is no understanding; with respect to Cessation (Nirodha) there is no understanding; with respect to the Path (Mārga) there is no understanding; with respect to Cause (Hetu) there is no understanding; with respect to Effect (Phala) there is no understanding; with respect to the dharmas that have arisen from causes there is no understanding; with respect to the Wholesome (Kuśala) there is no understanding; with respect to the Unwholesome (Akuśala) there is no understanding;

with respect to what is blameworthy there is no understanding; with respect to what is blameless there is no understanding; with respect to what should be cultivated there is no understanding; with respect to what should not be cultivated there is no understanding; with respect to the inferior (low and base) there is no understanding; with respect to the Supremely Sublime (the refined and sublime, the utterly excellent) there is no understanding; with respect to the Dark (Kṛṣṇa: that which is evil) there is no understanding; with respect to the Bright (Śveta: that which is good) there is no understanding; with respect to that which has Distinct Portions (possessing talent, possessing distinction apportioned by Heaven) there is no understanding;

with respect to the dharmas arisen from conditions, or the six points of contact, of penetrating them as they truly are there is no understanding.

Thus, with respect to the True Reality of each and every one of these places, there is no understanding, no Vision (Dṛṣṭi, or Darśana: that which the eye has seen), no Direct Realization (Abhisamaya: the contemplated object manifesting before one), but folly, no clarity, and darkness. This is Ignorance.

What is Formations (Saṃskāra)? Formations are of three kinds: Bodily Formation (the wholesome and unwholesome karma created by the body), Verbal Formation (the wholesome and unwholesome karma created by speech), and Mental Formation (the wholesome and unwholesome karma created by the mind). This is called Formations.

_ Formations condition Consciousness. What is Consciousness (Vijñāna)? It is the six Bodies of Consciousness: first, Eye-consciousness (Cakṣur-vijñānaṃ: the discriminating awareness of the eye); second, Ear-consciousness (Śrotra-vijñānaṃ: the discriminating awareness of the ear); third, Nose-consciousness (Ghrāṇa-vijñānaṃ: the discriminating awareness of the nose); fourth, Tongue-consciousness (Jihvā-vijñānaṃ: the discriminating awareness of the tongue); fifth, Body-consciousness (Kāya-vijñānaṃ: the discriminating awareness of the body); sixth, Mind-consciousness (Mano-vijñānaṃ: the discriminating awareness of the mind). This is called Consciousness.

_ Consciousness conditions Name-and-Form (Nāma-rūpa). What is called Name (Nāma)? It is the four aggregates without Form (Rūpa-skandha: material shape): first, the Aggregate of Feeling (Vedanā-skandha: sensation); second, the Aggregate of Perception (Saṃjñā-skandha: apprehension); third, the Aggregate of Formations (Saṃskāra-skandha: the flowing, formative response); fourth, the Aggregate of Consciousness (Vijñāna-skandha: cognition).

What is Form (Rūpa)? It is the shapes and colors that are obtained. It is all four Great Elements (earth, water, wind, fire) together with that which the four Great Elements have produced.

This Form, together with the Name spoken of before, is summarily gathered into one and jointly named Name-and-Form. This is Name-and-Form.

_ Name-and-Form conditions the six Sense-bases. What are the six Sense-bases (Ṣaḍ-āyatana)? They are the six Internal Sense-bases: first, the Internal Eye-base (Cakṣur-āyatana, or Cakṣu-indriya: the eye); second, the Internal Ear-base (Śrotra-āyatana, or Śrotra-indriya: the ear); third, the Internal Nose-base (Ghrāṇa-āyatana, or Ghrāṇa-indriya: the nose); fourth, the Internal Tongue-base (Jihvā-āyatana, or Jihvā-indriya: the tongue); fifth, the Internal Body-base (Kāya-āyatana, or Kāya-indriya: the body); sixth, the Internal Mind-base (Manas-āyatana, or Manas-indriya: the mind-faculty, that is, the organ of comprehending all things, manifesting the power of understanding). These are the six Sense-bases.

_ The six Sense-bases condition Contact. What is Contact (Sparśa)? It is the six Bodies of Contact: first, Eye-contact (Cakṣur-sparśa: the contact of the eye with shapes and colors); second, Ear-contact (Śrotra-sparśa: the contact of the ear with sounds); third, Nose-contact (Ghrāṇa-sparśa: the contact of the nose with smells); fourth, Tongue-contact (Jihvā-sparśa: the contact of the tongue with tastes); fifth, Body-contact (Kāya-sparśa: the contact of the body with tangible sensations); sixth, Mind-contact (Manas-sparśa: the contact of the mind-faculty with mental objects). This is called Contact.

_ Contact conditions Feeling. What is Feeling (Vedanā)? Feeling is of three kinds: Pleasant Feeling (Sukha-vedanā: an agreeable, joyful sensation), Painful Feeling (Duḥkha-vedanā: a vexing, disagreeable sensation), and Neither-Painful-Nor-Pleasant Feeling (Aduḥkhāsukha-vedanā: an indifferent sensation, neither painful nor pleasant). This is called Feeling.

_ Feeling conditions Craving. What is Craving (Tṛṣṇā)? Craving is of three kinds: Craving for Sense-pleasures (Kāma-tṛṣṇa: the delight, affection, and attachment that cling to the five Desires and the longing in the Desire Realm), Craving for Form (Rūpa-tṛṣṇa: the delight, affection, and attachment that cling to shapes and colors and the longing in the Form Realm), and Craving for the Formless (Arūpa-tṛṣna: the delight, affection, and attachment that cling to that which is without shape and color and the longing in the Formless Realm). This is called Craving.

_ Craving conditions Grasping. What is Grasping (Upādāna)? It is the four kinds of Grasping: first, Grasping at Sense-pleasures (Kāmopādāna: when, with respect to the objects of the five Desires of the Desire Realm, there has arisen greedy attachment); second, Grasping at Views (Dṛṣṭy-upādāna: clinging to the perception of a deviant mind as if it were true); third, Grasping at Precepts and Prohibitions (Śīla-vratopādāna: clinging to a Cause that is not correct and a path that is not correct, taking them to be the correct Cause and the correct path); fourth, Grasping at a Doctrine of Self (Ātma-vādopādāna: clinging, in accordance with the Grasping at Self, to all that has arisen from one’s own body). This is called Grasping.

_ Grasping conditions Becoming. What is Becoming (Bhava: that which exists, that which is obtained)? Becoming is of three kinds: Sense-desire Becoming (Kāma-dhātu: the Desire Realm), Form Becoming (Rūpa-dhātu: the Form Realm), and Formless Becoming (Arūpa-dhātu: the Formless Realm). This is called Becoming.

_ Becoming conditions Birth. What is Birth (Jāti)? It is that each and every sentient being, with respect to each and every kind of sentient being, the various births and modes of arising rise up and manifest the Aggregates (Skandha), obtain the Elements (Dhātu), obtain the Sense-bases (Āyatana), obtain the various Aggregates, and the life-faculty arises and manifests. This is called Birth.

_ Birth conditions Old Age and Death. What is Old Age (Jarā: aging)? It is that the hair declines and deteriorates and changes, the skin gradually becomes wrinkled, declining and damaged, the spine of the body becomes bent and hunched, black moles appear scattered over the body, the breath becomes labored and hurried, the form is bent forward to the point that one must lean upon a staff, one becomes dim and gaunt, weak and feeble, diminished and decaying, the faculties grow old, their functions break down, the Formations rot and decay, and so that form becomes decrepit. This is called Old Age.

What is Death (Maraṇa: dying)? It is that each and every sentient being, from each and every kind of sentient being… is finally destroyed and lost, relinquishes the life-span, relinquishes warmth, the life-faculty recedes and ceases, and the various Aggregates are cast aside. At the time of death, the cycling comes to a complete end. This is called Death (dying).

This Death, together with the Old Age spoken of before, is summarily gathered into one and jointly called Old Age and Death.

Such is called the meaning of the differentiation of Dependent Origination.

_ O Bhikṣus! I have, for your sake, spoken of what represents the meaning of the initiation and the differentiation of Dependent Origination.”

When the Bhagavān had finished speaking this Sūtra, the assembly of Śrāvakas, Bodhisattvas, Devas, Humans… having heard what the Buddha had spoken, all rejoiced greatly, attained what they had never had before, and faithfully received it and reverently practiced it.

SŪTRA ON DEPENDENT ORIGINATION ONE FASCICLE (The End)