1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Kurus, where there was a town of the Kurus named Kammasadamma. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: [n.152] The opening of this sutta as far as "the nether world, saṁsara" is nearly identical with the opening of the Mahanidana Suttanta (DN No. 15), which differs only in including the aorist avaca. The present sutta is a composite, made up of the opening of the Mahanidana grafted on to the body of SN12.55. Spk here incorporates the long opening of the commentary to the Mahanidana, for which see Bodhi, The Great Discourse on Causation, pp. 58–73. Spk, however, does not attempt to explain how the same opening could have such a different sequel.

"It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is amazing, venerable sir! This dependent origination is so deep and so deep in implications, yet to me it seems as clear as clear can be."

2"Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda! This dependent origination is deep and deep in implications. It is because of not understanding and not penetrating this Dhamma, Ānanda, that this generation has become like a tangled skein, like a knotted ball of thread, like matted reeds and rushes, and does not pass beyond the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world, saṁsara.

3"Ānanda, when one dwells contemplating gratification in things that can be clung to, craving increases.

With craving as condition, sn.ii.93 clinging comes to be; … existence … birth… aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

4"Suppose, Ānanda, there was a great tree, and all its roots going downwards and across would send the sap upwards. Sustained by that sap, nourished by it, that great tree would stand for a very long time.

So too, when one lives contemplating gratification in things that can be clung to, craving increases.

With craving as condition, sn.ii.93 clinging comes to be; … existence … birth … aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

5"When, Ānanda, one dwells contemplating danger in things that can be clung to, craving ceases.

With the cessation of craving comes cessation of clinging;
with the cessation of clinging, cessation of existence;
with the cessation of existence, cessation of birth;
with the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease.

Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.

6"Suppose, Ānanda, there was a great tree. Then a man would come along bringing a shovel and a basket. He would cut down the tree at its foot … he would winnow the ashes in a strong wind or let them be carried away by the swift current of a river. Thus that great tree would be cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that it is no more subject to future arising.

"So too, Ānanda, when one dwells contemplating danger in things that can be clung to, craving ceases.

With the cessation of craving comes cessation of clinging;
with the cessation of clinging, cessation of existence;
with the cessation of existence, cessation of birth;
with the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease.

Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kurūsu vihārati kammāsadhammaṁ nāma kurūnaṁ nigamo. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāva gambhīro cāyaṁ, bhante, paṭiccasamuppādo gambhīrāvabhāso ca, atha ca pana me uttānakuttānako viya khāyatī"ti.

2"Mā hevaṁ, Ānanda, mā hevaṁ, Ānanda. Gambhīro cāyaṁ, Ānanda, paṭiccasamuppādo gambhīrāvabhāso ca. Etassa, Ānanda, dhammassa ananubodhā appaṭivedhā evamayaṁ pajā tantākulakajātā kulagaṇṭhikajātā muñjapabbajabhūtā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ saṁsāraṁ nātivattati.

3Upādāniyesu, Ānanda, dhammesu assādānupassino vihārato taṇhā pavaḍḍhati.

Taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ; upādānapaccayā bhavo; bhavapaccayā jāti; jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti.

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

4Seyyathāpi, Ānanda, mahārukkho. Tassa yāni ceva mūlāni adhogamāni, yāni ca tiriyaṅgamāni, sabbāni tāni uddhaṁ ojaṁ abhiharanti. Evañhi so, Ānanda, mahārukkho tadāhāro tadupādāno ciraṁ dīghamaddhānaṁ tiṭṭheyya.

Evameva kho, Ānanda, upādāniyesu dhammesu assādānupassino vihārato taṇhā pavaḍḍhati.

Taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ; upādānapaccayā bhavo … pe …

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

5Upādāniyesu, Ānanda, dhammesu ādīnavānupassino vihārato taṇhā nirujjhati.

Taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho … pe …

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.

6Seyyathāpi, Ānanda, mahārukkho. Atha puriso āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya. So taṁ rukkhaṁ mūle chindeyya, mūle chetvā palikhaṇeyya, palikhaṇitvā mūlāni uddhareyya antamaso usīranāḷimattānipi. So taṁ rukkhaṁ khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chindeyya. Khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chinditvā phāleyya; phāletvā sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ kareyya, sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ karitvā vātātape visoseyya, vātātape visosetvā agginā ḍaheyya, agginā ḍahetvā masiṁ kareyya, masiṁ karitvā mahāvāte vā ophuṇeyya, nadiyā vā sīghasotāya pavāheyya. Evañhi so, Ānanda, mahārukkho ucchinnamūlo assa tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppāda dhammo.

Evameva kho, Ānanda, upādāniyesu dhammesu ādīnavānupassino vihārato taṇhā nirujjhati.

Taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho; bhavanirodhā jātinirodho; jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti.

Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī"ti.

Dasamaṁ.
Dukkhavaggo chaṭṭho.