1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on Mount Vulture Peak. Then Prince Abhaya approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: [n.114] Prince Abhaya was a son of King Bimbisāra, though not the crown prince.

"Venerable sir, Pūraṇa Kassapa says: ‘There is no cause or condition for lack of knowledge and vision; lack of knowledge and vision is without cause or condition. There is no cause or condition for knowledge and vision; knowledge and vision are without cause or condition.’ [n.115] See SN35:109 n. 92. What does the Blessed One say about this?"

"There is, prince, a cause and condition for lack of knowledge and vision; lack of knowledge and vision is with cause and condition. sn.v.127 There is a cause and condition for knowledge and vision; knowledge and vision are with cause and condition."

i. The cause for lack of knowledge and vision

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2"But, venerable sir, what is the cause and condition for lack of knowledge and vision? How is it that lack of knowledge and vision is with cause and condition?"

"On an occasion, prince, when one dwells with a mind obsessed by sensual lust, overwhelmed by sensual lust, and one neither knows nor sees as it really is the escape from arisen sensual lust: this is a cause and condition for lack of knowledge and vision; it is in this way that lack of knowledge and vision is with cause and condition.

3"Again, prince, on an occasion when one dwells with a mind obsessed by ill will … obsessed by sloth and torpor … obsessed by restlessness and remorse … obsessed by doubt, overwhelmed by doubt, and one neither knows nor sees as it really is the escape from arisen doubt: this too is a cause and condition for lack of knowledge and vision; it is in this way too that lack of knowledge and vision is with cause and condition."

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4"What is this Dhamma exposition called, venerable sir?"

"These are called the hindrances, prince."

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"Surely they are hindrances, Blessed One! Surely they are hindrances, Fortunate One! One overcome by even a single hindrance would not know and see things as they really are, not to speak of one overcome by the five hindrances.

ii. The cause of knowledge and vision

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5"But, venerable sir, what is the cause and condition for knowledge and vision? How is it that knowledge and vision are with cause and condition?"

"Here, prince, a bhikkhu develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. With a mind that has developed the enlightenment factor of mindfulness he knows and sees things as they really are. This is a cause for knowledge and vision; it is in this way that knowledge and vision are with cause and condition … .

6"Again, prince, a bhikkhu develops the enlightenment factor of equanimity, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. With a mind that has developed the enlightenment factor of equanimity he knows and sees things as they really are. This too is a cause for knowledge and vision; it is in this way that knowledge and vision are with cause and condition."

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7"What is this Dhamma exposition called, venerable sir?"

"These are called the factors of enlightenment, prince."

"Surely they are factors of enlightenment, Blessed One! Surely they are factors of enlightenment, Fortunate One! One who possesses even a single factor of enlightenment would know and see things as they really are, not to speak of one who possesses the seven factors of enlightenment. The bodily fatigue and the mental fatigue that I experienced from climbing Mount Vulture Peak have subsided. I have made the breakthrough to the Dhamma." [n.116] This, in effect, is a declaration that he has attained stream-entry. sn.v.129

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1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati gijjhakūṭe pabbate. Atha kho abhayo rājakumāro yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho abhayo rājakumāro bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"Pūraṇo, bhante, kassapo evamāha: ‘Natthi hetu, natthi paccayo aññāṇāya adassanāya. Ahetu, appaccayo aññāṇaṁ adassanaṁ hoti. Natthi hetu, natthi paccayo ñāṇāya dassanāya. Ahetu, appaccayo ñāṇaṁ dassanaṁ hotī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā"ti?

"Atthi, rājakumāra, hetu, atthi paccayo aññāṇāya adassanāya. Sahetu, sappaccayo aññāṇaṁ adassanaṁ hoti. Atthi, rājakumāra, hetu, atthi paccayo ñāṇāya dassanāya. Sahetu, sappaccayo ñāṇaṁ dassanaṁ hotī"ti.

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2"Katamo pana, bhante, hetu, katamo paccayo aññāṇāya adassanāya? Kathaṁ sahetu, sappaccayo aññāṇaṁ adassanaṁ hotī"ti?

"Yasmiṁ kho, rājakumāra, samaye kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā vihārati kāmarāgaparetena, uppannassa ca kāmarāgassa nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ na jānāti na passati – ayampi kho, rājakumāra, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo aññāṇāya adassanāya. Evampi sahetu sappaccayo aññāṇaṁ adassanaṁ hoti.

3Puna caparaṁ, rājakumāra, yasmiṁ samaye byā pāda pariyuṭṭhitena cetasā vihārati byā pāda paretena … pe … thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena … pe … uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhitena … pe … vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā vihārati vicikicchāparetena, uppannāya ca vicikicchāya nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ na jānāti na passati – ayampi kho, rājakumāra, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo aññāṇāya adassanāya. Evampi sahetu sappaccayo aññāṇaṁ adassanaṁ hotī"ti.

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4"Ko nāmāyaṁ, bhante, dhammapariyāyo"ti?

"Nīvaraṇā nāmete, rājakumārā"ti. "Taggha, bhagavā, nīvaraṇā; taggha, sugata, nīvaraṇā.

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Ekamekenapi kho, bhante, nīvaraṇena abhibhūto yathābhūtaṁ na jāneyya na passeyya, ko pana vādo pañcahi nīvaraṇehi?

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5Katamo pana, bhante, hetu, katamo paccayo ñāṇāya dassanāya? Kathaṁ sahetu, sappaccayo ñāṇaṁ dassanaṁ hotī"ti?

"Idha, rājakumāra, bhikkhu satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ. So satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāvitena cittena yathābhūtaṁ jānāti passati – ayampi kho, rājakumāra, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo ñāṇāya dassanāya. Evampi sahetu, sappaccayo ñāṇaṁ dassanaṁ hoti.

6Puna caparaṁ, rājakumāra, bhikkhu … pe … upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ. So upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāvitena cittena yathābhūtaṁ jānāti passati – ayampi kho, rājakumāra, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo ñāṇāya dassanāya. Evaṁ sahetu, sappaccayo ñāṇaṁ dassanaṁ hotī"ti.

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7"Ko nāmāyaṁ, bhante, dhammapariyāyo"ti?

"Bojjhaṅgā nāmete, rājakumārā"ti. "Taggha, bhagavā, bojjhaṅgā; taggha, sugata, bojjhaṅgā.

Ekamekenapi kho, bhante, bojjhaṅgena samannāgato yathābhūtaṁ jāneyya passeyya, ko pana vādo sattahi bojjhaṅgehi? Yopi me, bhante, gijjhakūṭaṁ pabbataṁ ārohantassa kāyakilamatho cittakilamatho, sopi me paṭippassaddho, dhammo ca me abhisamito"ti.

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Chaṭṭhaṁ.
Sākacchavaggo chaṭṭho.

8Āhārā pariyāyamaggi,
mettaṁ saṅgāravena ca;
Abhayo pucchito pañhaṁ,
gijjhakūṭamhi pabbateti.