Light/Dark

Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

Vol 1:
Verses
SN1-11
Vol 2:
Causation
SN12-21
Vol 3:
Aggregates
SN22-34
Vol 4:
Sense Bases
SN35-44
Vol 5:
Great Book
SN45-56

12. Nidānasaṁyutta: On Causation

III. The Ten Powers — SN12.22: The Ten Powers (2nd)

1At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, a Realized One has ten powers and four kinds of self-assurance. With these he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the holy wheel.

Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Such is feeling, such is the origin of feeling, such is the ending of feeling. Such is perception, such is the origin of perception, such is the ending of perception. Such are choices, such is the origin of choices, such is the ending of choices. Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.

When this exists, that is; due to the arising of this, that arises. When this doesn’t exist, that is not; due to the cessation of this, that ceases. That is:


Ignorance is a condition for choices.

Choices are a condition for consciousness. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices cease. When choices cease, consciousness ceases. … That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.

2So the teaching has been well explained by me, made clear, opened, illuminated, and stripped of patchwork. Just this much is quite enough for someone who has gone forth out of faith from a good family to rouse up their energy. ‘Gladly, let only skin, sinews, and tendons remain! Let the flesh and blood waste away in my body! I will not stop trying until I have achieved what is possible by manly strength, energy, and vigor.’

3A lazy person lives in suffering, mixed up with bad, unskillful qualities, and ruins a great deal of their own good. An energetic person lives happily, secluded from bad, unskillful qualities, and fulfills a great deal of their own good.


The best isn’t reached by the worst. The best is reached by the best. This spiritual life is the cream, mendicants, and the Teacher is before you.


So you should rouse up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized, thinking:

‘In this way our going forth will not be wasted, but will be fruitful and fertile. And our use of robes, alms-food, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick shall be of great fruit and benefit for those who offered them.’ That’s how you should train.

Considering your own good, mendicants, is quite enough for you to persist with diligence. Considering the good of others is quite enough for you to persist with diligence. Considering the good of both is quite enough for you to persist with diligence.”

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati.

"Dasabalasamannāgato, bhikkhave, tathāgato catūhi ca vesārajjehi samannāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti:

‘iti rūpaṁ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo, iti vedanā iti vedanāya samudayo iti vedanāya atthaṅgamo, iti saññā iti saññāya samudayo iti saññāya atthaṅgamo, iti saṅkhārā iti saṅkhārānaṁ samudayo iti saṅkhārānaṁ atthaṅgamo, iti viññāṇaṁ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo.

Iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati; imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati.


Yadidaṁ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ … pe … evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho … pe … evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti’.

2Evaṁ svākkhāto, bhikkhave, mayā dhammo uttāno vivaṭo pakāsito chinnapilotiko. Evaṁ svākkhāte kho, bhikkhave, mayā dhamme uttāne vivaṭe pakāsite chinnapilotike alameva saddhāpabbajitena kulaputtena vīriyaṁ ārabhituṁ: ‘kāmaṁ taco ca nhāru ca aṭṭhi ca avasissatu, sarīre upassussatu maṁsalohitaṁ. Yaṁ taṁ purisathāmena purisavīriyena purisaparakkamena pattabbaṁ, na taṁ apāpuṇitvā vīriyassa saṇṭhānaṁ bhavissatī’ti.

3Dukkhaṁ, bhikkhave, kusīto vihārati vokiṇṇo pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehi, mahantañca sadatthaṁ parihāpeti. Āraddhavīriyo ca kho, bhikkhave, sukhaṁ vihārati pavivitto pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehi, mahantañca sadatthaṁ paripūreti. Na, bhikkhave, hīnena aggassa patti hoti. Aggena ca kho, bhikkhave, aggassa patti hoti.


Maṇḍapeyyamidaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmacariyaṁ, satthā sammukhībhūto.


Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, vīriyaṁ ārabhatha appattassa pattiyā, anadhigatassa adhigamāya, asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāya.

‘Evaṁ no ayaṁ amhākaṁ pabbajjā avañjhā bhavissati saphalā saudrayā. Yesañca mayaṁ paribhuñjāma cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ tesaṁ te kārā amhesu mahapphalā bhavissanti mahānisaṁsā’ti – evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

Attatthaṁ vā hi, bhikkhave, sampassamānena alameva appamādena sampādetuṁ; paratthaṁ vā hi, bhikkhave, sampassamānena alameva appamādena sampādetuṁ; ubhayatthaṁ vā hi, bhikkhave, sampassamānena alameva appamādena sampādetun"ti.

Dutiyaṁ.