Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhayasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 38

Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhayasutta

The Longer Discourse on the Ending of Craving · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusevaṁ indeedno hereettha it occurshoti—
craving·cessationtaṇhānirodhā clinging·cessationupādānanirodho”ti.
feeling·cessation“Vedanānirodhā craving·cessationtaṇhānirodhoti quotation markeriti indeedkho now·thispanetaṁ was saidvuttaṁ;
feeling·cessationvedanānirodhā thennu indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, craving·cessationtaṇhānirodho, notno orvā, howkathaṁ orvā hereettha does it occur?hotī”ti?
feeling·cessation“Vedanānirodhā, venerable sirbhante, craving·cessationtaṇhānirodho;
thusevaṁ indeedno hereettha it occurshoti—
feeling·cessationvedanānirodhā craving·cessationtaṇhānirodho”ti.
contact·cessation“Phassanirodhā feeling·cessationvedanānirodhoti quotation markeriti indeedkho now·thispanetaṁ was saidvuttaṁ;
contact·cessationphassanirodhā thennu indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, feeling·cessationvedanānirodho, notno orvā, howkathaṁ orvā hereettha does it occur?hotī”ti?
contact·cessation“Phassanirodhā, venerable sirbhante, feeling·cessationvedanānirodho;
thusevaṁ indeedno hereettha it occurshoti—
contact·cessationphassanirodhā feeling·cessationvedanānirodho”ti.
six-sense-bases·cessation“Saḷāyatananirodhā contact·cessationphassanirodhoti quotation markeriti indeedkho now·thispanetaṁ was saidvuttaṁ;
six-sense-bases·cessationsaḷāyatananirodhā thennu indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, contact·cessationphassanirodho, notno orvā, howkathaṁ orvā hereettha does it occur?hotīti?
six-sense-bases·cessationSaḷāyatananirodhā, venerable sirbhante, contact·cessationphassanirodho;
thusevaṁ indeedno hereettha it occurshoti—
six-sense-bases·cessationsaḷāyatananirodhā contact·cessationphassanirodho”ti.
name-and-form·cessation“Nāmarūpanirodhā six-sense-bases·cessationsaḷāyatananirodhoti quotation markeriti indeedkho now·thispanetaṁ was saidvuttaṁ;

Thus it occurs to us: from craving's cessation, clinging's cessation. "From feeling's cessation, craving's cessation"—now this was said. But, monks, is craving's cessation from feeling's cessation, or not, or how does it occur here? "Venerable sir, craving's cessation is from feeling's cessation; thus it occurs to us: from feeling's cessation, craving's cessation." "From contact's cessation, feeling's cessation"—now this was said. But, monks, is feeling's cessation from contact's cessation, or not, or how does it occur here? "Venerable sir, feeling's cessation is from contact's cessation; thus it occurs to us: from contact's cessation, feeling's cessation." "From the six sense bases' cessation, contact's cessation"—now this was said. But, monks, is contact's cessation from the six sense bases' cessation, or not, or how does it occur here? "Venerable sir, contact's cessation is from the six sense bases' cessation; thus it occurs to us: from the six sense bases' cessation, contact's cessation." "From name-and-form's cessation, the six sense bases' cessation"—now this was said;

name-and-form·cessationnāmarūpanirodhā nownu indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, the cessation of the six sense fieldssaḷāyatananirodho, notno orvā, howkathaṁ orvā hereettha is it?hotī”ti?
"From the cessation of name-and-form,“Nāmarūpanirodhā, revered sirbhante, six-sense-fields·cessationsaḷāyatananirodho;
thusevaṁ for usno hereettha it is—hoti—
name-and-form·cessationnāmarūpanirodhā the cessation of the six sense fields."saḷāyatananirodho”ti.
"From the cessation of consciousness“Viññāṇanirodhā name-and-form·cessationnāmarūpanirodhoti soiti indeedkho again thispanetaṁ was said;vuttaṁ;
consciousness·cessationviññāṇanirodhā nownu indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, name-and-form·cessationnāmarūpanirodho, notno orvā, howkathaṁ orvā hereettha is it?hotī”ti?
"From the cessation of consciousness,“Viññāṇanirodhā, revered sirbhante, name-and-form·cessationnāmarūpanirodho;
thusevaṁ for usno hereettha it is—hoti—
consciousness·cessationviññāṇanirodhā the cessation of name-and-form."nāmarūpanirodho”ti.
"From the cessation of choices“Saṅkhāranirodhā consciousness·cessationviññāṇanirodhoti soiti indeedkho again thispanetaṁ was said;vuttaṁ;
choices·cessationsaṅkhāranirodhā nownu indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, consciousness·cessationviññāṇanirodho, notno orvā, howkathaṁ orvā hereettha is it?hotī”ti?
"From the cessation of choices,“Saṅkhāranirodhā, revered sirbhante, consciousness·cessationviññāṇanirodho;
thusevaṁ for usno hereettha it is—hoti—
choices·cessationsaṅkhāranirodhā the cessation of consciousness."viññāṇanirodho”ti.
"From the cessation of ignorance“Avijjānirodhā choices·cessationsaṅkhāranirodhoti soiti indeedkho again thispanetaṁ was said;vuttaṁ;
ignorance·cessationavijjānirodhā nownu indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, choices·cessationsaṅkhāranirodho, notno orvā, howkathaṁ orvā hereettha is it?hotī”ti?
"From the cessation of ignorance,“Avijjānirodhā, revered sirbhante, choices·cessationsaṅkhāranirodho;
thusevaṁ for usno hereettha it is—hoti—
ignorance·cessationavijjānirodhā the cessation of choices."saṅkhāranirodho”ti.

‘When ignorance ceases, choices cease.’ That’s what I said. Is that how you see this or not?” “That’s how we see it.”

“Good, mendicants! So both you and I say this. When this doesn’t exist, this doesn’t come to be; due to the cessation of this, this ceases. That is: When ignorance ceases, choices cease. When choices cease, consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. When name and form cease, the six sense fields cease. When the six sense fields cease, contact ceases. When contact ceases, feeling ceases. When feeling ceases, craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases. When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease. That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.

wouldApi thennu youtumhe, mendicantsbhikkhave, thusevaṁ know·knowingjānantā thusevaṁ see·seeingpassantā the pastpubbantaṁ orvā would you turn backpaṭidhāveyyātha:
'we existed‘ahesumha thennu indeedkho wemayaṁ in the pastatītamaddhānaṁ, did we notnanu indeedkho existahesumha in the pastatītamaddhānaṁ, whatkiṁ thennu indeedkho wereahesumha in the pastatītamaddhānaṁ, howkathaṁ thennu indeedkho wereahesumha in the pastatītamaddhānaṁ, whatkiṁ having beenhutvā whatkiṁ did we becomeahesumha thennu indeedkho wemayaṁ in the past?'atītamaddhānan’”ti?
"no“No indeed thathetaṁ, sir"bhante”.
"would“Api thennu youtumhe, mendicantsbhikkhave, thusevaṁ know·knowingjānantā thusevaṁ see·seeingpassantā the futureaparantaṁ orvā would you turn forwardpaṭidhāveyyātha—
will we existbhavissāma thennu indeedkho wemayaṁ in the futureanāgatamaddhānaṁ, will we notnanu indeedkho existbhavissāma in the futureanāgatamaddhānaṁ, whatkiṁ thennu indeedkho will we bebhavissāma in the futureanāgatamaddhānaṁ, howkathaṁ thennu indeedkho will we bebhavissāma in the futureanāgatamaddhānaṁ, whatkiṁ having beenhutvā whatkiṁ will we becomebhavissāma thennu indeedkho wemayaṁ in the future?'anāgatamaddhānan”ti?
"no“No indeed thathetaṁ, sir"bhante”.

Knowing and seeing in this way, mendicants, would you turn back to the first beginning, thinking, ‘Did we exist in the past? Did we not exist in the past? What were we in the past? How were we in the past? After being what, what did we become in the past?’?” “No, sir.” “Knowing and seeing in this way, mendicants, would you turn forward to the final end, thinking, ‘Will we exist in the future? Will we not exist in the future? What will we be in the future? How will we be in the future? After being what, what will we become in the future?’?” “No, sir.”

“well“Api indeednu youtumhe, mendicantsbhikkhave, thusevaṁ know·pres.partjānantā thusevaṁ forth·see·pres.partpassantā nowetarahi orvā regarding the present timepaccuppannamaddhānaṁ internallyajjhattaṁ undecidedkathaṅkathī would you beassatha—
Iahaṁ indeednu am Ikhosmi, notno indeednu am I notkhosmi, whatkiṁ indeednu am Ikhosmi, howkathaṁ indeednu am Ikhosmi, thisayaṁ indeednu indeedkho sentient beingsatto from wherekuto comeāgato, itso wherekuhiṁ boundgāmī will it be?”bhavissatī”ti?
“no,“No indeed + thishetaṁ, sir.”bhante”.
“well“Api indeednu youtumhe, mendicantsbhikkhave, thusevaṁ know·pres.partjānantā thusevaṁ forth·see·pres.partpassantā thusevaṁ would you sayvadeyyātha—
teachersatthā ourno respectedgaru, teacher·esteemsatthugāravena andca wemayaṁ thusevaṁ speak·1pl.presvademā”ti?
“no,“No indeed + thishetaṁ, sir.”bhante”.
“well“Api indeednu youtumhe, mendicantsbhikkhave, thusevaṁ know·pres.partjānantā thusevaṁ forth·see·pres.partpassantā thusevaṁ would you sayvadeyyātha—
asceticsamaṇo thus + saysevamāha, asceticssamaṇā andca namelynāma wemayaṁ thusevaṁ speak·1pl.presvademā”ti?
“no,“No indeed + thishetaṁ, sir.”bhante”.
“well“Api indeednu youtumhe, mendicantsbhikkhave, thusevaṁ know·pres.partjānantā thusevaṁ forth·see·pres.partpassantā anotheraññaṁ teachersatthāraṁ up·point·2pl.optuddiseyyāthā”ti?
“no,“No indeed + thishetaṁ, sir.”bhante”.

“Knowing and seeing in this way, mendicants, would you be undecided about the present, thinking, ‘Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? This sentient being—where did it come from? And where will it go?’?” “No, sir.” “Knowing and seeing in this way, would you say, ‘Our teacher is respected. We speak like this out of esteem for our teacher’?” “No, sir.” “Knowing and seeing in this way, would you say, ‘Our ascetic says this. We speak like this because it is what he says’?” “No, sir.” “Knowing and seeing in this way, would you dedicate yourself to another teacher?” “No, sir.”

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