Upanisasutta — Reader

Vital Conditions

Upanisasutta

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I say that the ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know or see. For one who knows and sees what? ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the disappearance of form.

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Jānato ahaṁ, bhikkhave, passato āsavānaṁ khayaṁ vadāmi, no ajānato no apassato. Kiñca, bhikkhave, jānato kiṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti? Iti rūpaṁ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo,

Such is feeling … Such is perception … Such are choices … Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the disappearance of consciousness.’

iti vedanā …pe… iti saññā … iti saṅkhārā … iti viññāṇaṁ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamoti.

The ending of the defilements is for one who knows and sees this. I say that this knowledge of ending has a vital condition, it doesn’t lack a vital condition. And what is it? You should say: ‘Freedom.’

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, jānato evaṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti. Yampissa taṁ, bhikkhave, khayasmiṁ khaye ñāṇaṁ, tampi saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, khaye ñāṇassa upanisā? ‘Vimuttī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

I say that freedom has a vital condition, it doesn’t lack a vital condition. And what is it? You should say: ‘Dispassion.’ I say that dispassion has a vital condition.

Vimuttimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, vimuttiyā upanisā? ‘Virāgo’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Virāgampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

And what is it? You should say: ‘Disillusionment.’ I say that disillusionment has a vital condition. And what is it?

Kā ca, bhikkhave, virāgassa upanisā? ‘Nibbidā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Nibbidampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, nibbidāya upanisā?

You should say: ‘Truly knowing and seeing.’ I say that truly knowing and seeing has a vital condition. And what is it? You should say: ‘Immersion.’

‘Yathābhūtañāṇadassanan’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Yathābhūtañāṇadassanampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, yathābhūtañāṇadassanassa upanisā? ‘Samādhī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

I say that immersion has a vital condition. And what is it? You should say: ‘Bliss.’ I say that bliss has a vital condition.

Samādhimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, samādhissa upanisā? ‘Sukhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Sukhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

And what is it? You should say: ‘Tranquility.’ I say that tranquility has a vital condition. And what is it?

Kā ca, bhikkhave, sukhassa upanisā? ‘Passaddhī’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Passaddhimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, passaddhiyā upanisā?

You should say: ‘Rapture.’ I say that rapture has a vital condition. And what is it? You should say: ‘Joy.’

‘Pītī’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Pītimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, pītiyā upanisā? ‘Pāmojjan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

I say that joy has a vital condition. And what is it? You should say: ‘Faith.’ I say that faith has a vital condition.

Pāmojjampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, pāmojjassa upanisā? ‘Saddhā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Saddhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

And what is it? You should say: ‘Suffering.’ I say that suffering has a vital condition. And what is it?

Kā ca, bhikkhave, saddhāya upanisā? ‘Dukkhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Dukkhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhassa upanisā?

You should say: ‘Rebirth.’ I say that rebirth has a vital condition. And what is it? You should say: ‘Continued existence.’

‘Jātī’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Jātimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, jātiyā upanisā? ‘Bhavo’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

I say that continued existence has a vital condition. And what is it? You should say: ‘Grasping.’ I say that grasping has a vital condition.

Bhavampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, bhavassa upanisā? ‘Upādānan’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Upādānampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

And what is it? You should say: ‘Craving.’ I say that craving has a vital condition. And what is it?

Kā ca, bhikkhave, upādānassa upanisā? ‘Taṇhā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Taṇhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhāya upanisā?

You should say: ‘Feeling.’ … You should say: ‘Contact.’ … You should say: ‘The six sense fields.’ … You should say: ‘Name and form.’ …

‘Vedanā’tissa vacanīyaṁ …pe… ‘phasso’tissa vacanīyaṁ … ‘saḷāyatanan’tissa vacanīyaṁ … ‘nāmarūpan’tissa vacanīyaṁ …

You should say: ‘Consciousness.’ … You should say: ‘Choices.’ … I say that choices have a vital condition, they don’t lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for choices?

‘viññāṇan’tissa vacanīyaṁ … ‘saṅkhārā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Saṅkhārepāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanise vadāmi, no anupanise. Kā ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārānaṁ upanisā?

You should say: ‘Ignorance.’ So, mendicants: ignorance is the vital condition for choices. Choices are the vital condition for consciousness. Consciousness is the vital condition for name and form.

‘Avijjā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Iti kho, bhikkhave, avijjūpanisā saṅkhārā, saṅkhārūpanisaṁ viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇūpanisaṁ nāmarūpaṁ,

Name and form are the vital conditions for the six sense fields. The six sense fields are the vital conditions for contact. Contact is the vital condition for feeling. Feeling is the vital condition for craving.

nāmarūpūpanisaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatanūpaniso phasso, phassūpanisā vedanā, vedanūpanisā taṇhā,

Craving is the vital condition for grasping. Grasping is the vital condition for continued existence. Continued existence is the vital condition for rebirth. Rebirth is the vital condition for suffering.

taṇhūpanisaṁ upādānaṁ, upādānūpaniso bhavo, bhavūpanisā jāti, jātūpanisaṁ dukkhaṁ,

Suffering is the vital condition for faith. Faith is the vital condition for joy. Joy is the vital condition for rapture. Rapture is the vital condition for tranquility.

dukkhūpanisā saddhā, saddhūpanisaṁ pāmojjaṁ, pāmojjūpanisā pīti, pītūpanisā passaddhi,

Tranquility is the vital condition for bliss. Bliss is the vital condition for immersion. Immersion is the vital condition for truly knowing and seeing. Truly knowing and seeing is the vital condition for disillusionment.

passaddhūpanisaṁ sukhaṁ, sukhūpaniso samādhi, samādhūpanisaṁ yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ, yathābhūtañāṇadassanūpanisā nibbidā,

Disillusionment is the vital condition for dispassion. Dispassion is the vital condition for freedom. Freedom is the vital condition for the knowledge of ending. It’s like when the heavens rain heavily on a mountain top, and the water flows downhill to fill the hollows, crevices, and creeks. As they become full, they fill up the pools. The pools fill up the lakes, the lakes fill up the streams, and the streams fill up the rivers. And as the rivers become full, they fill up the ocean.

nibbidūpaniso virāgo, virāgūpanisā vimutti, vimuttūpanisaṁ khaye ñāṇaṁ. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, uparipabbate thullaphusitake deve vassante taṁ udakaṁ yathāninnaṁ pavattamānaṁ pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūreti. Pabbatakandarapadarasākhāparipūrā kusobbhe paripūrenti. Kusobbhā paripūrā mahāsobbhe paripūrenti. Mahāsobbhā paripūrā kunnadiyo paripūrenti. Kunnadiyo paripūrā mahānadiyo paripūrenti. Mahānadiyo paripūrā mahāsamuddaṁ paripūrenti.

In the same way, ignorance is the vital condition for choices. … Freedom is the vital condition for the knowledge of ending.”

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjūpanisā saṅkhārā, saṅkhārūpanisaṁ viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇūpanisaṁ nāmarūpaṁ, nāmarūpūpanisaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatanūpaniso phasso, phassūpanisā vedanā, vedanūpanisā taṇhā, taṇhūpanisaṁ upādānaṁ, upādānūpaniso bhavo, bhavūpanisā jāti, jātūpanisaṁ dukkhaṁ, dukkhūpanisā saddhā, saddhūpanisaṁ pāmojjaṁ, pāmojjūpanisā pīti, pītūpanisā passaddhi, passaddhūpanisaṁ sukhaṁ, sukhūpaniso samādhi, samādhūpanisaṁ yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ, yathābhūtañāṇadassanūpanisā nibbidā, nibbidūpaniso virāgo, virāgūpanisā vimutti, vimuttūpanisaṁ khaye ñāṇan”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.