1At Sāvatthī.[n.67] For an essay based on this important sutta, see Bodhi, Transcendental Dependent Arising. The opening paragraph recurs at SN22.101, but with a different sequel; see too n. 58. Spk states that the destruction of the taints (āsavakkhaya) is arahantship, which gains this name because it arises at the end of the destruction of the taints (āsavānaṁ khayante jatatta). "Bhikkhus, I say that the destruction of the taints is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know and does not see. For one who knows what, for one who sees what, does the destruction of the taints come about? ‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling … such is perception … such are volitional formations … such is consciousness, such its origin, such its passing away’: it is for one who knows thus, for one who sees thus, that the destruction of the taints comes about. sn.ii.30

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. "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, iti vedanā … pe … iti saññā … iti saṅkhārā … iti viññāṇaṁ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, jānato evaṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti.

2"I say, bhikkhus, that the knowledge of destruction in regard to destruction has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for the knowledge of destruction? It should be said: liberation.[n.68] Spk: Having set up the teaching with its climax in arahantship, the Buddha next shows the preliminary practice along which the arahant has travelled. The knowledge of destruction in regard to destruction (khayasmiṁ khaye ñāṇaṁ) is the reviewing knowledge (paccavekkhaṇañāṇa) which occurs when the destruction of the taints—namely, arahantship—has been obtained (see I, n. 376 and Vism 676; Ppn 22:19–21). Liberation is the liberation of the fruit of arahantship (arahattaphalavimutti), which is a condition for reviewing knowledge by way of decisive-support condition (upanissayapaccaya). First the fruit of arahantship arises, then the knowledge of destruction.
Spk glosses sa-upanisā as sakāraṇa, sappacayya, "with cause, with condition." Spk-pṭ adds: upanisīdati phalaṁ ettha ti kāraṇaṁ upanīsa; "the cause is called the proximate cause because the effect rests upon it." Thus the commentators take upanisā to be the equivalent of Skt upaniṣad, not a contraction of upanissaya. Although, as CPD points out, "a semantic blend" with the latter takes place, the two words must be kept distinct because not everything that is an upanisā (proximate cause) for other things is an upanissayapaccaya (decisive support condition) for those things. The latter refers solely to something which plays a strong causal role.

2Yampissa taṁ, bhikkhave, khayasmiṁ khayeñāṇaṁ, tampi saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, khayeñāṇassa upanisā? ‘Vimuttī’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

"I say, bhikkhus, that liberation too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for liberation? It should be said: dispassion.

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

"I say, bhikkhus, that dispassion too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for dispassion? It should be said: revulsion.

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

"I say, bhikkhus, that revulsion too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for revulsion? It should be said: the knowledge and vision of things as they really are.

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

"I say, bhikkhus, that the knowledge and vision of things as they really are too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for the knowledge and vision of things as they really are? It should be said: concentration.

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

"I say, bhikkhus, that concentration too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause.

Samādhimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

3And what is the proximate cause for concentration? It should be said: happiness.

3Kā ca, bhikkhave, samādhissa upanisā? ‘Sukhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

"I say, bhikkhus, that happiness too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for happiness? It should be said: tranquillity.

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

"I say, bhikkhus, that tranquillity too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for tranquillity? It should be said: rapture.

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

"I say, bhikkhus, that rapture too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for rapture? It should be said: gladness.

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

"I say, bhikkhus, that gladness too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for gladness? It should be said: faith.

Pāmojjampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, pāmojjassa upanisā?

"I say, bhikkhus, that faith too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. sn.ii.31

4And what is the proximate cause for faith? It should be said: suffering.[n.69] Spk glosses the terms in the above sequence thus (starting from the end): Suffering is the suffering of the round (vaṭṭadukkha). Faith is repeatedly arising faith (aparāparaṁ uppajjanasaddhā; that is, tentative faith, not the unwavering faith of a noble disciple). Gladness (pāmojja) is weak rapture, while rapture proper (pīti) is strong rapture. Tranquillity (passaddhi) is the subsiding of distress, a condition for the happiness preliminary to absorption. Happiness is the happiness in the preliminary phase of meditative absorption, concentration the jhāna used as a basis (for insight; pādakajjhanasamādhi). Knowledge and vision of things as they really are (yathābhūtañāṇadassana) is weak insight, namely, the knowledges of the discernment of formations, of the overcoming of doubt, of exploration, and of what is and what is not the path (see Vism chaps. 18–20). Revulsion (nibbidā) is strong insight, namely, knowledge of appearance as fearful, of contemplation of danger, of reflection, and of equanimity about formations (Vism 645–57; Ppn 21:29–66). Dispassion (virāga) is the path, which arises expunging defilements.
Note that in the next paragraph suffering replaces aging-and-death of the usual formula.

‘Saddhā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Saddhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

"I say, bhikkhus, that suffering too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for suffering? It should be said: birth.

4Kā ca, bhikkhave, saddhāya upanisā? ‘Dukkhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

"I say, bhikkhus, that birth too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for birth? It should be said: existence.

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

"I say, bhikkhus, that existence too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for existence? It should be said: clinging.

Jātimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. Kā ca, bhikkhave, jātiyā upanisā?

"I say, bhikkhus, that clinging too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for clinging? It should be said: craving.

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

"I say, bhikkhus, that craving too has a proximate cause; it does not lack a proximate cause.

5And what is the proximate cause for craving? It should be said: feeling.

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

"For feeling, it should be said: contact. For contact: the six sense bases. For the six sense bases: name-and-form. For name-and-form: consciousness. For consciousness: volitional formations.

Taṇhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

5Kā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhāya upanisā? ‘Vedanā’tissa vacanīyaṁ … pe

"I say, bhikkhus, that volitional formations too have a proximate cause; they do not lack a proximate cause. And what is the proximate cause for volitional formations? It should be said: ignorance.

… ‘phasso’tissa vacanīyaṁ … ‘saḷāyatanan’tissa vacanīyaṁ … ‘nāmarūpan’tissa vacanīyaṁ … ‘viññāṇan’tissa vacanīyaṁ … ‘saṅkhārā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

6"Thus, bhikkhus, with ignorance as proximate cause, volitional formations come to be; with volitional formations as proximate cause, consciousness; with consciousness as proximate cause, name-and-form; with name-and-form as proximate cause, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as proximate cause, contact; with contact as proximate cause, feeling; with feeling as proximate cause, craving; with craving as proximate cause, clinging; with clinging as proximate cause, existence; with existence as proximate cause, birth; with birth as proximate cause, suffering; with suffering as proximate cause, faith; with faith as proximate cause, gladness; with gladness as proximate cause, rapture; with rapture as proximate cause, tranquillity; with tranquillity as proximate cause, happiness; with happiness as proximate cause, concentration; with concentration as proximate cause, the knowledge and vision of things as they really are; sn.ii.32 with the knowledge and vision of things as they really are as proximate cause, revulsion; with revulsion as proximate cause, dispassion; with dispassion as proximate cause, liberation; with liberation as proximate cause, the knowledge of destruction.

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

6Iti 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 khayeñāṇaṁ.

7"Just as, bhikkhus, when rain pours down in thick droplets on a mountain top, the water flows down along the slope and fills the cleft, gullies, and creeks; these being full fill up the pools; these being full fill up the lakes; these being full fill up the streams; these being full fill up the rivers; and these being full fill up the great ocean;[n.70] The simile also occurs at SN55.38, AN I 243,27–32, and AN V 114,6–14.

8So too, with ignorance as proximate cause, volitional formations come to be; with volitional formations as proximate cause, consciousness … with liberation as proximate cause, the knowledge of destruction."

7Seyyathāpi, 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.

8Evameva 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 khayeñāṇan"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.