SN12:4 Vipassī
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
i. Origination
1At Sāvatthī.
[n.10] The next seven suttas describe, in identical terms, the enlightenment of the six past Buddhas and the present Buddha Gotama as the discovery of dependent origination and its cessation. The Pali text is filled out only for Vipassi and Gotama; the others are drastically abridged. I have translated in full only the last sutta, where Gotama speaks of his own attainment of enlightenment.
"Bhikkhus, before his enlightenment, while he was still a bodhisatta,
[n.11] From the explanation of bodhisatta in Spk it appears that the Pali commentarial tradition recognizes alternative etymologies of the word, as equivalent either to Skt bodhisattva ("an enlightenment being") or to *bodhisakta ("one devoted to enlightenment"); see PED, s.v. satta (1).
Spk: Bodhi is knowledge; a being endowed with bodhi is a bodhisatta, a knowing one, a wise one, a sagely one. For from the time he forms his aspiration at the feet of former Buddhas, that being is always wise, never a blind fool. Or else, just as a mature lotus that has risen up above the water and is due to blossom when touched by the sun's rays is called "an awakening lotus," so a being who has obtained the prediction (to future Buddhahood) from the Buddhas and who will inevitably fulfil the perfections (parami) and attain enlightenment is called an awakening being (bujjhanasatta); he is a bodhisatta. One who lives yearning for enlightenment—the knowledge of the four paths—is devoted to, attached to, enlightenment (bodhiyaṁ satto asatto); he is a bodhisatta.
not yet fully enlightened, it occurred to Vipassī, the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One:
[n.12] The Buddha Vipassi was the sixth Buddha of antiquity, counting back from the Buddha Gotama. A detailed account of his career is found at DN II 11–51. He arose in the world ninety-one aeons ago. Sikhi and Vessabhū arose thirty-one aeons ago; Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, Kassapa, and Gotama all arose in this present "excellent aeon" (bhaddakappa). See DN II 2,15–28.
‘Alas, this world has fallen into trouble, in that it is born, ages, and dies, it passes away and is reborn, yet it does not understand the escape from this suffering headed by aging-and-death. When now will an escape be discerned from this suffering headed by aging-and-death?’
2"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists does aging-and-death come to be? By what is aging-and-death conditioned? ’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom:
[n.13] Yoniso manasikara ahu paññāya abhisamayo. The commentaries consistently gloss yoniso manasikara as upayamanasikara, pathamanasikara, "attention that is the right means, attention on the (right) course."
There took place (in Vipassi) a breakthrough by wisdom. Spk: There was a breakthrough, a concurrence, a conjunction of the reason for aging-and-death together with wisdom (paññāya saddhiṁ jaramaraṇākārāṇassa abhisamayo samavayo samayogo); the meaning is that it was seen by him, "Aging-and-death has birth as its condition." Or alternatively, the sense can be construed thus: Through careful attention and wisdom there took place a breakthrough (yoniso manasikarena ca paññāya ca abhisamayo ahu). The meaning is that the penetration of aging-and-death occurred thus, "When there is birth, aging-and-death comes to be."
The first of these explanations is improbable, and even the second is unsatisfactory in construing careful attention and wisdom as joint causes. In general sutta usage yoniso manasikara is the forerunner of paññā, while paññā is the efficient cause of abhisamaya. As a technical term, abhisamaya appears in the Nikāyas in two main contexts: (i) As signifying the initial breakthrough to the Dhamma, dhammabhisamaya, it is identical with the obtaining of the vision of the Dhamma (dhammacakkhupaṭilabha), and thus with the attainment of stream-entry; see SN13.1 (II 134,4–5). (ii) As signifying the complete breaking through of conceit (samma manabhisamaya) it is equivalent to the attainment of arahantship; see SN36.5 (IV 207,14–15) and I, v. 725c. A third suttanta use is to denote the Buddha’s discovery of the Dhamma, as here and in the verb form abhisameti at SN12.20 below. In the commentaries abhisamaya is synonymous with paṭivedha, penetration, both terms being used interchangeably to characterize the four functions of the supramundane path; see Vism 689–91 (Ppn 22:92–97).
‘When there is birth, aging-and-death comes to be; aging-and-death has birth as its condition.’
[n.14] The two statements about the origination of aging-and-death from birth correspond respectively to the two forms of the abstract principle of conditionality. The abstract formula occurs at SN12.21, 22, 49, 50, 61, and 62, with a variant at SN12.41. See below n. 59. From this it would evidently be a mistake to insist that the formulation in terms of existence (sati … hoti) relates to synchronic conditionality while the formulation in terms of arising (uppada … uppajjati) relates to diachronic conditionality. Since both apply to every pair of factors, they seem to be alternative ways of expressing the conditioning relationship, either of which subsumes under itself all possible modes of conditionality in their wide variety.
3"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists does birth come to be? By what is birth conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is existence, birth comes to be; birth has existence as its condition.’
4"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists does existence come to be? By what is existence conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is clinging, existence comes to be; existence has clinging as its condition.’
5"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists does clinging come to be? By what is clinging conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is craving, clinging comes to be; clinging has craving as its condition.’
6"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists does craving come to be? By what is craving conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is feeling, craving comes to be; craving has feeling as its condition.’
7"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists does feeling come to be? By what is feeling conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is contact, feeling comes to be; feeling has contact as its condition.’
8"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists does contact come to be? By what is contact conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there are the six sense bases, contact comes to be; contact has the six sense bases as its condition.’
9"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists do the six sense bases come to be? By what are the six sense bases conditioned? ’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is name-and-form, the six sense bases come to be; the six sense bases have name-and-form as their condition.’
10"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists does name-and-form come to be? By what is name-and-form conditioned? ’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is consciousness, name-and-form comes to be; name-and-form has consciousness as its condition.’
11"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists does consciousness come to be? By what is consciousness conditioned? ’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there are volitional formations, consciousness comes to be; consciousness has volitional formations as its condition.’ [n.15] In the account of his enlightenment at SN12.65 (II 104,13 foll.) the Buddha traces the sequence of conditions back only as far as consciousness, which he then shows to arise in dependence on name-and-form. The same difference in treatment occurs in the corresponding passage on cessation (II 105,20 foll.)
12"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what exists do volitional formations come to be? By what are volitional formations conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is ignorance, volitional formations come to be; volitional formations have ignorance as their condition.’
13"Thus with ignorance as condition, volitional formations come to be;
with volitional formations as condition, consciousness;
with consciousness as condition, name-and-form;
with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases;
with the six sense bases as condition, contact;
with contact as condition, feeling;
with feeling as condition, craving;
with craving as condition, clinging;
with clinging as condition, existence;
with existence as condition, birth;
with birth as condition, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be.
Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.
"‘Origination, origination’—thus, bhikkhus, in regard to things unheard before there arose in Vipassi vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light. [n.16] The five Pali words are cakkhu, ñāṇa, paññā, vijjā, and āloka. While vijjā is actually derived from vindati, Spk here glosses it as paṭivedha, penetration, as though it derived from vijjhati, to pierce.
ii. Cessation
14"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: ‘When what does not exist does aging-and-death not come to be? With the cessation of what does the cessation of aging-and-death come about?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is no birth, aging-and-death does not come to be; with the cessation of birth comes cessation of aging-and-death.’
15"Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vipassi: sn.ii.11 ‘When what does not exist does birth not come to be? By the cessation of what does the cessation of birth come about?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in Vipassi a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is no existence, birth does not come to be; with the cessation of existence comes cessation of birth.’
16… ‘When there is no clinging, existence does not come to be; with the cessation of clinging comes cessation of existence.’
17… ‘When there is no craving, clinging does not come to be; with the cessation of craving comes cessation of clinging.’
18… ‘When there is no feeling, craving does not come to be; with the cessation of feeling comes cessation of craving.’
19… ‘When there is no contact, feeling does not come to be; with the cessation of contact comes cessation of feeling.’
20… ‘When there are no six sense bases, contact does not come to be; with the cessation of the six sense bases comes cessation of contact. ’
21… ‘When there is no name-and-form, the six sense bases do not come to be; with the cessation of name-and-form comes cessation of the six sense bases.’
22… ‘When there is no consciousness, name-and-form does not come to be; with the cessation of consciousness comes cessation of name-and-form.’
23… ‘When there are no volitional formations, consciousness does not come to be; with the cessation of volitional formations comes cessation of consciousness.’
24… ‘When there is no ignorance, volitional formations do not come to be; with the cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations.’
25"Thus with the cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional formations;
with the cessation of volitional formations, cessation of consciousness;
with the cessation of consciousness, cessation of name-and-form;
with the cessation of name-and-form, cessation of the six sense bases;
with the cessation of the six sense bases, cessation of contact;
with the cessation of contact, cessation of feeling;
with the cessation of feeling, cessation of craving;
with the cessation of craving, cessation of clinging;
with the cessation of clinging, cessation of existence;
with the cessation of existence, cessation of birth;
with the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease.
Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.
"‘Cessation, cessation’—thus, bhikkhus, in regard to things unheard before there arose in the Bodhisatta Vipassī vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light."
1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati … pe … "vipassissa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa pubbeva sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi:
‘kicchaṁ vatāyaṁ loko āpanno jāyati ca jīyati ca mīyati ca cavati ca upapajjati ca. Atha ca panimassa dukkhassa nissaraṇaṁ nappajānāti jarāmaraṇassa. Kudāssu nāma imassa dukkhassa nissaraṇaṁ paññāyissati jarāmaraṇassā’ti?
2Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati jarāmaraṇaṁ hoti, kiṁpaccayā jarāmaraṇan’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘jātiyā kho sati jarāmaraṇaṁ hoti, jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇan’ti.
3Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati jāti hoti, kiṁpaccayā jātī’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘bhave kho sati jāti hoti, bhavapaccayā jātī’ti.
4Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati bhavo hoti, kiṁpaccayā bhavo’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘upādāne kho sati bhavo hoti, upādānapaccayā bhavo’ti.
5Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati upādānaṁ hoti, kiṁpaccayā upādānan’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘taṇhāya kho sati upādānaṁ hoti, taṇhāpaccayā upādānan’ti.
6Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati taṇhā hoti, kiṁpaccayā taṇhā’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘vedanāya kho sati taṇhā hoti, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā’ti.
7Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati vedanā hoti, kiṁpaccayā vedanā’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘phasse kho sati vedanā hoti, phassapaccayā vedanā’ti.
8Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati phasso hoti, kiṁpaccayā phasso’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘saḷāyatane kho sati phasso hoti, saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso’ti.
9Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati saḷāyatanaṁ hoti, kiṁpaccayā saḷāyatanan’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘nāmarūpe kho sati saḷāyatanaṁ hoti, nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatanan’ti.
10Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati nāmarūpaṁ hoti, kiṁpaccayā nāmarūpan’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘viññāṇe kho sati nāmarūpaṁ hoti, viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpan’ti.
11Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati viññāṇaṁ hoti, kiṁpaccayā viññāṇan’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘saṅkhāresu kho sati viññāṇaṁ hoti, saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇan’ti.
12Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho sati saṅkhārā honti, kiṁpaccayā saṅkhārā’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘avijjāya kho sati saṅkhārā honti, avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā’ti.
13Iti hidaṁ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā; saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ … pe …
Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.
‘Samudayo, samudayo’ti kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu cakkhuṁ udapādi, ñāṇaṁ udapādi, paññā udapādi, vijjā udapādi, āloko udapādi.
14Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati jarāmaraṇaṁ na hoti, kissa nirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘jātiyā kho asati jarāmaraṇaṁ na hoti, jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho’ti.
15Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati jāti na hoti, kissa nirodhā jātinirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘bhave kho asati jāti na hoti, bhavanirodhā jātinirodho’ti.
16Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati bhavo na hoti, kissa nirodhā bhavanirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘upādāne kho asati bhavo na hoti, upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho’ti.
17Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati upādānaṁ na hoti, kissa nirodhā upādānanirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘taṇhāya kho asati upādānaṁ na hoti, taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho’ti.
18Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati taṇhā na hoti, kissa nirodhā taṇhānirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘vedanāya kho asati taṇhā na hoti, vedanānirodhā taṇhānirodho’ti.
19Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati vedanā na hoti, kissa nirodhā vedanānirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘phasse kho asati vedanā na hoti, phassanirodhā vedanānirodho’ti.
20Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati phasso na hoti, kissa nirodhā phassanirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘saḷāyatane kho asati phasso na hoti, saḷāyatananirodhā phassanirodho’ti.
21Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati saḷāyatanaṁ na hoti, kissa nirodhā saḷāyatananirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘nāmarūpe kho asati saḷāyatanaṁ na hoti, nāmarūpanirodhā saḷāyatananirodho’ti.
22Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati nāmarūpaṁ na hoti, kissa nirodhā nāmarūpanirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘viññāṇe kho asati nāmarūpaṁ na hoti, viññāṇanirodhā nāmarūpanirodho’ti.
23Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati viññāṇaṁ na hoti, kissa nirodhā viññāṇanirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘saṅkhāresu kho asati viññāṇaṁ na hoti, saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho’ti.
24Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi: ‘kimhi nu kho asati saṅkhārā na honti, kissa nirodhā saṅkhāranirodho’ti? Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamayo: ‘avijjāya kho asati saṅkhārā na honti, avijjānirodhā saṅkhāranirodho’ti.
25Iti hidaṁ avijjānirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho … pe …
Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotīti.
‘Nirodho, nirodho’ti kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu cakkhuṁ udapādi, ñāṇaṁ udapādi, paññā udapādi, vijjā udapādi, āloko udapādī"ti.
Catutthaṁ.
26(Sattannampi buddhānaṁ evaṁ vitthāretabbo.)