SN12.1 — The Discourse on Dependent Origination

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There the Blessed One addressed the disciples:

Disciples.

Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said this:

I will teach you dependent origination, disciples.

Listen to it, pay close attention, I will speak.

Yes, venerable sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said this:

And what is dependent origination?

With ignorance as condition, formations come to be;

with 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.

This is called dependent origination.

But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of formations;

with the cessation of 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.

The Blessed One said this.

Satisfied, those disciples delighted in the Blessed One's words.

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