#6. Suffering

When Ānanda suggests that dependent origination is simple, the Buddha rebukes him. The opening of this is similar to DN 14 Mahānidāna.At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kurus, near the Kuru town named Kammāsadamma. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to the Buddha: “It’s incredible, sir! It’s amazing, in that this dependent origination is deep and appears deep, yet to me it seems as plain as can be. [Read More]

Consciousness is reborn when you linger on pleasing things that stimulate fetters, illustrated with the simile of a tree.At Sāvatthī. “There are things that are prone to being fettered. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, consciousness is conceived. Consciousness is a condition for name and form. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. Suppose there was a great tree. And its roots going downwards and across all draw the sap upwards. [Read More]

The mental and physical organism is reborn when you linger on pleasing things that stimulate fetters, illustrated with the simile of a tree.At Sāvatthī. “There are things that are prone to being fettered. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, name and form are conceived. Name and form are conditions for the six sense fields. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. Suppose there was a great tree. [Read More]

Craving increases when you linger on pleasing things that stimulate fetters, illustrated with the simile of a sapling.At Sāvatthī. “There are things that are prone to being fettered. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows. Craving is a condition for grasping. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. Suppose there was a sapling. And from time to time someone would clear around the roots, supply soil, and water it. [Read More]

Craving increases when you linger on pleasing things that stimulate grasping, illustrated with the simile of a tree.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, suppose there was a great tree. And its roots going downwards and across all draw the sap upwards. Fueled and sustained by that, the great tree would stand for a long time. In the same way, there are things that are prone to being grasped. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows. [Read More]

Craving increases when you linger on pleasing things that stimulate grasping, illustrated with the simile of a tree.At Sāvatthī. “There are things that are prone to being grasped. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows. Craving is a condition for grasping. Grasping is a condition for continued existence. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. Suppose there was a great tree. And its roots going downwards and across all draw the sap upwards. [Read More]

Craving increases when you linger on pleasing things that stimulate fetters, illustrated with the simile of a lamp.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, suppose an oil lamp depended on oil and a wick to burn. And from time to time someone would pour oil in and adjust the wick. Fueled and sustained by that, the oil lamp would burn for a long time. In the same way, there are things that are prone to being fettered. [Read More]

Craving increases when you linger on pleasing things that stimulate fetters, illustrated with the simile of a lamp.At Sāvatthī. “There are things that are prone to being fettered. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows. Craving is a condition for grasping. Grasping is a condition for continued existence. Continued existence is a condition for rebirth. Rebirth is a condition for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be. [Read More]

Craving increases when you linger on pleasing things that stimulate grasping, illustrated with the simile of a bonfire.At Sāvatthī. “There are things that are prone to being grasped. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows. Craving is a condition for grasping. Grasping is a condition for continued existence. Continued existence is a condition for rebirth. Rebirth is a condition for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be. [Read More]

A mendicant should thoroughly investigate the causes of suffering in accordance with dependent origination. If someone who still has ignorance makes a choice, their consciousness fares on to a suitable state of existence. But one who has eradicated ignorance is detached and is not reborn anywhere.So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. [Read More]