The Medium Discourses
Chapter 5: Related to Training
55. Nirvāṇa
1. Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha traveled to Śrāvastī and stayed at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove.
2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “Nirvāṇa has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates nirvāṇa?”
They answered, “Liberation is its cultivation.”
3. “Liberation also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates liberation?”
“The lack of desire is its cultivation.”
4. “The lack of desire also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates the lack of desire?”
“Disillusionment is its cultivation.”
5. “Disillusionment also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates disillusionment?”
“True seeing and truly knowing is its cultivation.”
6. “True seeing and truly knowing also have their cultivation; they aren’t without cultivation. What cultivates true seeing and truly knowing?”
“Samādhi is their cultivation.”
7. “Samādhi also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates samādhi?”
“Happiness is its cultivation.”
8. “Happiness also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates happiness?”
“Calmness is its cultivation.”
9. “Calmness also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates calmness?”
“Joy is its cultivation.”
10. “Joy also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates joy?”
“Gladness is its cultivation.”
11. “Gladness also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates gladness?”
“Having no regrets is its cultivation.”
12. “Having no regrets also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates having no regret?”
“Guarding the precepts is its cultivation.”
13. “Guarding the precepts also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates guarding the precepts?”
“Guarding one’s faculties is its cultivation.”
14. “Guarding one’s faculties also has its cultivation; it’s not without cultivation. What cultivates guarding one’s faculties?”
“Right mindfulness and right knowledge are its cultivation.”
15. “Right mindfulness and right knowledge also have their cultivation; they aren’t without cultivation. What cultivates right mindfulness and right knowledge?”
“Right thinking is their cultivation.”
16. “Right thinking also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates right thinking?”
“Faith is its cultivation.”
17. “Faith also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates faith?”
“Suffering is its cultivation.”
18. “Suffering also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates suffering?”
“Old age and death are its cultivation.”
19. “Old age and death also have their cultivation; they aren’t without cultivation. What cultivates old age and death?”
“Birth is its cultivation.”
20. “Birth also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates birth?”
“Existence is its cultivation.”
21. “Existence also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates existence?”
“Clinging is its cultivation.”
22. “Clinging also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates clinging?”
“Craving is its cultivation.”
23. “Craving also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates craving?”
“Feeling is its cultivation.”
24. “Feeling also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates feeling?”
“Contact is its cultivation.”
25. “Contact also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates contact?”
“The six sense fields are its cultivation.”
26. “The six sense fields also have their cultivation; they aren’t without cultivation. What cultivates the six sense fields?”
“Name and form are their cultivation.”
27. “Name and form also have their cultivation; they aren’t without cultivation. What cultivates name and form?”
“Consciousness is their cultivation.”
28. “Consciousness also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates consciousness?”
“Volition is its cultivation.”
29. “Volition also has its cultivation; it isn’t without cultivation. What cultivates volition?”
“Ignorance is its cultivation.”
30. “Ignorance is the condition for volition. Volition is the condition for consciousness. Consciousness is the condition for name and form. Name and form are the condition for the six sense fields. The six sense fields are the condition for contact. Contact is the condition for feeling. Feeling is the condition for craving. Craving is the condition for clinging. Clinging is the condition for existence. Existence is the condition for birth. Birth is the condition for old age and death. Old age and death are the conditions for suffering.
31. “By cultivating suffering, there is faith. Cultivating faith, there is right thinking. Cultivating right thinking, there is right mindfulness and right knowledge. Cultivating right mindfulness and right knowledge, there is guarding one’s faculties. Cultivating guarding one’s faculties … guarding the precepts … having no regrets … gladness … joy … calmness … happiness … samādhi … true seeing and true knowing … disillusionment … lack of desire … liberation. Cultivating liberation, there is nirvāṇa.”
32. Thus did the Buddha speak. The monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.
Notes
- For the source text, cf. T26.1.490b29-1a12. This sūtra has a parallel at SN 12.23. The two parallel lists are a little different, but both share the same feature of placing suffering as the pivot point between dependent origination and the process of salvation. I.e., suffering is the endpoint of the twelve steps of dependent origination and the starting point of practice towards liberation.
This idea is presented by beginning with salvation and working backward to ignorance, passing through both lists along the way. This creates a chiastic (i.e., symmetrical) structure with suffering as the pivot. SN 12.23 preserves a perfectly balanced chiasmus, whereas this version in MĀ 55 has unbalanced it by adding steps to the process of salvation. This, in itself, is evidence of later expansion.
A careful comparison of the list found here and the one in SN 12.23 reveals two differences. This list begins with nirvāṇa, while the Pali sutta begins with the knowledge of the contaminants being ended. Also, this version expands the link between joy and faith to better explain the causal relationship: faith -> right thinking -> right mindfulness -> guarding the faculties -> guarding the precepts -> no regrets -> gladness -> joy.
The notion of suffering as both the root cause of awakening and the ultimate effect of ignorance must have been somewhat popular, as we can find it in later Mahāyāna texts as well. It formed the basis for the argument that all sentient beings will eventually be saved because suffering is the root motivation for awakening when conditions become right for its development. [Back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 28 March 2024
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