The Related Discourses
3. Dependent Origination
| （二八三） 種樹 | 1 (283). Planting a Tree |
|---|---|
| 如是我聞： 一時，佛住舍衛國、祇樹、給孤獨園。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī. |
| 爾時，世尊告諸比丘： 「若於結所繫法隨生味著、顧念、心縛，則愛生。 愛緣取。 取緣有。 有緣生。 生緣老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦。 如是如是純大苦聚集。 | 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “If those things that are tying bonds are savored, thought about, and fetter the mind, then craving arises. Craving conditions grasping. Grasping conditions existence. Existence conditions birth. Birth conditions old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. Such is the way that the whole mass of suffering forms. |
| 「如人種樹。 初，小、軟、弱。 愛、護令安。 壅以糞土，隨時溉灌，冷暖調適 。以是因緣，然後，彼樹得增長大。 | 3. “It’s like someone who plants a tree. At first, it’s small, flexible, and weak. When cared for and protected, it’s made secure. They cultivate it with fertile soil, water it at appropriate times, and make it suitable for cold and warm weather. As a result of these conditions, the tree grows larger afterward. |
| 「如是，比丘，結所繫法味著將養，則生恩愛。 愛緣取。 取緣有。 有緣生。 生緣老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦。 如是如是純大苦聚集。 | 4. “In this way, monks, when things that are tying bonds are savored and nourished, this then gives rise to craving. Craving conditions grasping. Grasping conditions existence. Existence conditions birth. Birth conditions old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. Such is the way that the whole mass of suffering forms. |
| 「若於結所繫法隨順無常觀，住、生、滅觀，無欲觀，滅觀，捨觀，不生顧念。 心不縛著，則愛滅。 愛滅則取滅。 取滅則有滅。 有滅則生滅。 生滅則老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦滅。 如是如是純大苦聚滅。 | 5. “When things that are tying bonds are followed by contemplation of impermanence, contemplation of duration, arising, and cessation, contemplation of desiring nothing, contemplation of cessation, and contemplation of detachment, then one won’t think about them. Their mind won’t be bound up by them, and then craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, existence ceases. When existence ceases, birth ceases. When birth ceases, old age, illness, death, grief, sorrow, trouble, and pain cease. Such is the way that the whole mass of suffering ceases. |
| 「猶如種樹。 初，小、軟、弱。 不愛、護，不令安隱。 不壅糞土，不隨時溉灌，冷暖不適。 不得增長。 | 6. “It’s like someone who plants a tree. At first, it’s small, flexible, and weak. When it isn’t cared for and protected, it doesn’t become secure. They don’t cultivate it with fertile soil, water it at appropriate times, or make it suitable for cold or warm weather. [As a result of these conditions,] the tree doesn’t grow larger. |
| 「若復斷根、截枝，段段斬截，分分解析。 風飄日炙，以火焚燒。 燒以成糞，或颺以疾風，或投之流水。 比丘，於意云何？ 非為彼樹斷截其根⋯乃至⋯焚燒，令其磨滅？ 於未來世成不生法耶？」 | 7. “Suppose, again, they cut it at the root, chop off its branches, cut it into sections, and the pieces are broken down further. It dries out in the wind, and the sun bakes it. They burn it to ash and use it as fertilizer, it’s blown away by the wind, or it’s carried away by a stream. Monks, what do you think? Wouldn’t that tree be destroyed when they cut it at the root … burn it to ash? It wouldn’t be something that arises again in the future, would it?” |
| 答言： 「如是，世尊。」 | They answered, “It wouldn’t, Bhagavān.” |
| 「如是，比丘，於結所繫法隨順無常觀，住、生、滅觀，無欲觀，滅觀，捨觀，不生顧念。 心不縛著，則愛滅。 愛滅則取滅。 取滅則有滅。 有滅則生滅。 生滅則老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦滅。 如是如是純大苦聚滅。」 | 8. “So it is, monks, when things that are tying bonds are followed by contemplation of impermanence, contemplation of duration, arising, and cessation, contemplation of desiring nothing, contemplation of cessation, and contemplation of detachment, then one won’t think about them. Their mind won’t be bound up by them, and then craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, existence ceases. When existence ceases, birth ceases. When birth ceases, old age, illness, death, grief, sorrow, trouble, and pain cease. Such is the way that the whole mass of suffering ceases.” |
| 佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。 | 9. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved. |
Notes
- This is sūtra no. 283 in the Taisho edition and no. 464 in Yinshun (T99.2.79a25-b22). It’s parallel with SN 12.57. Generally speaking, it’s very similar to SN 12.55-59, all of which use similes of trees and chains of dependent origination to illustrate the formation and cessation of suffering. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 12 May 2024
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