The Related Discourses
3. Causation
| （二八六） 瞿曇 | 4 (286). Gautama (2) |
|---|---|
| 如是我聞： 一時，佛住舍衛國、祇樹、給孤獨園。 | 1. Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta Grove in Śrāvastī. |
| 爾時，世尊告諸比丘： 「我憶宿命未成正覺時。 獨一靜處，專精禪思⋯」如上廣說。 | 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “I recall a past life before I had achieved perfect awakening. I was alone in a quiet place, focused in meditative reflection, when this thought occurred to me: [‘The world is in a difficult situation. That is, whether they are born, grow old, become ill, die, transmigrate, or receive birth, sentient beings still do not truly understand what supports that birth, old age, and death.’”]2 |
| 3. [“I had this thought, ‘The existence of what causes birth to exist? The condition of what causes birth to exist?’ When I properly considered it, this true understanding occurred to me immediately: ‘Birth exists because existence exists. Birth exists because of the condition of existence.’] | |
| 4. [“Again, I considered this, ‘The existence of what causes existence to exist? The condition of what causes existence to exist?’ When I properly considered it, this true understanding occurred to me immediately: ‘Existence exists because grasping exists. Existence exists because of the condition of grasping.’] | |
| 5. [“I also had this thought, ‘Again, what’s the condition for grasping? The existence of what causes grasping to exist? The condition of what causes grasping to exist?’ When I properly considered it, this true understanding occurred to me immediately: ‘When things that are grasped are savored, thought about, and fetter the mind, craving grows. Grasping exists because craving exists. It’s craving that conditions grasping. Grasping conditions existence, existence conditions birth, and birth conditions old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. Such is the way the whole mass of suffering forms.’] | |
| 差別者：「譬如載樵十束、二十束、三十束、四十束、五十束、百束、千束、百千束，積聚，燒然作大火聚。 若復有人增其乾草樵薪。 諸比丘，於意云何？ 此火相續長夜熾然不？」 | 6. “It’s like someone who carries ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, or a hundred thousand bundles of firewood, stacks them into a pile, and ignites to make a large bonfire. Suppose they add hay and firewood to it. Monks, what do you think? Would this fire burn continuously for a long night?” |
| 比丘白佛言： 「如是，世尊。」 | The monks said to the Buddha, “Yes, Bhagavān.” |
| 「如是，諸比丘，於所取法味著、顧念、心縛著，增其愛，緣取。 取緣有⋯乃至⋯純大苦聚集。 | 7. “So it is, monks, when grasping form is savored, thought about it, and fetters the mind, it increases craving, which is the condition for grasping. Grasping conditions existence, [existence conditions birth, and birth conditions old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. Such is the way] the whole mass of suffering forms. |
| 「諸比丘，若彼火聚熾然，不增樵草。 諸比丘，於意云何？ 彼火當滅不？」 | 8. “Monks, suppose that bonfire is burning and firewood and hay aren’t added to it. Monks, what do you think? Wouldn’t that fire go out?” |
| 答言： 「如是，世尊。」 | They answered, “Yes, Bhagavān.” |
| 「如是，諸比丘，於所取法觀察無常、生滅。 離欲、滅盡、捨離，心不顧念、縛著。 愛則滅。 愛滅則取滅⋯」如是廣說⋯乃至⋯「純大苦聚滅。」 | 9. “So it is, monks, when one observes that things that are grasped are impermanent, arising and ceasing. Parting with desire for, completely ceasing, and getting rid of them, one’s mind doesn’t think about and isn’t fettered by them. Craving then ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases … and so on up to … the whole mass of suffering ceases.” |
| 佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。 | 10. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved. |
Notes
- This is sūtra no. 286 in the Taisho edition and no. 467 in Yinshun (T99.2.80b8-23). Like the previous sūtra, it combines the narrative framing found in SN 12.10 with the teaching given in SN 12.52, including the analogy of the bonfire needing fuel to continue burning. See the notes to SĀ 3.3 for more discussion of these two sūtras in the context of their parallels. [back]
- I’ve inserted the material from the previous sūtra that was abbreviated away by the C. translator and placed it in brackets. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 12 May 2024
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