Translating Classical Buddhism to Modern English

The Related Discourses

3. Dependent Origination

(二九一) 9 (291). Introspection
如是我聞： 一時，佛住王舍城、迦蘭陀竹園。 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at the Squirrels’ Bamboo Grove of Rājagṛha.
爾時，世尊告諸比丘： 「我說內觸法，汝等為取不？」 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “Do all of you grasp the introspection that I teach?”2
時，有異比丘從座起，整衣服，稽首禮足。 合掌白佛言： 「世尊所說內觸法，我已取也。」 時，彼比丘於佛前如是、如是自記說。 如是、如是世尊不悅。 3. Then, a certain monk rose from his seat, adjusted his robes, and bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet. He put his palms together and said to the Buddha, “I have grasped the introspection taught by the Bhagavān.” Then, that monk related his own description of it as such and such right there in front of the Buddha. Whatever he said, the Buddha wasn’t pleased by it.
爾時，尊者阿難在佛後執扇，扇佛。 佛告阿難： 「如聖法、律內觸法，異於此比丘所說。」 4. At that time, Venerable Ānanda was behind the Buddha, holding a fan and fanning him. The Buddha told Ānanda, “Introspection that accords with the noble Dharma and Vinaya is different than what this monk has said.”
阿難白佛： 「今正是時！ 唯願，世尊，為諸比丘說賢聖法、律內觸法。 諸比丘聞已，當受奉行。」 5. Ānanda said to the Buddha, “Now is the right time! Bhagavān, please explain the introspection of the noble Dharma and Vinaya. After they hear it, the monks will accept and approve of it.”
佛告阿難： 「善哉！諦聽，當為汝說。 此諸比丘取內觸法，應如是思惟： 『若眾生所有種種眾苦生，此苦何因、何集、何生、何觸？』 作如是取時，當知此苦億波提因、億波提集、億波提生、億波提轉。 6. The Buddha told Ānanda, “Good! Listen closely, and I will explain it for you. These monks who grasp introspection should consider this: ‘If the many and diverse pains possessed by sentient beings arise, what is the cause, formation, arising, and instigation of these pains?’3 When they grasp it in this way, you should know that these pains are caused, formed, produced, and instigated by attachments.4
「復次，比丘內觸法： 『又億波提何因、何集、何生、何觸？』 彼取時，當復知億波提愛因、愛集、愛生、愛觸。 7. “Furthermore, a monk [who grasps] introspection [should also know]: ‘What is the cause, formation, arising, and instigation of attachments?’ When they grasp it, they should again know that attachments are caused, formed, produced, and instigated by craving.
「復次，比丘取內觸法，當復知： 『愛何因、何集、何生、何觸？』 如是取時，當知世間所念端正之色。 於彼愛生而生，繫而繫，住而住。 8. “Furthermore, a monk who grasps introspection should also know: ‘What is the cause, formation, arising, and instigation of craving?’ When they grasp it in this way, they should know that it’s worldly forms that are agreeable and proper.5 Craving for them arising, it arises; [craving for that] binding, it binds; and [craving for that] abiding, it abides.
「若諸沙門、婆羅門於世間所念端正之色，作常想、恒想、安隱想、無病想、我想、我所想而見，則於此色愛增長。 愛增長已，億波提增長。 億波提增長已，苦增長。 苦增長已，則不解脫生、老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦。 我說彼不解脫苦。 9. “If ascetics and priests form the concept of permanence, concept of eternity, concept of safety, concept of healthiness, concept of self, or the concept of what belongs to self about worldly forms that are agreeable and proper when they view them, then their craving for these forms will grow. Once their craving has grown, their attachments will grow. Once their attachments have grown, then their will suffering grow. Once their suffering has grown, then they won’t be liberated from birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and trouble. I say they won’t liberated from suffering.
「譬如路側清涼池水，香味具足，有人以毒著中，陽春之月。 諸行路者風熱渴逼，競來欲飲。 有人語言： 『士夫，此是清涼池，色香味具足，然中有毒。 汝等勿飲！ 若當飲者，或令汝死，或近死苦。』 而彼渴者不信而飲。 雖得美味，須臾或死，或近死苦。 10. “It’s like a cool pond alongside a road, which is full of fragrance and flavor but has been poisoned by someone during the hot month of spring. Travellers on the road oppressed by wind, heat, and thirst come wanting to drink from it. Someone tells them, ‘Man, this cool pond is full of fragrance and flavor,6 but there’s poison in it. Don’t drink from it! If you drink from it, you’ll die or suffer while close to death.’ Yet, those thirsty people don’t believe him and drink from the pond. Even though it tastes delicious, they either die in an instant or suffer while close to death.
「如是，沙門、婆羅門見世間可念端政之色，作常見、恒見、安隱見、無病見、我、我所見⋯乃至⋯ 不得解脫生、老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦。 11. “Likewise are ascetics and priests who form the view of permanence, view of eternity, view of safety, view of healthiness, or the views of self or what belongs to self about worldly forms that are agreeable and proper … up to … They won’t be liberated from birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain.
「若諸沙門、婆羅門於世間可念端政之色觀察如病、如癰、如刺、如殺、無常、苦、空、非我，彼愛則離。 愛離故億波提離。 億波提離故則苦離。 苦離故則生、老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦離。 12. “If ascetics and priests observe worldly forms that are agreeable and proper as illnesses, as abscesses, as thorns, as killers, and as impermanent, painful, empty, and not self, then they would part with their cravings of them. They would part with their attachments because they’ve parted with their cravings. They would part with suffering because they’ve parted with their attachments. They would part with birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and trouble because they’ve parted with suffering.
「譬如路側清涼池水，香味具足，有人以毒著中，陽春之月。 諸行路者風熱渴逼，競來欲飲。 有人語言： 『此水有毒！ 汝等勿飲。 若當飲者，或令汝死，或近死苦。』 彼則念言： 『此水有毒。 若當飲者，或令我死，或近死苦。 我且忍渴。 食乾麨飯，不取水飲。』 13. “It’s like a cool pond alongside a road, which is full of fragrance and flavor but has been poisoned by someone during the hot month of spring. Travellers on the road oppressed by wind, heat, and thirst all come wanting to drink from it. Someone tells them, ‘This water is poisoned! None of you drink from it. If you drink from it, you will die or suffer while close to death.’ Those travellers then think, ‘This water is poisoned. If I were to drink it, I will either die in an instant or suffer while close to death. I’ll endure my thirst for now. I’ll eat a meal of dry flour, and not take any water to drink.’
「如是，沙門、婆羅門於世間可念之色觀察如病、如癰、如刺、如殺、無常、苦、空、非我⋯乃至⋯ 解脫生、老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦。 14. “Likewise are ascetics and priests who observe worldly forms that are agreeable [and proper] as illnesses, as abscesses, as thorns, as killers, and as impermanent, painful, empty, and not self … up to … They will be liberated from birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain.
「是故，阿難，於此法如是見、如是聞、如是覺、如是知。 於過去、未來亦如此道，如是觀察。」 15. “Therefore, Ānanda, see it in this way, learn it in this way, realize it in this way, and know it in this way. In the past and in the future, too, the path is likewise investigated in this way.”
佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜，奉行。 16. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and accepted it.

Notes

  1. This is sūtra no. 291 in the Taisho edition and no. 472 in Yinshun (T99.2.82a28-c17, Y30.19a9-21a2). This sūtra is parallel with SN 12.66 and SF158. It bears a stronger resemblance to the Sanskrit parallel (SF158), which may have also been from the Sarvāstivāda tradition.

    The main difference between SN 12.66 and the other two parallels is in the analysis of the topics, but the basic outline is the same. They begin by describing an introspective practice examining the source of suffering and tracing it back through craving, attachments, and pleasant forms that cause attachment.

    It’s interesting that this sūtra demonstrates a very basic analysis of suffering using the method of dependent origination without using the usual terminology. It would seem that much of the analysis has been added later given how much variation there is between the Pali and other versions. Still, none of the analysis in either case is very unusual. It seems to serve the function of explaining a non-standard form of dependent origination in (what became) more familiar terms. [back]

  2. Do all of you grasp the introspection that I teach? C. 我說內觸法，汝等為取不？, P. sammasatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, antaraṁ sammasanti, S. saṁmṛśatha yūyaṁ mayā deśitam antaḥsaṁmarśam.

    The C. translation matches the Sanskrit parallel better than the Pali, assuming that 取 translated S. saṁmṛśatha (P. sammasatha) and 觸法 translated S. saṁmarśam (P. sammasanti). It would seem that 法 may only function to indicate that 觸 is a noun.

    The verb S. saṁmṛśati (sammasati) literally means to physically touch or handle something, perhaps with the idea of someone inspected and exploring an object with their hands. This physical meaning was extended to touching or exploring something mentally, which translates to “reflect, understand, think, consider.” It’s similar to English “to grasp,” which can mean to hold something in hand or to have a good understanding.

    With the above meanings in mind, we can see the C. translation is an attempt to capture the lit. meaning with words like 取 (“grasp, take”) and 觸 (“contact, touch”). The upshot is that we should probably read 內觸法 as meaning something like “introspection” or “exploring oneself” (“internal” usu. means “within oneself” in Buddhist language). However, 內觸法 would normally be read as “internal contact dharma” or perhaps “method of internal contact.” We only know that it likely translates an expression like S. antaḥsaṁmarśam because of the extant Indic parallels.

    One last note to make about this term is that Xuanzang appears to translate it in his Yogācārabhūmi commentary on this sūtra (@ T1579.30.830a26) as 能正思量 (“to think, consider or conceive correctly”), where 正 = saṁ-, 思量 = mṛśati, and 能 communicates that it is an active voice and/or present tense verb. [back]

  3. what is the cause, formation, arising, and instigation. C. 何因、何集、何生、何觸, P. kiṁnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātikaṁ kiṁpabhavaṁ, S. kinnidānaṁ kiṁsamudayaṁ kiṁjātīyaṁ kiṁprabhavam.

    This series of four questions occurs in six different sūtras in SĀ, including this and the next one. The C. translation of these four synonyms is straightforward until we reach the last one. In some passages, it’s translated as 轉, and in others (as here) it’s translated as 觸. Neither of these words are typically equiv. to S. prabhava (“origin, source, production”), but they do both have less common readings that are similar to it. 觸 can mean “to arouse, stimulate, affect,” and 轉 can mean “to come about, arise, come forth.” Yinshun suggests that we amend 觸 to 轉, which is not unreasonable if we assume prabhava was the word being translated. 觸 is the more common rendering, so I have kept this reading and translated it as “instigation.” [back]

  4. attachments. C. 億波提 (EMC ɪək-pua-dei), P. upadhi. The C. translit. here is unusual. 億 is a numeral not used for transliterations in Chinese Buddhist texts, which makes it difficult to assess what syllable it was intended to represent. Characters like 鬱 (EMC •ɪuət), 憂 (EMC •ɪəu), 優 (EMC •ɪəu), and 烏 (EMC •o) were typically used to represent the initial Indic u- or o- sound.

    Probably 億 is a typo for 優, in which case it would sound out upadhi. This Prakrit word generally refers to things to which one is attached in Pali sources, especially to the aggregates that form the basis for existence in the world. As such, it seems to be a technical term that was not well-known in other Sanskrit sources. The fact that it was transliterated to C. suggests that the translator considered it important that it was not confused for another word (such as the more standard upādāna).

    Another curiosity is that this term doesn’t appear to occur in the version of this sūtra known to the Yogācārabhūmi’s author (cf. the note above). The commentary there explains suffering as caused by craving, which in turn is caused by pleasing forms, without any mention of grasping or attachments. Instead, there is a discussion of the three time periods. [back]

  5. worldly forms that are agreeable and proper. C. 世間所念端正之色, P. loke piyarūpaṁ sātarūpaṁ, S. loke priyarūpaṁ sātarūpaṁ. This expression occurs five times in this sūtra, the translation of which suffers from inconsistencies and/or typos. I have translated them all assuming that 世間、可念、端正之色 is the intended reading, where 世間、可念、端正 are three adjectives describing 色, which respectively mean “worldly,” “agreeable,” and “proper.” I am assuming that 可念 is equiv. to 可意 and translates a word like P. manāpa, as it does elsewhere in SĀ (e.g., SĀ 2.94). 端正 (“neat, upright, handsome”) likely translates a word like abhirūpa (“learned, handsome, beautiful, pleasing”). Both the P. and S. parallels appear to describe these worldly forms with different synonyms as these, but the C. translation might also be awkwardly done. [back]

  6. a cool pond alongside a road, which is full of fragrance and flavor. C. 路側清涼池水，香味具足, P. āpānīyakaṁso vaṇṇasampanno gandhasampanno rasasampanno. This is a departure from SN 12.66, which uses a drinking cup full of something delicious (which goes unspecified). The Sanskrit parallel does not include a metaphor, though it was perhaps lost in the first half of the text that was damaged. We should note, too, that the P. parallel adds a third description of the drink as “full of color” (vaṇṇasampanna), suggesting something other than water. [back]

Translator: Dōgen Sīṁsāpa (draft) and Charles Patton (editor)

Last Revised: 23 September 2025

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