Vital Conditions Upanisasutta

At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Mendicants, I say that the ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know or see. “Jānato ahaṁ, bhikkhave, passato āsavānaṁ khayaṁ vadāmi, no ajānato no apassato. For one who knows and sees what? Kiñca, bhikkhave, jānato kiṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti? ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Iti rūpaṁ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo, Such is feeling … iti vedanā …pe… Such is perception … iti saññā … Such are choices … iti saṅkhārā … Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’ iti viññāṇaṁ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamoti. The ending of the defilements is for one who knows and sees this. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, jānato evaṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti.

I say that this knowledge of ending has a vital condition, it doesn’t lack a vital condition. Yampissa taṁ, bhikkhave, khayasmiṁ khaye ñāṇaṁ, tampi saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, khaye ñāṇassa upanisā? You should say: ‘Freedom.’ ‘Vimuttī’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that freedom has a vital condition, it doesn’t lack a vital condition. Vimuttimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, vimuttiyā upanisā? You should say: ‘Dispassion.’ ‘Virāgo’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that dispassion has a vital condition. Virāgampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, virāgassa upanisā? You should say: ‘Disillusionment.’ ‘Nibbidā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that disillusionment has a vital condition. Nibbidampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, nibbidāya upanisā? You should say: ‘Truly knowing and seeing.’ ‘Yathābhūtañāṇadassanan’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that truly knowing and seeing has a vital condition. Yathābhūtañāṇadassanampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, yathābhūtañāṇadassanassa upanisā? You should say: ‘Immersion.’ ‘Samādhī’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that immersion has a vital condition. Samādhimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, samādhissa upanisā? You should say: ‘Bliss.’ ‘Sukhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that bliss has a vital condition. Sukhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, sukhassa upanisā? You should say: ‘Tranquility.’ ‘Passaddhī’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that tranquility has a vital condition. Passaddhimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, passaddhiyā upanisā? You should say: ‘Rapture.’ ‘Pītī’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that rapture has a vital condition. Pītimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, pītiyā upanisā? You should say: ‘Joy.’ ‘Pāmojjan’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that joy has a vital condition. Pāmojjampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, pāmojjassa upanisā? You should say: ‘Faith.’ ‘Saddhā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that faith has a vital condition. Saddhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, saddhāya upanisā? You should say: ‘Suffering.’ ‘Dukkhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that suffering has a vital condition. Dukkhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhassa upanisā? You should say: ‘Rebirth.’ ‘Jātī’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that rebirth has a vital condition. Jātimpāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, jātiyā upanisā? You should say: ‘Continued existence.’ ‘Bhavo’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that continued existence has a vital condition. Bhavampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, bhavassa upanisā? You should say: ‘Grasping.’ ‘Upādānan’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that grasping has a vital condition. Upādānampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ. And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, upādānassa upanisā? You should say: ‘Craving.’ ‘Taṇhā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that craving has a vital condition. Taṇhampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanisaṁ vadāmi, no anupanisaṁ.

And what is it? Kā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhāya upanisā? You should say: ‘Feeling.’ … ‘Vedanā’tissa vacanīyaṁ …pe… You should say: ‘Contact.’ … ‘phasso’tissa vacanīyaṁ … You should say: ‘The six sense fields.’ … ‘saḷāyatanan’tissa vacanīyaṁ … You should say: ‘Name and form.’ … ‘nāmarūpan’tissa vacanīyaṁ … You should say: ‘Consciousness.’ … ‘viññāṇan’tissa vacanīyaṁ … You should say: ‘Choices.’ … ‘saṅkhārā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. I say that choices have a vital condition, they don’t lack a vital condition. Saṅkhārepāhaṁ, bhikkhave, saupanise vadāmi, no anupanise. And what is the vital condition for choices? Kā ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārānaṁ upanisā? You should say: ‘Ignorance.’ ‘Avijjā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

So, mendicants: ignorance is the vital condition for choices. Iti kho, bhikkhave, avijjūpanisā saṅkhārā, Choices are the vital condition for consciousness. saṅkhārūpanisaṁ viññāṇaṁ, Consciousness is the vital condition for name and form. viññāṇūpanisaṁ nāmarūpaṁ, Name and form are the vital conditions for the six sense fields. nāmarūpūpanisaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ, The six sense fields are the vital conditions for contact. saḷāyatanūpaniso phasso, Contact is the vital condition for feeling. phassūpanisā vedanā, Feeling is the vital condition for craving. vedanūpanisā taṇhā, Craving is the vital condition for grasping. taṇhūpanisaṁ upādānaṁ, Grasping is the vital condition for continued existence. upādānūpaniso bhavo, Continued existence is the vital condition for rebirth. bhavūpanisā jāti, Rebirth is the vital condition for suffering. jātūpanisaṁ dukkhaṁ, Suffering is the vital condition for faith. dukkhūpanisā saddhā, Faith is the vital condition for joy. saddhūpanisaṁ pāmojjaṁ, Joy is the vital condition for rapture. pāmojjūpanisā pīti, Rapture is the vital condition for tranquility. pītūpanisā passaddhi, Tranquility is the vital condition for bliss. passaddhūpanisaṁ sukhaṁ, Bliss is the vital condition for immersion. sukhūpaniso samādhi, Immersion is the vital condition for truly knowing and seeing. samādhūpanisaṁ yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ, Truly knowing and seeing is the vital condition for disillusionment. yathābhūtañāṇadassanūpanisā nibbidā, Disillusionment is the vital condition for dispassion. nibbidūpaniso virāgo, Dispassion is the vital condition for freedom. virāgūpanisā vimutti, Freedom is the vital condition for the knowledge of ending. vimuttūpanisaṁ khaye ñāṇaṁ.

It’s like when the heavens rain heavily on a mountain top, and the water flows downhill to fill the hollows, crevices, and creeks. As they become full, they fill up the pools. The pools fill up the lakes, the lakes fill up the streams, and the streams fill up the rivers. And as the rivers become full, they fill up the ocean. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, uparipabbate thullaphusitake deve vassante taṁ udakaṁ yathāninnaṁ pavattamānaṁ pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūreti. Pabbatakandarapadarasākhāparipūrā kusobbhe paripūrenti. Kusobbhā paripūrā mahāsobbhe paripūrenti. Mahāsobbhā paripūrā kunnadiyo paripūrenti. Kunnadiyo paripūrā mahānadiyo paripūrenti. Mahānadiyo paripūrā mahāsamuddaṁ paripūrenti.

In the same way, ignorance is the vital condition for choices. … Freedom is the vital condition for the knowledge of ending.” Evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjūpanisā saṅkhārā, saṅkhārūpanisaṁ viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇūpanisaṁ nāmarūpaṁ, nāmarūpūpanisaṁ saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatanūpaniso phasso, phassūpanisā vedanā, vedanūpanisā taṇhā, taṇhūpanisaṁ upādānaṁ, upādānūpaniso bhavo, bhavūpanisā jāti, jātūpanisaṁ dukkhaṁ, dukkhūpanisā saddhā, saddhūpanisaṁ pāmojjaṁ, pāmojjūpanisā pīti, pītūpanisā passaddhi, passaddhūpanisaṁ sukhaṁ, sukhūpaniso samādhi, samādhūpanisaṁ yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ, yathābhūtañāṇadassanūpanisā nibbidā, nibbidūpaniso virāgo, virāgūpanisā vimutti, vimuttūpanisaṁ khaye ñāṇan”ti.