sn12.65 · Nagarasutta

The Connected Discourses 12.65

7. The Great Chapter

The City

He was dwelling at Sāvatthī.

"Before my awakening, bhikkhus, while I was still an unawakened bodhisatta, this occurred to me:

'Truly, this world has fallen into hardship: it is born, ages, dies, passes away, and is reborn.

And yet it does not understand the escape from this dukkha, from aging-and-death.

When indeed will the escape from this dukkha, from aging-and-death, be discerned?'

Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to me:

'When what exists does aging-and-death come to be? With what as condition is aging-and-death?'

Then, bhikkhus, through appropriate attention [yoniso manasikārā], there was for me a breakthrough by paññā:

'When birth exists, aging-and-death comes to be; with birth as condition, aging-and-death.'

Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to me:

'When what exists does birth come to be …

does bhava come to be …

does upādāna come to be …

does taṇhā come to be …

does vedanā come to be …

does contact come to be …

does the dimension of the six senses [saḷāyatanaṁ] come to be …

does nāmarūpa come to be …

With what as condition is nāmarūpa?'

Then, bhikkhus, through appropriate attention [yoniso manasikārā], there was for me a breakthrough by paññā:

'When viññāṇa exists, nāmarūpa comes to be; with viññāṇa as condition, nāmarūpa.'

Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to me:

'When what exists does viññāṇa come to be? With what as condition is viññāṇa?'

Then, bhikkhus, through appropriate attention [yoniso manasikārā], there was for me a breakthrough by paññā:

'When nāmarūpa exists, viññāṇa comes to be; with nāmarūpa as condition, viññāṇa.'

Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to me—

this viññāṇa turns back from nāmarūpa; it does not go beyond.

To this extent one may be born, age, die, pass away, or be reborn, namely: with nāmarūpa as condition, viññāṇa;

with viññāṇa as condition, nāmarūpa;

with nāmarūpa as condition, the dimension of the six senses [saḷāyatanaṁ];

with the dimension of the six senses [saḷāyatanapaccayā] as condition, contact …

Thus there is the arising of this whole mass of dukkha.

"Arising, arising" — thus, bhikkhus, regarding dhammas unheard before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose, paññā arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.

Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to me:

'When what does not exist, does aging-and-death not come to be;

with the cessation of what is there cessation of aging-and-death?'

Then, bhikkhus, through appropriate attention [yoniso manasikārā], there was for me a breakthrough by paññā:

'When birth does not exist, aging-and-death does not come to be;

with the cessation of birth, there is cessation of aging-and-death.'

Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to me:

'When what does not exist does birth not come to be …

does bhava not come to be …

does upādāna not come to be …

does taṇhā not come to be …

does vedanā not come to be …

does contact not come to be …

does the dimension of the six senses [saḷāyatanaṁ] not come to be …

does nāmarūpa not come to be.

With the cessation of what is there cessation of nāmarūpa?'

Then, bhikkhus, through appropriate attention [yoniso manasikārā], there was for me a breakthrough by paññā:

'When viññāṇa does not exist, nāmarūpa does not come to be;

with the cessation of viññāṇa, there is cessation of nāmarūpa.'

Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to me:

'When what does not exist does viññāṇa not come to be;

with the cessation of what is there cessation of viññāṇa?'

Then, bhikkhus, through appropriate attention [yoniso manasikārā], there was for me a breakthrough by paññā:

'When nāmarūpa does not exist, viññāṇa does not come to be;

with the cessation of nāmarūpa, there is cessation of viññāṇa.'

Then, bhikkhus, this occurred to me—

I have attained this path to awakening, namely—

with the cessation of nāmarūpa, there is cessation of viññāṇa;

with the cessation of viññāṇa, there is cessation of nāmarūpa;

with the cessation of nāmarūpa, there is cessation of the dimension of the six senses [saḷāyatananirodho];

with the cessation of the dimension of the six senses [saḷāyatananirodhā], there is cessation of contact …

Thus there is the cessation of this whole mass of dukkha.

"Cessation, cessation" — thus, bhikkhus, regarding dhammas unheard before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose, paññā arose, true knowledge arose, light arose.

Suppose, bhikkhus, a man wandering in a forest wilderness were to see an ancient path, an ancient road, followed by people of former times.

He would follow it.

Following it, he would see an ancient city, an ancient royal capital, inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, complete with groves, complete with lotus ponds, with embankments, delightful.

Then, bhikkhus, that man would report it to the king or the king's chief minister:

'Please, bhante, know this: while wandering in a forest wilderness, I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, followed by people of former times, and I followed it.

Following it, I saw an ancient city, an ancient royal capital, inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, complete with groves, complete with lotus ponds, with embankments, delightful.

Have that city built, bhante.'

Then, bhikkhus, that king or the king's chief minister would have that city built.

At a later time that city would be successful and prosperous, populous, crowded with people, grown and expanded.

In the same way, bhikkhus, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road, followed by the rightly self-awakened ones of former times.

And what, bhikkhus, is that ancient path, that ancient road, followed by the rightly self-awakened ones of former times?

It is this very noble eightfold path, namely—

right view … right samādhi.

This, bhikkhus, is that ancient path, that ancient road, followed by the rightly self-awakened ones of former times. I followed it;

following it, I directly knew aging-and-death;

I directly knew the arising of aging-and-death;

I directly knew the cessation of aging-and-death;

I directly knew the practice leading to the cessation of aging-and-death.

I followed it;

following it, I directly knew birth …

I directly knew bhava …

I directly knew upādāna …

I directly knew taṇhā …

I directly knew vedanā …

I directly knew contact …

I directly knew the dimension of the six senses [saḷāyatanaṁ] …

I directly knew nāmarūpa …

I directly knew viññāṇa.

I followed it;

following it, I directly knew saṅkhāras;

I directly knew the arising of saṅkhāras;

I directly knew the cessation of saṅkhāras;

I directly knew the practice leading to the cessation of saṅkhāras.

Having directly known this, I taught it to bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, laymen, and laywomen.

And now this holy life, bhikkhus, has become successful and prosperous, widespread, known by many, widely diffused, well proclaimed as far as devas and humans."

The fifth.