9. The Great Means of Conditions Sūtra (13)

Prologue: The Buddha in Kuru Country

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the Kuru Country, at the residence of Kalmāṣadamya, together with a great saṅgha of twelve hundred and fifty bhikṣus.

Ānanda’s Wonderment

At that time, Ānanda was in a quiet place and thought to himself: “How rare! How extraordinary! The light of the Dharma teaching of the twelve links of dependent origination spoken of by the Bhagavān is deeply profound and difficult to understand, and as I contemplate it, it seems to be right before my eyes; how is it so profound?”

Then, Ānanda immediately arose from his quiet room and went before the Bhagavān, bowed to his feet, and sat to one side. He said to the Bhagavān: “I, when in a quiet room, was silently contemplating: ‘How rare! How extraordinary! The light of the Dharma teaching of the twelve links of dependent origination spoken of by the Bhagavān is deeply profound and difficult to understand, and as I contemplate it, it seems to be right before my eyes; how is it so profound?’”

The Buddha’s Rebuke and Preface to the Twelve Links

At that time, the Bhagavān addressed Ānanda, saying: “Stop! Stop! Do not speak thus: ‘The light of the Dharma teaching of the twelve links of dependent origination is deeply profound and difficult to understand, [and so forth]!’

“Ānanda! These twelve links of dependent origination are difficult to see and difficult to know. Devas, māras, brahmās, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, those who have not yet seen conditions, if they wish to think about, contemplate, and analyse their meaning, will all be bewildered and confused, and be unable to see it.

Old Age and Death Are Conditioned by Birth

“Ānanda! I now say to you that old age and death have a condition. If someone asks: ‘What is the condition for old age and death?’

“You should reply: ‘Birth is the condition for old age and death!’

“If they again ask: ‘What is the condition for birth?’

“You should reply: ‘Becoming is the condition for birth.’

“If they again ask: ‘What is the condition for becoming?’

“You should reply: ‘Grasping is the condition for becoming.’

“If they again ask: ‘What is the condition for grasping?’

“You should reply: ‘Desire is the condition for grasping.’

“If they again ask: ‘What is the condition for desire?’ 

"You should reply: ‘Feeling is the condition for desire.’ 

"If they again ask: ‘What is the condition for feeling?’ 

"You should reply: ‘Contact is the condition for feeling.’ 

"If they again ask: ‘What is the condition for contact?’

“You should reply: ‘The six sense bases are the condition for contact.’

“If they again ask: ‘What is the condition for the six sense bases?’

“You should reply: ‘Name and form are the condition for the six sense bases.’

“If they again ask: ‘What is the condition for name and form?’

“You should reply: ‘Consciousness is the condition for name and form.’

“If they again ask: ‘What is the condition for consciousness?’

“You should reply: ‘Formations are the condition for consciousness.’

“If they again ask: ‘What is the condition for formations?’

“You should reply: ‘Delusion is the condition for formations.’

“Ānanda! Thus, conditioned by delusion, there are formations; conditioned by formations, there is consciousness; conditioned by consciousness, there is name and form; conditioned by name and form, there are the six sense bases; conditioned by the six sense bases, there is contact; conditioned by contact, there is feeling; conditioned by feeling, there is desire; conditioned by desire, there is grasping; conditioned by grasping, there is becoming; conditioned by becoming, there is birth; conditioned by birth, there is old age, death, sorrow, despair, lamentation, and this great mass of suffering. Thus, these are the conditions for the great aggregate of suffering.”

The Buddha addressed Ānanda, saying: “Conditioned by birth, there is old age and death. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without birth, could there be old age and death?”

Ānanda replied: “No.”

“Therefore, Ānanda! Because of this condition, know that old age and death arise from birth; conditioned by birth, there is old age and death. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this.”

Birth Is Conditioned by Becoming

He again addressed Ānanda: “Conditioned by becoming, there is birth. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without becoming, whether in the desire realm, the form realm, or the formless realm, could there be birth?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that birth arises from becoming; conditioned by becoming, there is birth. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this.”

Becoming Is Conditioned by Grasping

He again addressed Ānanda: “Conditioned by grasping, there is becoming. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without grasping after desires, grasping after views, grasping after rites, grasping after self, could there be becoming?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that becoming arises from grasping; conditioned by grasping, there is becoming. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this.”

Grasping Is Conditioned by Desire

He again addressed Ānanda: “Conditioned by desire, there is grasping. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without craving for desires, craving for becoming, or craving for non-becoming, could there be grasping?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that grasping arises from desire; conditioned by desire, there is grasping. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this.”

Desire Is Conditioned by Feeling

He again addressed Ānanda: “Conditioned by feeling, there is desire. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without the feeling of pleasure, the feeling of pain, and the feeling of neither pleasure nor pain, could there be desire?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that desire arises from feeling; conditioned by feeling, there is desire. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this.

The Secondary Chain from Desire to Weapons and Quarrels

“Ānanda! You should know that with desire as the cause, there is seeking; with seeking as the cause, there is acquisition; with acquisition as the cause, there is use; with use as the cause, there is desire; with desire as the cause, there is attachment; with attachment as the cause, there is jealousy; with jealousy as the cause, there is protectiveness; with protectiveness as the cause, there is defensiveness. Ānanda! Because of defensiveness, there are weapons, staves, disputes, quarrels, and the doing of innumerable unwholesome deeds. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this. Ānanda! What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without defensiveness, could there be swords and staves, disputes and quarrels, and the arising of innumerable unwholesome deeds?”

He answered: “No.”

“Therefore, Ānanda! Because of this cause and condition, know that swords and staves, disputes and quarrels, arise from defensiveness; conditioned by defensiveness there are swords and staves, disputes and quarrels. Ānanda! Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this.”

He again addressed Ānanda: “With protectiveness as the cause, there is defensiveness. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without protectiveness, would there be defensiveness?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that defensiveness arises from protectiveness; with protectiveness as the cause, there is defensiveness. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this. Ānanda! With jealousy as the cause, there is protectiveness. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without jealousy, could there be protectiveness?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that protectiveness arises from jealousy; with jealousy as the cause, there is protectiveness; regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this. Ānanda! With attachment as the cause, there is jealousy. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without attachment, could there be jealousy?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that jealousy arises from attachment; with attachment as the cause, there is jealousy. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this. Ānanda! With desire as the cause, there is attachment; what is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without desire, could there be attachment?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that attachment arises from desire; with desire as the cause, there is attachment. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this. Ānanda! With use as the cause, there is desire. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without use, could there be desire?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that desire arises from use; with use as the cause, there is desire. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this. Ānanda! With acquisition as the cause, there is use. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without acquisition, could there be use?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that use arises from acquisition; with acquisition as the cause, there is use. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this. Ānanda! With seeking as the cause, there is acquisition. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without seeking, could there be acquisition?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that acquisition arises from seeking; with seeking as the cause, there is acquisition. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this. Ānanda! With desire as the cause, there is seeking. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without desire, could there be seeking?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that seeking arises from desire; with desire as the cause, there is seeking. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this.”

He again addressed Ānanda: “With desire as the cause, there is seeking, up to protectiveness and defensiveness; feeling is likewise, with feeling as the cause, there is seeking, up to protectiveness and defensiveness.”

Feeling Is Conditioned by Contact

The Buddha addressed Ānanda, saying: “Conditioned by contact, there is feeling. What is the meaning of this? Ānanda! If there were no eye, no form, and no eye-consciousness, could there be contact?”

He answered: “No.”

“If there were no ear, sounds, ear-consciousness; no nose, smells, nose consciousness; no tongue, tastes, tongue-consciousness; no body, touch, body-consciousness; no mentation, mental dharmas, mental-consciousness, could there be contact?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! If all beings were without contact, could there be feeling?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that feeling arises from contact; conditioned by contact, there is feeling. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this.

Contact Is Conditioned by Name‑and‑Form

“Ānanda! Conditioned by name and form, there is contact. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without name and form, could there be mental contact?”

He answered: “No.”

“If all sentient beings were without shape, characteristics of form, and appearance, could there be bodily contact?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! If there is no name and form, could there be contact?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that contact arises from name and form; conditioned by name and form, there is contact. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this.

Name‑and‑Form Is Conditioned by Consciousness

“Ānanda! Conditioned by consciousness, there is name and form. What is the meaning of this? If consciousness does not descend into a mother’s womb, could there be name and form?”

He answered: “No.”

“If consciousness descends into the womb and does not emerge, could there be name and form?”

He answered: “No.”

“If consciousness emerges from the womb or the infant dies, could name and form increase and grow?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! If there were no consciousness, could there be name and form?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that consciousness arises from name and form; conditioned by consciousness, there is name and form. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this. Ānanda! Conditioned by name and form, there is consciousness. What is the meaning of this? If consciousness does not abide in name and form, then consciousness has no abode; if it has no abode, could it have birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, despair, or lamentation?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! If there is no name and form, could there be consciousness?”

He answered: “No.”

“Ānanda! I say that because of this condition, know that name and form arise from consciousness; conditioned by name and form, there is consciousness. Regarding what I have spoken, the meaning lies in this.

Mutual Conditioning and the Great Aggregate of Suffering

“Ānanda! Therefore, it is said that name and form condition consciousness and consciousness conditions name and form; name and form condition the six sense bases; the six sense bases condition contact; contact conditions feeling; feeling conditions desire; desire conditions grasping; grasping conditions becoming; becoming conditions birth; birth conditions old age, death, sorrow, despair, suffering, lamentation, and the great aggregate of suffering.

The Universally Applicable Teaching and Liberation by Wisdom

“Ānanda! This teaching is equally explained, equally responded to, equally delimited, equally expounded, equally known through wisdom, and equally applies to all sentient beings. Ānanda! Those bhikṣus who, in this Dharma teaching, correctly contemplate in accord with the truth liberate their minds from the effluents. Ānanda! Those bhikṣus should be known as those liberated by wisdom. Such a liberated bhikṣu has knowledge regarding the matter of the end of a tathāgata, has knowledge regarding the matter of the non-end of a tathāgata, has knowledge regarding the matter of both the end and non-end of a tathāgata, and has knowledge regarding the matter of neither the end nor non-end of a tathāgata. Why is it so? Ānanda! This teaching is equally explained, equally responded to, equally delimited, equally expounded, equally known through wisdom, and equally applies to all sentient beings. Having thus completely known it, a bhikṣu whose mind is liberated from the effluents neither knows nor sees such views.

Refutation of Self‑View Based on Feeling and Desire

“Ānanda! As for those who calculate a self, how many things do they consider to be self-view? They consider name and form, as well as feeling, to be the self. Some people say: ‘Feeling is not the self, but the self is feeling.’

“Others say: ‘Feeling is not the self, the self is not feeling, but the mental dharma of feeling is the self.’

“Others say: ‘Feeling is not the self, the self is not feeling, the mental dharma of feeling is not the self, only desire is the self.’

“Ānanda! If someone with a view of a self says that feeling is the self, you should say to them: ‘The Tathāgata teaches that there are three feelings: the feeling of pleasure, the feeling of pain, and the feeling of neither pleasure nor pain. When there is a pleasurable feeling, there is no painful feeling, or feeling of neither pleasure nor pain; when there is a painful feeling, there is no pleasurable feeling, or feeling of neither pleasure nor pain; when there is a neither pleasurable nor painful feeling, there is no painful feeling, or feeling of pleasure.’

“Why is this so? Ānanda! Pleasurable contact conditions the arising of pleasurable feeling; if pleasurable contact ceases, the feeling also ceases. Ānanda! Painful contact conditions the arising of painful feeling, if painful contact ceases, the feeling also ceases. Neither pleasurable nor painful contact conditions the arising of neither pleasurable nor painful feeling; if neither pleasurable nor painful feeling ceases, the feeling also ceases. Ānanda! Just as when two pieces of wood are rubbed together, fire arises, but when they are placed apart, there is no fire, so too, caused by pleasurable contact as a condition, pleasurable feeling arises; if pleasurable contact ceases, the feeling also ceases; caused by painful contact as a condition, painful feeling arises, if painful contact ceases, the feeling also ceases; caused by neither pleasurable nor painful contact as a condition, neither pleasurable nor painful feeling arises, if neither pleasurable nor painful contact ceases, the feeling also ceases. Ānanda! These three feelings are conditioned, impermanent, produced from causes and conditions, dharmas that are exhausted, dharmas that cease, and dharmas that are subject to decay. They do not have a self, and a self does not have them; you should observe them as they really are with right knowledge. Ānanda! If someone with a view of a self says that feeling is the self, they are thus incorrect.

“Ānanda! If someone with a view of a self says that feeling is not the self, but the self is feeling, you should say to them: ‘The Tathāgata teaches that there are three feelings: the feeling of pain, the feeling of pleasure, and the feeling of neither pleasure nor pain. If pleasurable feeling were the self when pleasurable feeling ceases, then the self would be split; this, thus, is extreme. If painful feeling were the self when painful feeling ceases, then the self would be split; this, thus, is extreme. If neither pleasurable nor painful feeling were the self when neither pleasurable nor painful feeling ceases, then self would be split; this, thus, is extreme.’ Ānanda! If someone with a view of a self says: ‘Feeling is not the self, but the self is feeling.’

“They are thus incorrect. Ānanda! If someone calculates a self and makes the assertion: ‘Feeling is not the self, the self is not feeling, but the mental dharma of feeling is the self.’

“You should say to them: ‘If there is no feeling at all, how can you say that there is the mental dharma of feeling? Are you the mental dharma of feeling then?’

“They may reply: ‘No.’

“Therefore, Ānanda, if someone calculates a self, and says: ‘Feeling is not the self, the self is not feeling, but the mental dharma of feeling is the self.’

“They are thus incorrect.

“Ānanda! If someone calculates a self, asserting: ‘Feeling is not the self, the self is not feeling, the mental dharma of feeling is not the self, only desire is the self.’

“Then, you should say to them: ‘If there is no feeling at all, how can there be any desire? Are you desire then?’

“They may reply: ‘No.’

“Therefore, Ānanda, if someone calculates a self and says: ‘Feeling is not the self, the self is not feeling, the mental dharma of feeling is not the self, desire is the self.’

“Then, they are thus incorrect. Ānanda! This teaching is equally explained, equally responded to, equally delimited, equally expounded, equally known through wisdom, and equally applies to all sentient beings. Ānanda! Those bhikṣus who correctly and truly contemplate this Dharma teaching liberate their minds from the effluents. Ānanda! Those bhikṣus should be known as those liberated by wisdom. A bhikṣu with a mind thus liberated has knowledge regarding the matter of the existence of a self, has knowledge regarding the matter of the non-existence of a self, has knowledge regarding the matter of both the existence and non-existence of a self, and has knowledge regarding the matter of neither the existence nor non-existence of a self. Why is it so? Ānanda! This teaching is equally explained, equally responded to, equally delimited, equally expounded, equally known through wisdom, and equally applies to all sentient beings. Having thus completely known it, a bhikṣu whose mind is liberated from the effluents neither knows nor sees such views.”

The Buddha said to Ānanda: “If someone calculates a self, they are equally certain. This is so if someone calculates a self: whether they say a small form is my self, whether they say a great form is my self, whether they say a small formless entity is my self, or they say a great formless entity is my self. Ānanda, those who say that a small form is my self are certain that a small form is my self, that ‘my view is correct, others are mistaken.’

“Those who say a great form is my self are certain that a great form is my self, that ‘my view is correct, others are mistaken.’

“Those who say a small formless entity is my self, are certain that a small formless entity is my self, that ‘my view is correct, others are mistaken.’

“Those who say a great formless entity is my self, are certain that a great formless entity is my self, that ‘my view is correct, others are mistaken.’”

The Seven Abodes of Consciousness

The Buddha addressed Ānanda, saying: “Regarding the seven abodes of consciousness and the two sense spheres, various śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas say: ‘This sphere is calm and tranquil, it is salvation, it is protection, it is a dwelling, it is a lamp, it is an illumination, it is a refuge, it is not false, it is not afflicted.’

“What are the seven? Some sentient beings have various bodies and various thoughts: these are devas and humans, and this is the first abode of consciousness. Śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas say: ‘This sphere is calm and tranquil, it is salvation, it is protection, it is a dwelling, it is a lamp, it is an illumination, it is a refuge, it is not false, it is not afflicted.’

“Ānanda! If a bhikṣu knows this first abode of consciousness, knows its origin, knows its cessation, knows its delight, knows its drawbacks, knows the necessity for escape from it, then they know it as it really is. Ānanda! That bhikṣu says: ‘This is not the self, the self is not that, I know and see it as it really is.’

“Some sentient beings have various bodies and one thought, such as the Ābhāsvara Brahmā deva; some sentient beings have a single body and many thoughts, such as the Ābhāsvara devas; some sentient beings have one body and one thought, such as the Śubhakṛtsna deva; some sentient beings dwell in the sphere of space; some sentient beings dwell in the sphere of consciousness; some sentient beings abiding in the sphere of nothingness, these are the seven abodes of consciousness. Some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas say: ‘This sphere is calm and tranquil, it is salvation, it is protection, it is a dwelling, it is a lamp, it is an illumination, it is a refuge, it is not false, it is not afflicted.’

“Ānanda! If a bhikṣu knows these seven abodes of consciousness, knows their origin, knows their cessation, knows their delight, knows their drawbacks, knows the necessity for escape from them, then they know and see them as they really are. That bhikṣu says: ‘This is not the self, the self is not that, I know and see it as it really is.’

“Thus are the seven abodes of consciousness.

The Two Sense Spheres

“What are the two sense spheres? They are the sense sphere of non-perception and the sense sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Those, Ānanda, are the two sense spheres. Some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas say: ‘This sphere is calm and tranquil, it is salvation, it is protection, it is a dwelling, it is a lamp, it is an illumination, it is a refuge, it is not false, it is not afflicted.’

“Ānanda! If a bhikṣu knows these two sense spheres, knows their origin, knows their cessation, knows their delight, knows their drawbacks, knows the necessity for escape from them, then they know and see them as they really are. That bhikṣu says: ‘This is not the self, the self is not that, I know and see it as it really is.’

“Thus are the two sense spheres.

The Eight Liberations

“Ānanda! There are, furthermore, eight liberations. What are the eight? Observing form as form, this is the first liberation. Without any perception of inward form, observing external form, this is the second liberation. Pure liberation, this is the third liberation. Transcending perceptions of form, ceasing opposing perceptions, without thought or miscellaneous perceptions, abiding in the sphere of space, this is the fourth liberation. Transcending the sphere of space, abiding in the sphere of consciousness, this is the fifth liberation. Transcending the sphere of consciousness, abiding in the sphere of nothingness, this is the sixth liberation. Transcending the sphere of nothingness, abiding in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, this is the seventh liberation. The absorption of cessation, this is the eighth liberation. Ānanda! When bhikṣus, in these eight liberations, freely traverse them in both sequential and reverse order, entering and exiting them freely, such bhikṣus attain complete liberation.”

Epilogue: Ānanda’s Joyful Acceptance

At that time, Ānanda, having heard what the Buddha had taught, rejoiced and remembered it well.