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Brickwall Unlimited

From Dissatisfaction to Freedom

SN 12.23, the Upanisa Sutta — set 4, Not-Self and Dependent Arising

Reading time: about 8 min · 1,294 words

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Before you read

Everyone knows the chain that runs from ignorance down to suffering. This text gives the other one — the chain that runs from suffering up to freedom.

Dissatisfaction is the condition for confidence; confidence for gladness; and on through delight, calm, ease, unification of mind, knowing and seeing things as they are, disenchantment, fading, release, and finally knowing that you are free.

The rain simile closes it. Rain falls on a mountain, fills the ravines, which fill the pools, which fill the streams, which fill the rivers, which fill the ocean. Nothing is being forced anywhere. Each stage fills the next once it is full itself.

Translation

The Setting

At Sāvatthī.

"Bhikkhus, I say the destruction of outflows is for someone who knows and sees — not for someone who does not know or see.

Knowing and Seeing What?

And for someone who knows and sees what?

This is form. This is how form arises. This is how form ends.

This is felt experience. This is how felt experience arises. This is how felt experience ends.

This is recognition. This is how recognition arises. This is how recognition ends.

This is what is put together. This is how it arises. This is how it ends.

This is knowing. This is how knowing arises. This is how knowing ends.

It is for someone who knows and sees in this way that the destruction of outflows occurs.

Bhikkhus, I say that the knowledge of the destruction of outflows has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for the knowledge of the destruction of outflows, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Release.'

Bhikkhus, I say that release has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for release, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Fading.'

Bhikkhus, I say that fading has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for fading, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Disenchantment.'

Bhikkhus, I say that disenchantment has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for disenchantment, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Seeing things as they are.'

Bhikkhus, I say that seeing things as they are has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for seeing things as they are, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Unification of mind.'

Bhikkhus, I say that unification of mind has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for unification of mind, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Satisfaction.'

Bhikkhus, I say that satisfaction has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for satisfaction, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Relaxation.'

Bhikkhus, I say that relaxation has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for relaxation, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Rejoicing.'

Bhikkhus, I say that rejoicing has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for rejoicing, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'An actively happy state.'

Bhikkhus, I say that an actively happy state has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for an actively happy state, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Confidence.'

Bhikkhus, I say that confidence has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for confidence, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Dissatisfaction.'

Bhikkhus, I say that dissatisfaction has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for dissatisfaction, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Birth.'

Bhikkhus, I say that birth has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for birth, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Becoming.'

Bhikkhus, I say that becoming has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for becoming, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Appropriation.'

Bhikkhus, I say that appropriation has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for appropriation, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Ignorant wanting.'

Bhikkhus, I say that ignorant wanting has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for ignorant wanting, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Felt experience.'

Bhikkhus, I say that felt experience has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for felt experience, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Contact.'

Bhikkhus, I say that contact has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for contact, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'The six sense fields.'

Bhikkhus, I say that the six sense fields have a vital condition — they do not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for the six sense fields, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Name-and-form.'

Bhikkhus, I say that name-and-form has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for name-and-form, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Knowing.'

Bhikkhus, I say that knowing has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for knowing, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Putting things together.'

Bhikkhus, I say that putting things together has a vital condition — it does not lack a vital condition. And what is the vital condition for putting things together, bhikkhus?

You should say: 'Ignorance.'

The Full Sequence

So, bhikkhus:

Ignorance is the vital condition for putting things together. Putting things together is the vital condition for knowing. Knowing is the vital condition for name-and-form. Name-and-form is the vital condition for the six sense fields. The six sense fields are the vital condition for contact. Contact is the vital condition for felt experience. Felt experience is the vital condition for ignorant wanting. Ignorant wanting is the vital condition for appropriation. Appropriation is the vital condition for becoming. Becoming is the vital condition for birth. Birth is the vital condition for dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction is the vital condition for confidence. Confidence is the vital condition for an actively happy state. An actively happy state is the vital condition for rejoicing. Rejoicing is the vital condition for relaxation. Relaxation is the vital condition for satisfaction. Satisfaction is the vital condition for unification of mind. Unification of mind is the vital condition for seeing things as they are. Seeing things as they are is the vital condition for disenchantment. Disenchantment is the vital condition for fading. Fading is the vital condition for release. Release is the vital condition for the knowledge of the destruction of outflows.

The Rain Simile

Suppose, bhikkhus, heavy rains were to fall on a mountain top. Flowing downhill, that water would fill the mountain ravines, clefts, and gullies. Filled, these would fill the small pools. Filled small pools would fill the large pools. Filled large pools would fill the small streams. Filled small streams would fill the great rivers. Filled great rivers would fill the great ocean.

In the same way, bhikkhus:

Ignorance is the vital condition for putting things together. Putting things together is the vital condition for knowing. Knowing is the vital condition for name-and-form. Name-and-form is the vital condition for the six sense fields. The six sense fields are the vital condition for contact. Contact is the vital condition for felt experience. Felt experience is the vital condition for ignorant wanting. Ignorant wanting is the vital condition for appropriation. Appropriation is the vital condition for becoming. Becoming is the vital condition for birth. Birth is the vital condition for dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction is the vital condition for confidence. Confidence is the vital condition for an actively happy state. An actively happy state is the vital condition for rejoicing. Rejoicing is the vital condition for relaxation. Relaxation is the vital condition for satisfaction. Satisfaction is the vital condition for unification of mind. Unification of mind is the vital condition for seeing things as they are. Seeing things as they are is the vital condition for disenchantment. Disenchantment is the vital condition for fading. Fading is the vital condition for release. Release is the vital condition for the knowledge of the destruction of outflows."

The third discourse is finished.

Words used in this translation (21)
becoming
This project's rendering of "bhava" -- the settling of experience into a way of being that feels like somebody being something. Often translated "existence."
bhikkhus
Buddhist monks -- those who have left household life to practise full time. The Buddha's usual way of addressing the assembly, roughly "friends" in force.
birth
This project's rendering of "jāti": birth, coming into being. In the dependent-arising sequence, ageing and dying depend on it. In MN 141 the word appears once in its everyday sense instead, in a simile about a mother.
contact
This project's rendering of "phassa" -- the meeting of a sense, its object, and the knowing of it. A technical link in the dependent-arising sequence, not physical touch specifically.
disenchantment
A cooling of fascination with ordinary experience -- not depression, but the natural next step once you see clearly how things actually work.
dissatisfaction
This translation's rendering of "dukkha," the Buddhist term for the unsatisfying, unstable quality of ordinary experience. Often translated "suffering," but that can sound more dramatic than the everyday sense of things not quite being right.
fading
The fading away of attraction and investment in experience, as passion cools.
felt experience
This project's rendering of "vedanā", often translated "feeling". It is the immediate pleasant, painful, or mixed tone of an experience, before any story we build on top of it.
form
This project's rendering of "rūpa" -- the physical, material aspect of experience, one of the five heaps.
ignorance
This project's rendering of "avijjā" -- not general stupidity, but specifically not seeing how dissatisfaction works and how it ends. The first link in the dependent-arising sequence.
ignorant wanting
Wanting something you can't have right now. This project's rendering of "taṇhā", often translated "craving". We call it ignorant because it comes from not seeing clearly; ordinary, sensible wanting is something else.
knowing
This project's rendering of "viññāṇa" (often translated "consciousness") -- bare awareness of an object through one of the senses or the mind.
knowing and seeing
Knowing something and seeing it for yourself. Kept as two words because these texts treat them as two related things rather than one.
name-and-form
The mental and physical sides of experience taken together: roughly, whatever you can name plus whatever has shape. One link in the dependent-arising sequence.
outflows
This project's rendering of "āsavā" -- deep-running habits that keep seeping out and driving behaviour, classically sensuality, becoming, and ignorance. Often translated "taints" or "defilements."
put together
In "all that has been put together", this project's rendering of "saṅkhārā" on its result side: anything assembled from conditions, as opposed to the activity of assembling.
putting things together
This project's rendering of "saṅkhāra": the ongoing activity of assembling experience, and also what that activity assembles. Context shows which of the two the text means. Other translations often say "formations" or "fabrications", which this project avoids as needlessly opaque.
recognition
This project's rendering of "saññā" (often translated "perception") -- the mind's act of identifying and labeling what it encounters.
rejoicing
This project's rendering of "pīti" (often translated "rapture") -- the bright, uplifted gladness that shows up when practice is going well.
relaxation
This project's rendering of "passaddhi" -- the settling of body and mind that follows gladness and leads into unification of mind.
unification of mind
This project's rendering of "samādhi" -- the thinking mind and heart gathered together into one organized, workable whole instead of pulling against each other. It does not mean narrowing attention onto one point. Usually translated "concentration," which this project avoids because it suggests forcing and strain.
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