The dharma of conditioned arising (SA299)

Thus have I heard.

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the cow-tending community of the Kurus. At that time, a certain monk came to where the Buddha was, prostrated with his head and touched the feet of the Buddha, stepped back, and sat down at one side.

He said to the Buddha: “World-Honoured One, that which is called the dharma of conditioned arising, was it made by the World-Honoured One, or by others?”

The Buddha said to the monk: “Conditioned arising was neither made by me, nor made by others. Whether a Tathāgata arises in the world or not, this element of dharma remains unchanging. The Tathāgata, who has by himself become enlightened regarding this dharma, who has attained the highest enlightenment, he distinguishes it for all living beings, he declares it, develops it, reveals it, namely: Because this exists, that exists; because this arises, that arises; that is to say: Conditioned by ignorance are activities, and so on …, and thus arises this whole mass of suffering. When ignorance ceases, activities cease, and so on …, and thus ceases this whole mass of suffering.”

When the Buddha had taught this discourse, that monk, having heard what the Buddha had said, was delighted, and put it into practice.

Translation by Choong Mun-keat (Wei-keat), 2004.

Originally published in Choong Mun-keat (Wei-keat), The Notion of Emptiness in Early Buddhism, 1995, 1999. Used by permission of the translator.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.