Aṅguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XX: Mahā Vagga
Sutta 199
Taṇhā-Jalini Suttaɱ
Craving
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
For free distribution only.
[1][pts][olds]"Monks, I will teach you craving: the ensnarer that has flowed along, spread out, and caught hold, with which this world is smothered and enveloped like a tangled skein, a knotted ball of string, like matted rushes and reeds, and does not go beyond transmigration, beyond the planes of deprivation, woe, and bad destinations.
Listen well, and I will speak."
"Yes, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said:
[2][pts][olds]"And which craving is the ensnarer that has flowed along, spread out, and caught hold, with which this world is smothered and enveloped like a tangled skein, a knotted ball of string, like matted rushes and reeds, and does not go beyond transmigration, beyond the planes of deprivation, woe, and bad destinations?
These 18 craving-verbalizations[1] dependent on what is internal and 18 craving-verbalizations dependent on what is external.
[3][pts][olds]"And which are the 18 craving-verbalizations
dependent on what is internal?
There being 'I am,'
there comes to be 'I am here,'
there comes to be 'I am like this'
there comes to be 'I am otherwise'
there comes to be 'I am bad'
there comes to be 'I am good'
there comes to be 'I might be'
there comes to be 'I might be here'
there comes to be 'I might be like this'
there comes to be 'I might be otherwise'
there comes to be 'May I be'
there comes to be 'May I be here'
there comes to be 'May I be like this'
there comes to be 'May I be otherwise'
there comes to be 'I will be'
there comes to be 'I will be here'
there comes to be 'I will be like this'
there comes to be 'I will be otherwise.'
These are the 18 craving-verbalizations
dependent on what is internal.
[4][pts][olds]"And which are the 18 craving-verbalizations
dependent on what is external?
There being 'I am because of this
(or: by means of this),'
there comes to be 'I am here because of this,'
there comes to be 'I am like this because of this'
there comes to be 'I am otherwise because of this'
there comes to be 'I am bad because of this'
there comes to be 'I am good because of this'
there comes to be 'I might be because of this'
there comes to be 'I might be here because of this'
there comes to be 'I might be like this because of this'
there comes to be 'I might be otherwise because of this'
there comes to be 'May I be because of this'
there comes to be 'May I be here because of this'
there comes to be 'May I be like this because of this'
there comes to be 'May I be otherwise because of this'
there comes to be 'I will be because of this'
there comes to be 'I will be here because of this'
there comes to be 'I will be like this because of this'
there comes to be 'I will be otherwise because of this.'
These are the 18 craving-verbalizations
dependent on what is external.
[5][pts][olds]"Thus there are 18 craving-verbalizations
dependent on what is internal
and 18 craving-verbalizations
dependent on what is external.
These are called the 36 craving-verbalizations.
Thus, with 36 craving-verbalizations
of this sort in the past,
36 in the future,
and 36 in the present,
there are 108 craving-verbalizations.
[6][pts][olds]"This, monks is craving
the ensnarer that has flowed along,
spread out, and caught hold,
with which this world is smothered and enveloped
like a tangled skein,
a knotted ball of string,
like matted rushes and reeds,
and does not go beyond transmigration,
beyond the planes of deprivation,
woe, and bad destinations."
[1]Taṇhā-vicaritāni, literally, things evaluated by craving. The past participle here, vicaritāni, is related to the noun, vicāra, which is classed as a verbal fabrication, i.e., a necessary precondition for speech (see MN 44). A person devoid of craving would still be able to verbalize, but would not contemplate in the above terms, which are so basic to ordinary thought patterns.
Of Related Interest:
DN 15;
MN 2;
SN 12:20;
SN 22:47;
AN 4.200
AN 6:49;
Dhp 339–343;
Sn 4:5;
Sn 4:9–10
