Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
24. Diṭṭhi Saṃyutta
1. Sotāpatti Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
3. The Book Called the Khandhā-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the Elements of Sensory Existence and other Subjects
24. Kindred Sayings on Views
1. On Stream-Winning
Sutta 7
Hetu Suttaṃ
Condition[1]
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī
at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren!"
"Master!" responded those brethren.
The Exalted One said:
"There being what, brethren,
by clinging to what,
by depending upon what
does such a view as this arise:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,[2]
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,[3]
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,[4]
and [170] they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes'?"[5]
"For us, lord, things have the Exalted One as their root
their guide,
their resort.
Well indeed if the meaning of these words
should show itself in the Exalted One."
■
"There being a body, brethren,
by clinging to body,
depending on body,
arises such a view as this:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes.'
There being feeling, brethren,
by clinging to feeling,
depending on feeling,
arises such a view as this:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes.'
There being perception, brethren,
by clinging to perception,
depending on perception,
arises such a view as this:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes.'
There being the activities, brethren,
by clinging to the activities,
depending on the activities,
arises such a view as this:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes.'
There being consciousness, brethren,
by clinging to consciousness,
depending on consciousness,
arises such a view as this:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes.'
■
As to that, what think ye, brethren?
Is body permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
without clinging to that
can such a view as this arise:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes'"?
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is feeling permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
without clinging to that
can such a view as this arise:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes'"?
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is perception permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
without clinging to that
can such a view as this arise:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes'"?
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Are the activities permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
without clinging to that
can such a view as this arise:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes'"?
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
without clinging to that
can such a view as this arise:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes'"?
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Now what is seen,
heard,
sensed,
known,
attained,
sought after,
thought out by mind, -
is that permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable, -
without clinging to that
can such a view as this arise:
'There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the impurity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become impure.
There is no condition,
there is no cause
for the purity of beings.
Without condition,
without cause
do beings become pure.
There is no strength,
no energy,
no human effort,
no human vigour.
All beings,
all living creatures,
all beasts,
all lives,
are without power,
without strength,
without energy.
They are determined by destiny,
by coincidence,
by nature,
and they experience weal or woe
by birth in one of the six classes'"?
"Surely not, lord."
§
"But when in an Ariyan disciple
doubt as to these six points is put away
when for him doubt as to suffering is put away,
doubt as to the arising of suffering,
as to the ceasing of suffering,
as to the way going to the ceasing of suffering is put away, -
then this Ariyan disciple is called
'Stream-winner,
saved from disaster,
assured,
bound for enlightenment.'"
[1] This section also is at D. i, 53; Dialog.. i. 71, and is the accidentalist heresy of Makkhali of the Cow-pen. Cf. above, § 60; Mrs. Rh. D., Buddhism, p. 85 ff. Comy., paccayo = hetu.
[2] Some copies of Comy have (wrongly) phalaṇ (fruit of action) for balaṇ. For 'vigour' we may also read 'progress.'
[3] Sattā, pāṇā, būtā, jīva. Comy. distinguishes these as 'animals (such as elephants, cattle, asses, etc.), creatures with one or more senses, egg-born creatures, and grain that grows (the vegetable world),' which seems a fanciful elaboration of the old, simple group of synonyms.
[4] Niyati-sangati-bhāva-pariṇatā.
[5] Chasu eva abhijātesu (in next section chalabhijātiyo). According to this Hindu system, beings are of six species, each with a colour. Cf. A. iii, 383. The classification is that of Pūraṇa Kassapa, viz.: black, blue, red, yellow, white, and radiant.
