Bodhi Sutta

The Bodhi Tree (2)

Translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland

For free distribution only,
by arrangement with the Buddhist Publication Society

Thus have I heard. At one time the Lord was staying at Uruvela ... for seven days experiencing the bliss of liberation. Then, at the end of those seven days, the Lord emerged from that concentration and gave well-reasoned attention during the middle watch of the night to dependent arising in reverse order, thus:

"This not being, that is not; from the cessation of this, that ceases. That is: from the cessation of ignorance, volitional activities cease; from the cessation of volitional activities, consciousness ceases; from the cessation of consciousness, name-and-form ceases; from the cessation of name-and-form, the sixfold base ceases; from the cessation of the sixfold base, contact ceases; from the cessation of contact, feeling ceases; from the cessation of feeling, craving ceases; from the cessation of craving, grasping ceases; from the cessation of grasping, being ceases; from the cessation of being, birth ceases; from the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair cease. This is the ceasing of this whole mass of suffering."

Then, on realizing its significance, the Lord uttered on that occasion this inspired utterance:

When things become manifest
To the ardent meditating brahmin,
All his doubts then vanish since he has known
The utter destruction of conditions.