[reaciciomarep]

Dear forum

Today, I read SN 12.69 for the first time.

What I found interesting was, instead of describing Dependent Origination exclusively in a linear way, the sutta also describes Dependent Origination in a 'three dimensional way', that is, in terms of a 'building up' and 'shrinking' of the various mental & physical causes & conditions.

For example, ambiguous terms such as 'birth' are not described as static or temporal. Rather, they 'surge' and 'recede'.


SN 12.69 - Upayanti Sutta - The Surge

Bhikkhus, the ocean surging causes the rivers to surge; the rivers surging cause the streams to surge; the streams surging cause the lakes to surge; the lakes surging cause the pools to surge.

So too, ignorance surging causes formations to surge; formations surging causes consciousness to surge; consciousness surging causes mind-body to surge; mind-body surging causes the six sense spheres to surge; the six sense spheres surging causes contact to surge; contact surging causes feeling to surge; feeling surging causes craving to surge; craving surging causes clinging to surge; clinging surging causes becoming to surge; becoming surging causes birth to surge; birth surging causes aging-and-death to surge.

Bhikkhus, the ocean receding causes the rivers to recede; the rivers receding cause the streams to recede; the streams receding cause the lakes to recede; the lakes receding cause the pools to recede.

So too, ignorance receding causes formations to recede; formations receding causes consciousness to recede; consciousness receding causes mind-body to recede; mind-body receding causes the six sense spheres to recede; the six sense spheres receding causes contact to recede; contact receding causes feeling to recede; feeling receding causes craving to recede; craving receding causes clinging to recede; clinging receding causes becoming to recede; becoming receding causes birth to recede; birth receding causes aging-and-death to recede.

~~~

Excerpts from translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi
(but with 'mind-body' replacing 'name-and-form') The description on SN 12.69 is similar to MN 149, which states:

For him — infatuated, attached, confused, not remaining focused on their drawbacks — the five clinging-aggregates head toward future accumulation. The craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now this & now that — grows within him. His bodily disturbances & mental disturbances grow. His bodily torments & mental torments grow. His bodily distresses & mental distresses grow. He is sensitive both to bodily stress & mental stress.

For him — uninfatuated, unattached, unconfused, remaining focused on their drawbacks — the five clinging-aggregates head toward future diminution. The craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now this & now that — is abandoned by him. His bodily disturbances & mental disturbances are abandoned. His bodily torments & mental torments are abandoned. His bodily distresses & mental distresses are abandoned. He is sensitive both to ease of body & ease of mind.

MN 149