The Group of Linked Discourses Beginning With Causation

The Buddha explains the twelve links of dependent co-arising, and how there is an arising and ending of the whole mass of suffering.

The Buddha analyzes each of the twelve links of dependent co-arising, and explains how there is an arising and ending of the whole mass of suffering.

The Buddha explains the wrong way of practice as that which leads to the arising of suffering, and the right way of practice as that which leads to the ending of suffering.

In the far past, the Buddha Vipassī prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through wise attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

In the far past, the Buddha Sikhī prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through wise attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

In the far past, the Buddha Vessabhū prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through wise attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

In the far past, the Buddha Kakusandha prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through wise attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

In the far past, the Buddha Koṇāgamana prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through wise attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

In the far past, the Buddha Kassapa prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through wise attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

The Buddha prior to his full awakening reflects on how the world has fallen into trouble and discovers the escape from suffering through wise attention and insight into dependent co-arising.

The Buddha explains the four kinds of nourishment that sustain beings that are existing and support those seeking birth, and how they arise from craving.

The Buddha explains dependent co-arising as a process rather than an agentive sequence.

Venerable Kaccānagotta asks the Buddha about right view, and the Buddha explains how the world depends on a duality of existence and non-existence, and how the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma by the middle way.

The Buddha explains the similarities and the differences between the wise and the immature persons through dependent co-arising.

The Buddha teaches about dependent co-arising and the phenomena arisen from dependent co-arising. A noble disciple who has thoroughly seen this with right wisdom will no longer be doubtful about who they were in the past, who they will be in the future, or who they are in the present.

The Buddha explains the proximate causes for the ending of the mental defilements. The twelve factors leading to the ending of defilements are explained along with twelve factors that lead to suffering.

The Buddha describes the forty-four bases of knowledge by understanding.

Intending, planning, and underlying tendencies are the basis for the continuation of consciousness.

The Buddha explains how one can verify that they are a stream-enterer by reflecting on the five perilous animosities, the four factors of stream-entry, and clearly seeing with wisdom the noble principle of dependent co-arising.

The Buddha explains the arising and dissolution of the world through the six sense bases.

The Buddha explains the process of thoroughly investigating the arising and cessation of suffering through dependent co-arising.

The Buddha uses the simile of a bonfire to explain how perceiving gratification in objects that can be grasped at leads to clinging, to suffering, and how perceiving drawbacks in objects that can be grasped at leads to the cessation of clinging, to the ending of suffering.

When one dwells perceiving enjoyment in things that are the basis for fetters, there is a descent of consciousness. When one dwells perceiving the drawback in things that are the basis for fetters, there is no descent of consciousness.

The Buddha recounts how he attained full awakening by examining the principle of dependent co-arising. He likens this realization to a man discovering an ancient, forgotten city.

The Buddha uses a simile of dust on the tip of the fingernail to illustrate the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha uses a simile of the water in the pond to illustrate the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha uses a simile of the water at the confluence of great rivers to illustrate the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha uses a simile of the water at the confluence of great rivers to illustrate the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha uses a simile of seven lumps of clay placed on the great earth to illustrate the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha uses a simile of the earth that has been exhausted and depleted to illustrate the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha uses a simile of two or three drops of water drawn out from the great ocean to illustrate the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha uses a simile of the great ocean that has been exhausted and depleted to illustrate the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha uses a simile of seven pebbles the size of mustard seeds placed on the king of mountains, the Himalayas, to illustrate the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha uses a simile of the great Himalayan mountains that have been exhausted and depleted to illustrate the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha uses a simile of seven small pebbles the size of mung beans placed on the great mountain Sineru to contrast the extent of suffering that is exhausted and overcome by a disciple of the noble ones who has attained right view.

The Buddha describes the diversity of elements that shapes one's experience.

The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of contacts.

The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of contacts, and not the other way around.

The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of contacts, and dependent on the diversity of contacts, there arises a diversity of sensations.

The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of contacts, and dependent on the diversity of contacts, there arises a diversity of sensations. However, diversity of contacts does not arise dependent on the diversity of sensations, and diversity of elements does not arise dependent on the diversity of contacts.

The Buddha describes the diversity of the external elements - 1) the objects of vision, 2) sounds, 3) smells, 4) tastes, 5) physical sensations, and 6) mental objects.

The Buddha describes how diverse perceptions arise dependent on the diversity of elements, and how the arising of diverse intentions, desires, fevers, and quests depends on the diversity of perceptions.

The Buddha describes how the diversity of quests is not the cause for the arising of diversity of fevers, desires, intentions, perceptions, and elements. Rather, dependent on the diversity of elements, there is arises a diversity of perceptions, intentions, desires, fevers, and quests.

The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of perceptions, intentions, contacts, sensations connected with contact, desires, fevers, quests, and acquisitions.

The Buddha describes how the diversity of acquisitions is not the cause for the arising of diversity of fevers, desires, sensations connected with contact, contacts, intentions, perceptions, and elements. Rather, dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of perceptions, intentions, contacts, sensations connected with contact, desires, fevers, quests, and acquisitions.

The Buddha describes the seven elements of radiance, beauty, boundless space, boundless consciousness, nothingness, neither perception nor non-perception, and cessation of perception and feeling, and how they can be discerned and realized.

The Buddha explains how thoughts of sensuality, ill-will, and harming arise from a cause and how to abandon them.

Venerable Kaccāna asks the Buddha about the cause of the arising of the view regarding those who are not fully awakened Buddhas that they are in fact fully awakened Buddhas.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those of an inferior disposition come together and associate with others of similar inferior disposition.

The Buddha shares an observation on how beings come together and associate based on their dispositions. Those with a good disposition come together and associate with others of a similar good disposition.

Beings with similar dispositions come together and associate. The inferior come together with the inferior, and the good with the good. The Buddha shares a verse on the importance of association.

In the past, in the future, and at present, beings come together and associate based on disposition. The faithless come together and associate with the faithless, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

Beings come together and associate based on disposition. The faithless come together and associate with the faithless, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The unashamed come together and associate with the unashamed; and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The morally reckless come together and associate with the morally reckless; and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those with little learning come together and associate with those with little learning; and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The lazy come together and associate with the lazy, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The distracted come together and associate with the distracted, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The unprincipled come together and associate with the unprincipled, the virtuous come together and associate with the virtuous, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those who kill living beings come together and associate with those who kill living beings; those who take what is not given come together and associate with those who take what is not given; and similar for the other three precepts.

BBeings come together and associate according to disposition. Those who speak divisively come together and associate with those who speak divisively; and six other associations are described.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those who intense craving come together and associate with those with intense craving; those with a malicious mind come together and associate with those with a malicious mind; those with wrong views come together and associate with those with wrong views; and similar for the other seven kinds of actions.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those with wrong views come together and associate with those with wrong views, and similar for the other eight factors. Those with right views come together and associate with those with right views, and similar for the other eight factors.

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those with wrong views come together and associate with those with wrong views, and similar for the other eight factors. Those with right views come together and associate with those with right views, and similar for the other eight factors.

The Buddha describes the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air in brief.

Before his awakening, the Buddha reflected on the gratification, drawback, and escape in regard to the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air.

The Buddha explains how he investigated the four elements of earth, water, fire and air to understand the full extent of gratification, drawback, and escape in regard to each of them.

Beings are infatuated with the four great elements because of the gratification in them, become disenchanted with them because of the drawback, and escape from them because there is an escape.

If the four great elements were exclusively unpleasant, beings would not be infatuated with them. If they were exclusively pleasurable, beings would not become disenchanted with them.

Whoever delights in the four great elements, delights in what is subject to suffering, and as a result, is not freed from suffering.

The arising, persistence, production, and appearance of the four elements is the arising of suffering, the persistence of disease, and the appearance of aging and death.

The Buddha explains how understanding the gratification, drawback, and escape in the four elements leads to personal experience and attainment of the goal of asceticism or brahminhood in this very life.

The Buddha explains how understanding the arising and passing away, the gratification, drawback, and escape in the four elements leads to personal experience and attainment of the goal of asceticism or brahminhood in this very life.

The Buddha explains how understanding the arising, ending and the way of practice leading to the ending in regards to the four elements leads to personal experience and attainment of the goal of asceticism or brahminhood in this very life.

The Buddha shares that cyclic existence is without a discoverable beginning using an analogy of grass and sticks.

The Buddha shares that cyclic existence is without a discoverable beginning using an analogy of clay balls made from the earth.

The Buddha explains the vastness of an aeon using a simile of wiping a mountain with a piece of fine cloth.

The Buddha explains the vastness of an aeon using a simile of removing mustard seeds from an iron city.

The Buddha explains how many aeons have passed and gone by with a simile of four disciples with a hundred-year lifespan each recollecting a hundred thousand aeons each day and still not being able to count them all.

The Buddha explains to a brahmin that the cycle of existence is without a discoverable beginning, and that it is not easy to calculate the number of aeons that have passed by and gone.

Just as a stick thrown into the air sometimes lands on its base, sometimes in the middle and sometimes on its tip, beings, obstructed by ignorance and fettered by craving, continue to run and wander in this cycle of existence.

The Buddha explains that when you see someone faring badly, you should conclude that you too have experienced the same over the long span of time of cyclic existence.

The Buddha explains that when you see someone faring well, you should conclude that you too have experienced the same over the long span of time of cyclic existence.

The Buddha shares that it is not easy to find a being who has not been your brother at some point over the long span of time of cyclic existence.

The Buddha explains that it is not easy to find a being who has not been your father at some point over the long span of time of cyclic existence.

The Buddha shares that it is not easy to find a being who has not been your sister at some point over the long span of time of cyclic existence.

The Buddha shares that it is not easy to find a being who has not been your son at some point over the long span of time of cyclic existence.

The Buddha shares that it is not easy to find a being who has not been your daughter at some point over the long span of time of cyclic existence.

The Buddha explains how acquisitions, respect, and popularity are harsh, bitter, and severe, obstructing the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from the bondage.

The Buddha explains how acquisitions, respect, and popularity are harsh, bitter, and severe, obstructing the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from the bondage using a simile of a fisherman casting a baited hook.

The Buddha shares a simile of a wooly goat entering a thicket of thorns to explain how acquisitions, respect, and popularity are harsh, bitter, and severe, obstructing the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

The Buddha shares a simile of a dung beetle to explain how acquisitions, respect, and popularity are harsh, bitter, and severe, obstructing the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

The Buddha uses a simile of a thunderbolt to explain how acquisitions, respect, and popularity are harsh, bitter, and severe, obstructing the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

The Buddha uses a simile of a dart dipped in poison to explain how acquisitions, respect, and popularity are harsh, bitter, and severe, obstructing the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

The Buddha shares the consequences of being overwhelmed by respect, disrespect, or both, and how they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

The Buddha uses a simile of a golden bowl filled with powdered silver to explain how acquisitions, respect, and popularity are harsh, bitter, and severe, obstructing the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

The Buddha uses a simile of a silver bowl filled with powdered gold to explain how acquisitions, respect, and popularity are harsh, bitter, and severe, obstructing the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

The Buddha uses different similes to explain how acquisitions, respect, and popularity are harsh, bitter, and severe, obstructing the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

The Buddha uses a simile of a building with the peaked roof to illustrate how all unwholesome qualities have ignorance as their root, converge upon ignorance, and are eradicated with the eradication of ignorance.

Few are the beings who are reborn among humans; far more numerous, however, are the beings who are reborn elsewhere, apart from humans.

The Buddha uses the analogy of a household that is hard to overpower by thieves and burglars to illustrate the importance of developing and cultivating loving-kindness.

The Buddha explains the benefits of cultivating loving-kindness compared to giving donations.

The Buddha uses the analogy of a sharp-bladed spear that cannot be easily grasped, twisted, or rolled back to illustrate the power of loving-kindness in protecting the mind from agitation by non-human beings.

The Buddha uses a simile of a man who can catch the arrows shot by well-trained archers before they touch the ground to illustrate that life-sustaining conditions wear away faster than that.

The Buddha uses a simile of a cracked drum to illustrate that the profound teachings of the Tathāgata will disappear in the future as people lose interest in them.

The Buddha shares an analogy of the Licchavīs to illustrate the importance of diligence and continuous effort in the practice.

The Buddha uses a simile of the bull elephants to illustrate the importance of using acquisitions without being tied to them or fixated on them, while seeing the danger in them, and understanding the escape.

The Buddha uses a simile of a cat and a mouse to illustrate how not setting up mindfulness and being unrestrained in the sense faculties can lead to death or deadly suffering.

The Buddha describes rebirth as a jackal with mange as fortunate for a certain person who claims to be the Buddha's follower. The Buddha then encourages the bhikkhus to train themselves diligently.

The Buddha encourages the bhikkhus to train themselves to be grateful and acknowledge what has been done for them.