Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā mallesu viharati uruvelakappaṁ nāma mallānaṁ nigamo. Atha kho bhadrako gāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho bhadrako gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling among the |Mallas::name of the people of Malla, Mallans; lit. wrestlers [mallā]|, in a town of the Mallas named Uruvelakappa. Then Bhadraka the |headman::head of the village, chieftain [gāmaṇi]| approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he paid homage to to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Bhadraka the headman said to the Blessed One:
“sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā dukkhassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca desetū”ti.
“Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One were to teach me the |arising::source, appearance, origination [samudaya]| and the |passing away::disappearance, vanishing, subsiding [atthaṅgama]| of |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|.”
“Ahañce te, gāmaṇi, atītamaddhānaṁ ārabbha dukkhassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca deseyyaṁ: ‘evaṁ ahosi atītamaddhānan’ti, tatra te siyā kaṅkhā, siyā vimati. Ahañce te, gāmaṇi, anāgatamaddhānaṁ ārabbha dukkhassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca deseyyaṁ: ‘evaṁ bhavissati anāgatamaddhānan’ti, tatrāpi te siyā kaṅkhā, siyā vimati. Api cāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, idheva nisinno ettheva te nisinnassa dukkhassa samudayañca atthaṅgamañca desessāmi. Taṁ suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.
“If, headman, I were to teach you the arising and the passing away of suffering in relation to the past, saying: ‘It was like this in the past,’ then there might arise |doubt::uncertainty, perplexity, hesitation—especially in relation to faith, truth, or decision-making on the path [kaṅkhā]| or |confusion::uncertainty, indecision, deluded thinking, mental cloudiness [vimati]| in you. And if I were to teach you the arising and the passing away of suffering in relation to the future, saying: ‘It will be like this in the future,’ there too, doubt or confusion might arise in you. But as I sit right here and you are seated right there, headman, I shall teach you the arising and the passing away of suffering. Listen to this, and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho bhadrako gāmaṇi bhagavato paccassosi. Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Yes, venerable sir,” Bhadraka the headman assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, atthi te uruvelakappe manussā yesaṁ te vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
“What do you think, headman? Are there any people here in Uruvelakappa who, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair?”
“Atthi me, bhante, uruvelakappe manussā yesaṁ me vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, there are people in Uruvelakappa who, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would cause me sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.”
“Atthi pana te, gāmaṇi, uruvelakappe manussā yesaṁ te vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā nuppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
“But, headman, are there any people here in Uruvelakappa who, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would not cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair?”
“Atthi me, bhante, uruvelakappe manussā yesaṁ me vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā nuppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, there are people in Uruvelakappa who, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would not cause me sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.”
“Ko nu kho, gāmaṇi, hetu, ko paccayo yena te ekaccānaṁ uruvelakappiyānaṁ manussānaṁ vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
“What, headman, is the cause, what is the reason why, when some people of Uruvelakappa are executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it causes sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair to arise in you?”
“Yesaṁ me, bhante, uruvelakappiyānaṁ manussānaṁ vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā, atthi me tesu chandarāgo. Yesaṁ pana, bhante, uruvelakappiyānaṁ manussānaṁ vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā nuppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā, natthi me tesu chandarāgo”ti.
“Venerable sir, it is because I have |desire and attachment::desire-passion, sensual craving, intention of sensuality and lust [chandarāga]| toward those people of Uruvelakappa that, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would cause me sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. But venerable sir, it is because I have no desire and attachment toward those other people of Uruvelakappa that, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would not cause me sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.”
“Iminā tvaṁ, gāmaṇi, dhammena diṭṭhena viditena akālikena pattena pariyogāḷhena atītānāgate nayaṁ nehi: ‘yaṁ kho kiñci atītamaddhānaṁ dukkhaṁ uppajjamānaṁ uppajji sabbaṁ taṁ chandamūlakaṁ chandanidānaṁ. Chando hi mūlaṁ dukkhassa. Yampi hi kiñci anāgatamaddhānaṁ dukkhaṁ uppajjamānaṁ uppajjissati, sabbaṁ taṁ chandamūlakaṁ chandanidānaṁ. Chando hi mūlaṁ dukkhassā’”ti.
“Headman, by means of this principle that is seen, understood, immediately attained, penetrated, apply the method to the past and to the future thus: ‘Whatever suffering arose in the past, all that arose rooted in desire, with desire as its source; for desire is the root of suffering. Whatever suffering will arise in the future, all that will arise rooted in desire, with desire as its source; for desire is the root of suffering.’”
“Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā: ‘yaṁ kiñci dukkhaṁ uppajjamānaṁ uppajjati, sabbaṁ taṁ chandamūlakaṁ chandanidānaṁ. Chando hi mūlaṁ dukkhassā’ti.
“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvelous, venerable sir. How well this has been stated by the Blessed One: ‘Whatever suffering arises, all of it arises rooted in desire, based on desire. For desire is the root of suffering.’
Atthi me, bhante, ciravāsī nāma kumāro bahi āvasathe paṭivasati. So khvāhaṁ, bhante, kālasseva vuṭṭhāya purisaṁ uyyojemi: ‘gaccha, bhaṇe, ciravāsiṁ kumāraṁ jānāhī’ti. Yāvakīvañca, bhante, so puriso nāgacchati, tassa me hoteva aññathattaṁ: ‘mā heva ciravāsissa kumārassa kiñci ābādhayitthā’”ti.
Venerable sir, I have a boy named Ciravāsī who stays at an outside residence. Early in the morning, venerable sir, having risen, I dispatch a man, saying: ‘Go, my good man, find out how the boy Ciravāsī is.’ And, venerable sir, until that man returns, I remain anxious: ‘I hope nothing afflicts the boy Ciravāsī!’”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, ciravāsissa kumārassa vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
“What do you think, headman? If your son Ciravāsī were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, would it cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair?”
“Ciravāsissa me, bhante, kumārassa vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā jīvitassapi siyā aññathattaṁ, kiṁ pana me nuppajjissanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti.
“Venerable sir, if my son Ciravāsī were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, my very life might be altered—how could sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair not arise in me?”
“Imināpi kho etaṁ, gāmaṇi, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ: ‘yaṁ kiñci dukkhaṁ uppajjamānaṁ uppajjati, sabbaṁ taṁ chandamūlakaṁ chandanidānaṁ. Chando hi mūlaṁ dukkhassā’ti.
“So, headman, by this method too it should be understood: ‘Whatever suffering arises, all of it arises rooted in desire, based on desire. For desire is the root of suffering.’
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, yadā te ciravāsimātā adiṭṭhā ahosi, assutā ahosi, te ciravāsimātuyā chando vā rāgo vā pemaṁ vā”ti?
What do you think, headman? Before you saw Ciravāsī’s mother or heard about her, did you have any desire, |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|, or |affection::dearness, fondness [pema]| for her?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, venerable sir.”
“Dassanaṁ vā te, gāmaṇi, āgamma savanaṁ vā evaṁ te ahosi: ‘ciravāsimātuyā chando vā rāgo vā pemaṁ vā’”ti?
“Was it, headman, because of seeing her or hearing about her that this desire, passion, or affection arose in you for Ciravāsī’s mother?”
“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, gāmaṇi, ciravāsimātuyā te vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
“What do you think, headman? If Ciravāsī’s mother were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, would it cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair?”
“Ciravāsimātuyā me, bhante, vadhena vā bandhena vā jāniyā vā garahāya vā jīvitassapi siyā aññathattaṁ, kiṁ pana me nuppajjissanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti.
“Venerable sir, if Ciravāsī’s mother were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, my very life might be altered—how could sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair not arise in me?”
“Imināpi kho etaṁ, gāmaṇi, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ: ‘yaṁ kiñci dukkhaṁ uppajjamānaṁ uppajjati, sabbaṁ taṁ chandamūlakaṁ chandanidānaṁ. Chando hi mūlaṁ dukkhassā’”ti.
“So, headman, by this method too it should be understood: ‘Whatever suffering arises, all of it arises rooted in desire, based on desire. For desire is the root of suffering.’”