Suffering is dependently arisen on contact

Attached to the Four Noble Truths 

The Naked Ascetic Kassapa

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary.  Then, in the morning, the Blessed One dressed and, taking bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms. The naked ascetic Kassapa saw the Blessed One coming in the distance. Having seen him, he approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he stood to one side and said to him:

“We would like to ask Master Gotama about a certain point, if he would grant us the favour of answering our question.”

“This is not the right time for a question, Kassapa. We have entered among the houses.” A second time and a third time the naked ascetic Kassapa said to the Blessed One: “We would like to ask Master Gotama about a certain point, if he would grant us the favour of answering our question.”

“This is not the right time for a question, Kassapa. We have entered among the houses.”Then the naked ascetic Kassapa said to the Blessed One: “We do not wish to ask Master Gotama much.”

“Then ask what you want, Kassapa.”

“How is it, Master Gotama: is suffering created by oneself?”“Not so, Kassapa,” the Blessed One said.“Then, Master Gotama, is suffering created by another?”“Not so, Kassapa,” the Blessed One said.“How is it then, Master Gotama: is suffering created both by oneself and by another?”“Not so, Kassapa,” the Blessed One said. [20]“Then, Master Gotama, has suffering arisen fortuitously, being created neither by oneself nor by another?”37“Not so, Kassapa,” the Blessed One said.“How is it then, Master Gotama: is there no suffering?”“It is not that there is no suffering, Kassapa; there is suffering.”“Then is it that Master Gotama does not know and see suffering?”“It is not that I do not know and see suffering, Kassapa. I know suffering, I see suffering.”

“Whether you are asked: ‘How is it, Master Gotama: is suffering created by oneself?’ or ‘Is it created by another?’ or ‘Is it created by both?’ or ‘Is it created by neither?’ in each case you say: ‘Not so, Kassapa.’ When you are asked: ‘How is it then, Master Gotama: is there no suffering?’ you say: ‘It is not that there is no suffering, Kassapa; there is suffering.’ When asked: ‘Then is it that Master Gotama does not know and see suffering?’ you say: ‘It is not that I do not know and see suffering, Kassapa. I know suffering, I see suffering.’ Venerable sir, let the Blessed One explain suffering to me. Let the Blessed One teach me about suffering.”38

“Kassapa, [if one thinks,] ‘The one who acts is the same as the one who experiences [the result],’ [then one asserts] with reference to one existing from the beginning: ‘Suffering is created by oneself.’ When one asserts thus, this amounts to eternalism.

But, Kassapa, [if one thinks,] ‘The one who acts is one, the one who experiences [the result] is another,’ [then one asserts] with reference to one stricken by feeling: ‘Suffering is created by another.’ When one asserts thus, this amounts to annihilationism.

Without veering towards either of these extremes, the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma by the middle: ‘With ignorance as condition, determinations [come to be]; with determinations as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving; with craving as condition, clinging; with clinging as condition, being; with being as condition, birth; with birth as condition, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

“But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of determinations; with the cessation of determinations, cessation of consciousness; with the cessation of consciousness, cessation of name-and-form; with the cessation of name-and-form, cessation of the six sense bases; with the cessation of the six sense bases, cessation of contact; with the cessation of contact, cessation of feeling; with the cessation of feeling, cessation of craving; with the cessation of craving, cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, cessation of being; with the cessation of being, cessation of birth; with the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease. Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.” SN 12: 17

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At Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove.

Then, in the morning, the Venerable Sāriputta dressed and, taking bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms. Then it occurred to him: “It is still too early to walk for alms in Rājagaha. Let me go to the park of the wanderers of other sects.”Then the Venerable Sāriputta went to the park of the wanderers of other sects. He exchanged greetings with those wanderers and, when they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side. The wanderers then said to him:

“Friend Sāriputta, some ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, maintain that suffering is created by oneself; some ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, maintain that suffering is created by another; some ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, maintain that suffering is created both by oneself and by another; some ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action maintain that suffering has arisen fortuitously, being created neither by oneself nor by another.

Now, friend Sāriputta, what does the ascetic Gotama say about this? What does he teach? How should we answer if we are to state what has been said by the ascetic Gotama and not misrepresent him with what is contrary to fact? And how should we explain in accordance with the Dhamma so that no reasonable consequence of our assertion would give ground for criticism?”

“Friends, the Blessed One has said that suffering is dependently arisen. Dependent on what? Dependent on contact. If one were to speak thus one would be stating what has been said by the Blessed One and would not misrepresent him with what is contrary to fact; one would explain in accordance with the Dhamma, and no reasonable consequence of one’s assertion would give ground for criticism.

“Therein, friends, in the case of those ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, who maintain that suffering is created by oneself, that is conditioned by contact. Also, in the case of those ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, who maintain that suffering is created by another, that too is conditioned by contact. Also, in the case of those ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, who maintain that suffering is created both by oneself and by another, that too is conditioned by contact. Also, in the case of those ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, who maintain that suffering has arisen fortuitously, being created neither by oneself nor by another, that too is conditioned by contact.

“Therein, friends, in the case of those ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, who maintain that suffering is created by oneself, it is impossible that they will experience [anything] without contact. Also, in the case of those ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, who maintain that suffering is created by another, it is impossible that they will experience [anything] without contact. Also, in the case of those ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, who maintain that suffering is created both by oneself and by another, it is impossible that they will experience [anything] without contact. Also, in the case of those ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, who maintain that suffering has arisen fortuitously, being created neither by oneself nor by another, it is impossible that they will experience [anything] without contact.” (...)

“It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is amazing, venerable sir! How the entire meaning can be stated by a single phrase! Can this same meaning be stated in detail in a way that is deep and deep in implications?"

“Well then, Ānanda, clear up that same matter yourself.”

“Venerable sir, if they were to ask me: ‘Friend Ānanda, what is the source of aging-and-death, what is its origin, from what is it born and produced?’—being asked thus, I would answer thus: ‘Friends, aging-and-death has birth as its source, birth as its origin; it is born and produced from birth.’ Being asked thus, I would answer in such a way. “Venerable sir, if they were to ask me: ‘Friend Ānanda, what is the source of birth, what is its origin, from what is it born and produced?’—being asked thus, I would answer thus: ‘Friends, birth has existence as its source, existence as its origin; it is born and produced from existence…. Existence has clinging as its source ... Clinging has craving as its source ... Craving has feeling as its source ... Feeling has contact as its source ... Contact has the six sense bases as its source, the six sense bases as its origin; it is born and produced from the six sense bases. But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of the six bases for contact comes cessation of contact; with the cessation of contact, cessation of feeling; with the cessation of feeling, cessation of craving; with the cessation of craving, cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, cessation of existence; with the cessation of existence, cessation of birth; with the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease. Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.’ Being asked thus, venerable sir, I would answer in such a way.” SN 12: 24

At Sāvatthı̄.

(i)

Then, in the evening, the Venerable Bhūmija emerged from seclusion and approached the Venerable S̄riputta. He exchanged greetings with the Venerable Sāriputta and, when they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to him:“Friend Sāriputta, some ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, maintain that pleasure and pain are created by oneself; some ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, maintain that pleasure and pain are created by another; some ascetics and brahmins, proponents of kamma, maintain that pleasure and pain are created both by oneself and by another; some ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, maintain that pleasure and pain have arisen fortuitously, being created neither by oneself nor by another.76 Now, friend Sāriputta, what does the Blessed One say about this? What does he teach? How should we answer if we are to state what has been said by the Blessed One and not misrepresent him with what is contrary to fact? And how should we explain in accordance with the Dhamma so that no reasonable consequence of our assertion would give ground for criticism?”

“Friend, the Blessed One has said that pleasure and pain are dependently arisen. Dependent on what? Dependent on contact. If one were to speak thus one would be stating what has been said by the Blessed One and would not misrepresent him with what is contrary to fact; one would explain in accordance with the Dhamma, and no reasonable consequence of one’s assertion would give ground for criticism.“Therein, friend, in the case of those ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, who maintain that pleasure and pain are created by oneself, and those who maintain that pleasure and pain are created by another, and those who maintain that pleasure and pain are created both by oneself and by another, and those who maintain that pleasure and pain have arisen fortuitously, being created neither by oneself nor by another—in each case that is conditioned by contact.

“Therein, friends, in the case of those ascetics and brahmins, proponents of action, who maintain that pleasure and pain are created by oneself, and those who maintain that pleasure and pain are created by another, and those who maintain that pleasure and pain are created both by oneself and by another, and those who maintain that pleasure and pain have arisen fortuitously, being created neither by oneself nor by another—in each case it is impossible that they will experience [anything] without contact.” (...)

(iii)

“Ānanda, when there is the body, because of bodily volition pleasure and pain arise internally; when there is speech, because of verbal volition pleasure and pain arise internally; when there is the mind, because of mental volition pleasure and pain arise internally—and with ignorance as condition.

“Either on one’s own initiative, Ᾱnanda one generates that bodily determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally; or prompted by others one generates that bodily determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally. Either deliberately, Ānanda, one generates that bodily determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally; or undeliberately one generates that bodily determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally.

“Either on one’s own initiative, Ānanda, one generates that verbal determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally; or prompted by others one generates that verbal determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally. Either deliberately, Ānanda, one generates that verbal determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally; or undeliberately one generates that verbal determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally.

“Either on one’s own initiative, Ānanda, one generates that mental determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally; or prompted by others one generates that mental determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally. Either deliberately, Ānanda, one generates that mental determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally; or undeliberately one generates that mental determination conditioned by which pleasure and pain arise internally.

"Ignorance is comprised within these states. But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance that body does not exist conditioned by which that pleasure and pain arise internally; that speech does not exist conditioned by which that pleasure and pain arise internally; that mind does not exist conditioned by which that pleasure and pain arise internally.81 That field does not exist, that site does not exist, that base does not exist, that foundation does not exist conditioned by which that pleasure and pain arise internally.”82 SN 12: 25