{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn12.67/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn12.67","id":"suttacentral_sn12.67","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn12.67/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"At one time Venerable S\u0101riputta and Venerable Mah\u0101ko\u1e6d\u1e6dhita were staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana. Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Mah\u0101ko\u1e6d\u1e6dhita came out of retreat, went to Venerable S\u0101riputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to S\u0101riputta: \u201cWell, Reverend S\u0101riputta, are old age and death made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or do they arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?\u201d \u201cNo, Reverend Ko\u1e6d\u1e6dhita, old age and death are not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor do they arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another. Rather, rebirth is a requirement for old age and death.\u201d \u201cWell, Reverend S\u0101riputta, is rebirth made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or does it arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?\u201d \u201cNo, Reverend Ko\u1e6d\u1e6dhita, rebirth is not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor does it arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another. Rather, continued existence is a requirement for rebirth.\u201d \u201cWell, Reverend S\u0101riputta, is continued existence made by oneself? \u2026\u201d \u2026 \u201cIs grasping made by oneself? \u2026\u201d \u2026 \u201cIs craving made by oneself? \u2026\u201d \u2026 \u201cIs feeling made by oneself? \u2026\u201d \u2026 \u201cIs contact made by oneself? \u2026\u201d \u2026 \u201cAre the six sense fields made by oneself? \u2026\u201d \u2026 \u201cWell, Reverend S\u0101riputta, are name and form made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or do they arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?\u201d \u201cNo, Reverend Ko\u1e6d\u1e6dhita, name and form are not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor do they arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another. Rather, consciousness is a requirement for name and form.\u201d \u201cWell, Reverend S\u0101riputta, is consciousness made by oneself? Or by another? Or by both oneself and another? Or does it arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another?\u201d \u201cNo, Reverend Ko\u1e6d\u1e6dhita, consciousness is not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor does it arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another. Rather, name and form are requirements for consciousness.\u201d \u201cJust now I understood you to say: \u2018No, Reverend Ko\u1e6d\u1e6dhita, name and form are not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor do they arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another. Rather, consciousness is a requirement for name and form.\u2019 But I also understood you to say: \u2018No, Reverend Ko\u1e6d\u1e6dhita, consciousness is not made by oneself, nor by another, nor by both oneself and another, nor does it arise anomalously, not made by oneself or another. Rather, name and form are requirements for consciousness.\u2019 How then should we see the meaning of this statement?\u201d \u201cWell then, reverend, I shall give you a simile. For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said. Suppose there were two sheaves of reeds leaning up against each other. In the same way, name and form are requirements for consciousness. Consciousness is a requirement for name and form. Name and form are requirements for the six sense fields. The six sense fields are requirements for contact. \u2026 That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. If the first of those sheaves of reeds were to be pulled away, the other would collapse. And if the other were to be pulled away, the first would collapse. In the same way, when name and form cease, consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. When name and form cease, the six sense fields cease. When the six sense fields cease, contact ceases. \u2026 That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s incredible, Reverend S\u0101riputta, it\u2019s amazing! How well spoken this was by Venerable S\u0101riputta! And we can express our agreement with Venerable S\u0101riputta\u2019s statement on these thirty-six grounds. If a mendicant teaches Dhamma for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding old age and death, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018a mendicant who speaks on Dhamma\u2019. If they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding old age and death, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018a mendicant who practices in line with the teaching\u2019. If they\u2019re freed by not grasping by disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding old age and death, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018a mendicant who has attained extinguishment in this very life\u2019. If a mendicant teaches Dhamma for disillusionment regarding rebirth \u2026 continued existence \u2026 grasping \u2026 craving \u2026 feeling \u2026 contact \u2026 the six sense fields \u2026 name and form \u2026 consciousness \u2026 choices \u2026 If a mendicant teaches Dhamma for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding ignorance, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018a mendicant who speaks on Dhamma\u2019. If they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding ignorance, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018a mendicant who practices in line with the teaching\u2019. If they\u2019re freed by not grasping by disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding ignorance, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018a mendicant who has attained extinguishment in this very life\u2019.\u201d","title":"Sheaves of Reeds","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":860}