THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE OLD PATH
SN 12.65

Dwelling at Savatthi,

“Monks, before my Awakening, when I was just an unawakened bodhisattva, the realization came to me: ‘How this world has fallen on difficulty! It is born, it ages, it dies, it falls away and rearises, but it does not discern the escape from this stress (dukkha), from this aging and death. O when will it discern the escape from this stress, from this aging and death?’

“Then the thought occurred to me, ‘Aging and death exist when what exists? From what as a requisite condition is there aging and death?’

“From my careful attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: ‘Aging and death exist when birth exists. From birth as a requisite condition comes aging and death.’

“Then the thought occurred to me, ‘Birth exists when what exists? From what as a requisite condition comes birth?’

“From my careful attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: ‘Birth exists when becoming exists. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth.’

“Then the thought occurred to me, ‘Name-and-form exists when what exists? From what as a requisite condition is there name-and-form?’

“From my careful attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: ‘Name-and-form exists when consciousness exists. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-and-form.’

“Then the thought occurred to me, ‘Consciousness exists when what exists? From what as a requisite condition comes consciousness?’

“From my appropriate attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: ‘Consciousness exists when name-and-form exists. From name-and-form as a requisite condition comes consciousness.’

“Then the thought occurred to me, ‘This consciousness turns back at name-and-form, and goes no farther. It is to this extent that there is birth, aging, death, falling away, and re-arising.’

‘Thus, from name-and-form as a requisite condition comes consciousness. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-and-form.’

‘From name-and-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media. With the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact.’

“Then the thought occurred to me, ‘With contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. With feeling as a requisite condition comes craving.’

‘From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging. From clinging as a requisite condition comes becoming. With becoming as a requisite condition comes birth.’

‘From birth as a requisite condition comes ageing and death.’

‘Thus is the origination of this entire mass of stress. Origination, origination.’

‘Vision arose, clear knowing arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before.’

INSERT VISUAL BREAK

“Then the thought occurred to me, ‘Aging and death don’t exist when what doesn’t exist? From the cessation of what comes the cessation of aging and death?’

“From my careful attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: ‘Aging and death don’t exist when birth doesn’t exist. From the cessation of birth comes the cessation of aging and death.’

‘Name-and-form doesn’t exist when what doesn’t exist? From the cessation of what comes the cessation of name-and-form?’

“From my careful attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: ‘Name-and-form doesn’t exist when consciousness doesn’t exist. From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-and-form.’

“Then the thought occurred to me, ‘Consciousness doesn’t exist when what doesn’t exist? From the cessation of what comes the cessation of consciousness?’

“From my careful attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: ‘Consciousness doesn’t exist when name-and-form doesn’t exist. From the cessation of name-and-form comes the cessation of consciousness.’

“Then thought occurred to me, ‘I have attained this path to awakening, i.e., from the cessation of name-and-form comes the cessation of consciousness, from the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-and-form.’

‘From the cessation of name-and-form comes the cessation of the six sense media.’

‘From the cessation of the six sense media comes the cessation of contact.’

‘From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling.’

‘From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving.’

‘From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging.’

‘From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming.’

‘From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth.’

‘From the cessation of birth, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair all cease.’

‘Thus is the cessation of this entire mass of stress. Cessation, cessation.’

‘Vision arose, clear knowing arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before.’

INSERT VISUAL BREAK

‘It is just as if a man, traveling along a wilderness track, were to see an ancient path, an ancient road traveled by people of former times. This man would follow it and following it, he would see an ancient city, an ancient capital inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, groves, and ponds, walled, delightful.

He would go to address the king or the king’s minister, saying, “Sire, you should know that while traveling along a wilderness track I saw an ancient path, an ancient road traveled by people of former times. I followed it and following it I saw an ancient city, an ancient capital inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, groves, and ponds, walled, delightful. Sire, rebuild that city!”

‘The king or king’s minister would rebuild the city, so that at a later date the city would become powerful, rich, and well-populated, fully grown and prosperous.’

‘In the same way I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-Awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-Awakened Ones of former times?’

‘Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.’

‘That is the ancient path, the ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-Awakened Ones of former times. I followed that path.’

‘Following it, I came to direct knowledge of aging and death, direct knowledge of the origination of aging and death, direct knowledge of the cessation of aging and death, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of aging and death.’

‘I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of birth, direct knowledge of the origination of birth, direct knowledge of the cessation of birth, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of birth.’

‘Following it, I came to direct knowledge of becoming, direct knowledge of the origination of becoming, direct knowledge of the cessation of becoming, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of becoming.’

‘Following it, I came to direct knowledge of clinging, direct knowledge of the origination of clinging, direct knowledge of the cessation of clinging, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of clinging.’

‘Following it, I came to direct knowledge of craving, direct knowledge of the origination of craving, direct knowledge of the cessation of craving, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of craving.’

‘Following it, I came to direct knowledge of feeling, direct knowledge of the origination of feeling, direct knowledge of the cessation of feeling, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of feeling.’

‘Following it, I came to direct knowledge of contact, direct knowledge of the origination of contact, direct knowledge of the cessation of contact, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of contact.’

‘Following it, I came to direct knowledge of the six sense media, direct knowledge of the origination of the six sense media, direct knowledge of the cessation of the six sense media, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of the six sense media.’

‘Following it, I came to direct knowledge of name-and-form, direct knowledge of the origination of name-and-form, direct knowledge of the cessation of name-and-form, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of name-and-form.’

‘Following it, I came to direct knowledge of consciousness, direct knowledge of the origination of consciousness, direct knowledge of the cessation of consciousness, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of consciousness. I followed that path.’

‘Following it, I came to direct knowledge of volitional formations, direct knowledge of the origination of volitional formations, direct knowledge of the cessation of volitional formations, direct knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of volitional formations.’

‘Knowing that directly, I have revealed it to monks, nuns, male lay followers and female lay followers, so that this holy life has become powerful, rich, detailed, well-populated, wide-spread, proclaimed among celestial and human beings.’”

COMMENTARY and NOTES

This sutra divides neatly into two sections. Consider which core teachings are discussed in each section and how they relate to each other and become elements of the parable of the ancient city which is presented in the second section.

The term middle path, in popular usage, is thought of a halfway between two extremes or a midpoint compromise, but that isn’t what was meant by “middle path” in the ancient scriptures. Consider how this sutra presents and defines the middle path.

While dependent origination is most commonly depicted as a chain with twelve links, here we find a variation with only ten links, ignorance and volitional formations being left out. Also, in this sutra, name-and-form and consciousness are tied into a tight loop, flopping back and forth on each other.

Consider what can be understood by viewing consciousness in this special light, particularly in relation to the ending our clinging, to dukkha and to awakening.

The coupling of name-and-form (nama-rupa: mind and body; mind and matter; words and physical forms) is often misunderstood. It is, in a sense, the underpinning of our individual identities. Consider it’s meaning in your practice and your understanding of your “self.”

In this sutra it is said that “from the cessation of name-and-form comes the cessation of consciousness.” Following that, there is a domino effect which ends with “the cessation of the whole mass of suffering.” Consider how you might practice with this understanding during a personal crisis to lessen the stress and suffering.

What aspects of this particular presentation of dependent origination could you use to stop a headache?