SN 12.38

CDB i 576

Cetanaa Sutta: Volition

translated from the Pali by

Maurice O'Connell Walshe

Alternate translation: Thanissaro

The Pali title of this sutta is based on the PTS (Feer) edition.

[1] [ At Saavatthii the Blessed One said: ] "Monks, what a man wills, what he plans, what he dwells on forms the basis for the continuation of consciousness. [2] This basis being present, consciousness has a lodgment. Consciousness being lodged there and growing, rebirth of renewed existence takes place in the future, and from this renewed existence arise birth, decay-and-death, grief, lamentation, suffering, sorrow and despair. Such is the uprising of this entire mass of suffering.

"Even if a man does not will and plan, yet if he dwells on something this forms a basis for the continuation of consciousness:... rebirth... takes place...

"But if a man neither wills nor plans nor dwells on anything, no basis is formed for the continuation of consciousness. This basis being absent, consciousness has no lodgment. Consciousness not being lodged there and not growing, no rebirth of renewed existence takes place in the future, and so birth, decay-and-death, grief, lamentation, suffering, sorrow and despair are destroyed. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering."

Notes

1.: Cetanaa . This is equated in AN vi, 13 with kamma. [Cf. AN 6.63 , sect. [5]: "... Intention, I tell you, is kamma."]
2.: Consciousness (defined as "karmic consciousness" in SA [SN Commentary]) is dependent on the formations ( sankhaaraa ) of which volition ( n. 1 ) is one.

You may copy, reformat, reprint, republish, and redistribute this work in any medium whatsoever, provided that: (1) you only make such copies, etc. available free of charge and, in the case of reprinting, only in quantities of no more than 50 copies; (2) you clearly indicate that any derivatives of this work (including translations) are derived from this source document; and (3) you include the full text of this license in any copies or derivatives of this work. Otherwise, all rights reserved. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. From Samyutta Nikaya: An Anthology (WH 318-321) , by M. O'C. Walshe (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1985). Transcribed from the print edition in 2007 by a volunteer, under the auspices of the Access to Insight Dhamma Transcription Project and by arrangement with the Buddhist Publication Society. Minor revisions were made in accordance with the ATI style sheet. Pali diacritics are represented using the Velthuis convention. Last revised for Access to Insight on 30 November 2013.

How to cite this document (a suggested style): "Cetanaa Sutta: Volition" (SN 12.38), translated from the Pali by Maurice O'Connell Walshe. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition) , 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.038.wlsh.html .