SN 12.55

Mahārukkhasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Upādāniyesu, bhikkhave, dhammesu assādānupassino viharato taṇhā pavaḍḍhati. Taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ; upādānapaccayā bhavo …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

A Great Tree

At Sāvatthī. “There are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows. Craving is a requirement for grasping. Grasping is a requirement for continued existence. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahārukkho. Tassa yāni ceva mūlāni adhogamāni, yāni ca tiriyaṅgamāni, sabbāni tāni uddhaṁ ojaṁ abhiharanti. Evañhi so, bhikkhave, mahārukkho tadāhāro tadupādāno ciraṁ dīghamaddhānaṁ tiṭṭheyya. Evameva kho, bhikkhave, upādāniyesu dhammesu assādānupassino viharato taṇhā pavaḍḍhati. Taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

Suppose there was a great tree. And its roots going downwards and across all draw the sap upwards. Fed and fuelled by that, the great tree would stand for a long time. In the same way, there are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows. Craving is a requirement for grasping. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

Upādāniyesu, bhikkhave, dhammesu ādīnavānupassino viharato taṇhā nirujjhati. Taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti.

There are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the drawbacks of these things, your craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. … That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahārukkho. Atha puriso āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya. So taṁ rukkhaṁ mūle chindeyya, mūlaṁ chinditvā palikhaṇeyya, palikhaṇitvā mūlāni uddhareyya antamaso usīranāḷimattānipi. So taṁ rukkhaṁ khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chindeyya, khaṇḍākhaṇḍikaṁ chinditvā phāleyya, phāletvā sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ kareyya, sakalikaṁ sakalikaṁ karitvā vātātape visoseyya; vātātape visosetvā agginā ḍaheyya, agginā ḍahetvā masiṁ kareyya, masiṁ karitvā mahāvāte vā ophuṇeyya nadiyā vā sīghasotāya pavāheyya. Evañhi so, bhikkhave, mahārukkho ucchinnamūlo assa tālāvatthukato anabhāvaṅkato āyatiṁ anuppādadhammo. Evameva kho, bhikkhave, upādāniyesu dhammesu ādīnavānupassino viharato taṇhā nirujjhati. Taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti.

Suppose there was a great tree. Then a person comes along with a spade and basket. They’d cut the tree down at the roots, dig it up, and pull the roots out, down to the fibers and stems. They’d cut the tree apart, cut up the parts, and chop it into splinters. They’d dry the splinters in the wind and sun, burn them with fire, and reduce them to ashes. Then they’d winnow the ashes in a strong wind, or float them away down a swift stream. In this way the great tree is cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future. In the same way, there are things that fuel grasping. When you concentrate on the drawbacks of these things, your craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. … That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”