Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)

1 The Cy.here inquires into the omission of thetwoultimate links in the • Chain of Causation ' that are given in most of the passages where the formula occurs — notably in the Nidana Samyutta and in the Majjhima Nikaya (I, pp. 49-52, 261, &c.) ; also in Dh. S., p. 348, and Vibh., pp. 135 ff. It judges that, whereas avijja and sahkhara relate to existence prior to that in which the remainder of the terms from vinfia- ;/arh to jaramarawarh, for any given individual, hold true, Vipassi's vipassana was confining itself to any given present life. Mr. Loveday, in his essay on the ' Chain,' also came to the conclusion that, to apply the links in succession to any individual life, ' ignorance ' and ' the sahkharas' must be referred to prior existence. (J. A. O. S., 1894.)

2 In S. II, 144 their independence is compared to two sheaves of reeds leaning one against the other. Elsewhere — in definitions of namarupa7« — nama is sometimes made to include vinna;jam, Dh. S., pp. 341, 342, sometimes not, M. I, 53; Vibh. 136.

D. ii. 35- TI1E SUBLIME STORY. 2J

20. ' Then to Vipassi the Bodhisat, brethren, this occurred : — " What now being absent, is decay and dying also absent ; by the ceasing of what does decay and dying cease ? " Then, brethren, from attention to the cause arose the conviction through reason : — " Where birth is absent, decay and dying are absent ; when birth ceases, decay and dying cease . . . Where becoming is absent, birth is absent ; when becomingceases, birth ceases . . . Where grasping is absent, becoming is absent ; when grasping ceases, becoming ceases . . . Where craving is absent, grasping is absent ; when craving ceases, grasping ceases . . . [34] Where feeling is absent, craving is absent ; when feeling ceases, craving ceases . . . Where contact is absent, feeling is absent ; when contact ceases, feeling ceases . . . Where the sixfold field is absent, contact is absent ; when the sixfold field ceases, contact ceases . . . Where name-and-form is absent, the sixfold field is absent ; when name-and-form ceases, the sixfold field ceases . . . WThere cognition is absent, name-and-form is absent ; when cognition ceases, name-and-form ceases . . . Where name-and-form is absent, cognition is absent ; when name-and-form ceases, cognition ceases."

21. 'Then to Vipassi the Bodhisat, brethren, this occurred : — " Lo ! I have won to this, [35] the Way to enlightenment through insight \ And it is this, that from name-and-form ceasing, cognition ceases, and conversely ; that from name-and-form ceasing, the sixfold field ceases ; from the sixfold field ceasing, contact ceases ; from contact ceasing, feeling ceases ; from feeling ceasing, craving ceases ; from craving ceasing, grasping ceases ; from grasping ceasing, becoming ceases ; from becoming ceasing, birth ceases ; from birth ceasing, decay and dying, grief, lamentation, ill, sorrow and despair cease. Such is the ceasing of this entire body of 111."

1 Literally ' the Vipassana Way to insight.' As this is not a stock phrase in this connexion it doubtless contains a play on the name Vipassi.

p. 2

1 " Ceasing to be, ceasing to be ! " — at that thought, brethren, there arose to Vipassi the Bodhisat a vision into things not called before to mind, and knowledge arose, reason arose, wisdom arose, light arose.