Consciousness

SN 12.59 · Viññāṇasutta

A stone footpath ascending through a quiet forest.

At Sāvatthī.

“There are things that tighten the fetters. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, consciousness is conceived.

Consciousness is a requirement for name and form. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

Suppose there was a great tree. And its roots going downwards and across all draw the sap upwards. …

In the same way, there are things that tighten the fetters. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, consciousness is conceived. …

There are things that tighten the fetters. When you concentrate on the drawbacks of these things, consciousness is not conceived. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. … That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.

Suppose there was a great tree. Then a person comes along with a spade and basket. … 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 tighten the fetters. When you concentrate on the drawbacks of these things, consciousness is not conceived. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. … That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”

Connections

Collection & context

Saṃyutta NikāyaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.