English
The Twin Chapter 1. Ignorance Sutta 61. The prior end, monks, of ignorance is not discerned – ‘Before this, ignorance was not, then afterwards it came to be.’ Thus, monks, it is said, yet it is discerned – ‘Ignorance has this as its condition.’ Ignorance, I declare, monks, has its nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for ignorance? ‘The five hindrances’ is to be said. The five hindrances, I declare, monks, have their nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for the five hindrances? ‘The three bad conducts’ is to be said. The three bad conducts, I declare, monks, have their nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for the three bad conducts? ‘Non-restraint of the faculties’ is to be said. Non-restraint of the faculties, I declare, monks, has its nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for non-restraint of the faculties? ‘Lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension’ is to be said. Lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension, I declare, monks, has its nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension? ‘Unwise attention’ is to be said. Unwise attention, I declare, monks, has its nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for unwise attention? ‘Lack of faith’ is to be said. Lack of faith, I declare, monks, has its nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for lack of faith? ‘Not hearing the true Dhamma’ is to be said. Not hearing the true Dhamma, I declare, monks, has its nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for not hearing the true Dhamma? ‘Association with ignoble persons’ is to be said. Thus, monks, association with ignoble persons, when complete, completes not hearing the true Dhamma. Not hearing the true Dhamma, when complete, completes lack of faith. Lack of faith, when complete, completes unwise attention. Unwise attention, when complete, completes lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension. Lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension, when complete, completes non-restraint of the faculties. Non-restraint of the faculties, when complete, completes the three bad conducts. fills. The three bad conducts, when complete, fill the five hindrances. The five hindrances, when complete, fill ignorance. Thus, this is the food for ignorance, and thus is its completion. Just as, monks, when rain falls heavily on a mountain top, that water, flowing according to the slope, fills the mountain caves, crevices, and ravines. The mountain caves, crevices, and ravines, when complete, fill the small pools. The small pools, when complete, fill the large pools. The large pools, when complete, fill the small rivers. The small rivers, when complete, fill the great rivers. The great rivers, when complete, fill the great ocean, the sea. Thus, this is the food for the great ocean, the sea, and thus is its completion. Even so, monks, association with bad people, when complete, fills not listening to the True Dhamma. Not listening to the True Dhamma, when complete, fills lack of faith. Lack of faith, when complete, fills unwise attention. Unwise attention, when complete, fills lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension. Lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension, when complete, fills lack of sense-restraint. Lack of sense-restraint, when complete, fills the three bad conducts. The three bad conducts, when complete, fill the five hindrances. The five hindrances, when complete, fill ignorance. Thus, this is the food for ignorance, and thus is its completion. Monks, I declare knowledge and liberation to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for knowledge and liberation? It should be said: 'The seven factors of awakening.' Monks, I declare the seven factors of awakening to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for the seven factors of awakening? It should be said: 'The four establishments of mindfulness.' Monks, I declare the four establishments of mindfulness to have food, not to be without food. And what is the food for the four establishments of mindfulness? What? It should be said: 'Three good conducts'. I declare, monks, these three good conducts to have sustenance, not to be without sustenance. And what is the sustenance for the three good conducts? It should be said: 'Restraint of the senses'. I declare, monks, restraint of the senses to have sustenance, not to be without sustenance. And what is the sustenance for restraint of the senses? It should be said: 'Mindfulness and clear comprehension'. I declare, monks, mindfulness and clear comprehension to have sustenance, not to be without sustenance. And what is the sustenance for mindfulness and clear comprehension? It should be said: 'Wise attention'. I declare, monks, wise attention to have sustenance, not to be without sustenance. And what is the sustenance for wise attention? It should be said: 'Faith'. I declare, monks, faith to have sustenance, not to be without sustenance. And what is the sustenance for faith? It should be said: 'Listening to the good Dhamma'. I declare, monks, listening to the good Dhamma to have sustenance, not to be without sustenance. And what is the sustenance for listening to the good Dhamma? It should be said: 'Association with admirable people'. Thus, monks, association with admirable people, when complete, completes listening to the good Dhamma. Listening to the good Dhamma, when complete, completes faith. Faith, when complete, completes wise attention. Wise attention, when complete, completes mindfulness and clear comprehension. Mindfulness and clear comprehension, when complete, completes restraint of the senses. Restraint of the senses, when complete, completes the three good conducts. The three good conducts, when complete, complete the four foundations of mindfulness. The four foundations of mindfulness, when complete, complete the seven factors of awakening. The seven factors of awakening, when complete, complete knowledge and liberation. Thus is the sustenance for this knowledge and liberation, and thus is its completion. Just as, monks, when a heavy rain falls on a mountaintop, that water, flowing down the slopes, fills the mountain clefts, crevices, and ravines. The mountain clefts, crevices, and ravines, when full, fill the small pools. The small pools, when full, fill the large pools. The large pools, when full, fill Small rivers fill up, Small rivers, when full, fill up great rivers, Great rivers, when full, fill up the great ocean, the sea; thus is the nourishment for this great ocean, the sea, and thus is its fullness. "Even so, monks, association with good people, when full, fills up listening to the Dhamma, listening to the Dhamma, when full, fills up faith, faith, when full, fills up wise attention, wise attention, when full, fills up mindfulness and clear comprehension, mindfulness and clear comprehension, when full, fills up sense-restraint, sense-restraint, when full, fills up the three good conducts, the three good conducts, when full, fill up the four foundations of mindfulness, the four foundations of mindfulness, when full, fill up the seven factors of awakening, the seven factors of awakening, when full, fill up knowledge and liberation; thus is the nourishment for this knowledge and liberation, and thus is its fullness." First. 2. The Discourse on Craving 62. "Monks, a prior limit is not discerned for craving for existence – 'Before this, craving for existence did not exist, and then it arose later.' Even though this is said, monks, yet it is discerned – 'Craving for existence is dependent on this condition.'" "Craving for existence, too, monks, I say has a nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for craving for existence? 'Ignorance' is to be said. Ignorance, too, monks, I say has a nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for ignorance? 'The five hindrances' is to be said. The five hindrances, too, monks, I say have a nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for the five hindrances? 'The three bad conducts' is to be said. The three bad conducts, too, monks, I say have a nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for the three bad conducts? 'Lack of sense-restraint' is to be said. Lack of sense-restraint, too, monks, I say has a nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for lack of sense-restraint? 'Lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension' is to be said. Lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension... I declare, monks, that even non-mindfulness and non-comprehension have nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for non-mindfulness and non-comprehension? It should be said: 'Unwise attention.' I declare, monks, that even unwise attention has nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for unwise attention? It should be said: 'Lack of faith.' I declare, monks, that even lack of faith has nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for lack of faith? It should be said: 'Not hearing the True Dhamma.' I declare, monks, that even not hearing the True Dhamma has nutriment, not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for not hearing the True Dhamma? It should be said: 'Association with bad people.' Thus, monks, association with bad people, when complete, completes not hearing the True Dhamma. Not hearing the True Dhamma, when complete, completes lack of faith. Lack of faith, when complete, completes unwise attention. Unwise attention, when complete, completes non-mindfulness and non-comprehension. Non-mindfulness and non-comprehension, when complete, completes lack of sense-restraint. Lack of sense-restraint, when complete, completes the three bad conducts. The three bad conducts, when complete, complete the five hindrances. The five hindrances, when complete, complete ignorance. Ignorance, when complete,