Reading guide
The same teaching, compression redistributed
Every substantive element of SN 12.49 reappears here — the unasked question, knowledge independent of others, the full chain — but this discourse elides more of its middle material with peyyāla than its twin, while expanding elsewhere.
Nine epithets, spelled out where SN 12.49 elides them
SN 12.49's closing cascade of titles for the understanding disciple uses a peyyāla ellipsis partway through; this discourse gives all nine in full — accomplished in view, accomplished in vision, come to the true teaching, one who sees the true teaching, endowed with a trainee's knowledge, endowed with a trainee's wisdom, entered the stream of the teaching, a noble one with penetrative wisdom — before the closing image.
One phrase, two different translations
The closing phrase “amatadvāraṁ āhacca tiṭṭhati” is identical in the Pali of both discourses, yet Sujato renders it “stands knocking at the door to freedom from death” in SN 12.49 and “stands pressing against the door to freedom from death” here — a small, honestly noted translation variance between twin discourses rather than a difference in the underlying text.
A chapter closing on understanding, not narrative drama
Unlike some other vaggas in this saṃyutta, which close on a dramatic or emotionally weighted episode, Gahapativagga ends on a purely doctrinal note: what exactly a noble disciple's settled understanding of dependent origination consists of, restated once more for emphasis.
The vagga's own closing verse, present but untranslated
This discourse carries Gahapativagga's closing verse of discourse titles, not translated in the source and not quoted here; its ten titles are described in the reading guide's summary of this chapter instead, following the same convention used at the close of Kaḷārakhattiyavagga.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, a learned noble disciple doesn’t think:
§2‘When what exists, what is? Due to the arising of what, what arises? When what exists do choices come to be? When what exists does consciousness come to be? When what exists do name and form … the six sense fields … contact … feeling … craving … grasping … continued existence … rebirth … old age and death come to be?’
§3Rather, a learned noble disciple has only knowledge about this that is independent of others: ‘When this exists, this comes to be; due to the arising of this, this arises. When ignorance exists, choices come to be. When choices exist consciousness comes to be. When consciousness exists name and form come to be. When name and form exist the six sense fields come to be. When the six sense fields exist contact comes to be. When contact exists feeling comes to be. When feeling exists craving comes to be. When craving exists grasping comes to be. When grasping exists continued existence comes to be. When continued existence exists rebirth comes to be. When rebirth exists old age and death come to be.’ They understand: ‘That is how this world originates.’
§4A learned noble disciple doesn’t think: ‘When what doesn’t exist, what is not? Due to the cessation of what, what ceases? When what doesn’t exist do choices not come to be? When what doesn’t exist does consciousness not come to be? When what doesn’t exist do name and form … the six sense fields … contact … feeling … craving … grasping … continued existence … rebirth … old age and death not come to be?’
§5Rather, a learned noble disciple has only knowledge about this that is independent of others: ‘When this doesn’t exist, this doesn’t come to be; due to the cessation of this, this ceases. That is: When ignorance doesn’t exists, choices don’t come to be. When choices don’t exist consciousness doesn’t come to be. When consciousness doesn’t exist name and form don’t come to be. When name and form don’t exist the six sense fields don’t come to be. … When rebirth doesn’t exist old age and death don’t come to be.’ They understand: ‘That is how this world ceases.’
§6A noble disciple comes to truly understand the origin and ending of the world. Such a noble disciple is one who is called ‘one accomplished in view’, ‘one accomplished in vision’, ‘one who has come to the true teaching’, ‘one who sees this true teaching’, ‘one endowed with a trainee’s knowledge’, ‘one who has entered the stream of the teaching’, ‘a noble one with penetrative wisdom’, and also ‘one who stands pressing against the door to freedom from death’.”
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