Reading guide
Five links where the internal set gave at most three
This discourse compresses a much longer chain into one discourse rather than building it gradually across several, as the internal set did across SN 14.1–5.
A chain tracing craving's escalation
Perception leads to thought, thought to desire, desire to passion, and passion to search — each step genuinely escalates in intensity, from noticing something to burning to go and get it.
Only two doors spelled out in full
The source draws out the complete five-step chain for the sight element, elides the four middle doors with …pe…, and gives the full chain once more for the idea element, the same economy used since SN 14.3.
Forward only, matching SN 14.2's earlier pattern
As with the chain's first appearance, this discourse states only the forward direction; explicit reverse denial, following the same rhythm as the internal set, arrives in the discourse immediately after this one.
Search, not yet gain
This discourse's chain stops at pariyesanā, search; the vagga's very next pair of discourses will extend the chain one step further still, to lābha, gain.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, diversity of elements gives rise to diversity of perceptions. Diversity of perceptions gives rise to diversity of thoughts. Diversity of thoughts gives rise to diversity of desires. Diversity of desires gives rise to diversity of passions. Diversity of passions gives rise to diversity of searches. And what is the diversity of elements? The sight element, the sound element, the smell element, the taste element, the touch element, and the idea element. This is called the diversity of elements.
§2And how does diversity of elements give rise to diversity of perceptions, and diversity of perceptions give rise to diversity of thoughts, and diversity of thoughts give rise to diversity of desires, and diversity of desires give rise to diversity of passions, and diversity of passions give rise to diversity of searches?
§3The sight element gives rise to the perception of sights. The perception of sights gives rise to thoughts about sights. Thoughts about sights give rise to the desire for sights. The desire for sights gives rise to the passion for sights. The passion for sights gives rise to searching for sights. … The idea element gives rise to the perception of ideas. The perception of ideas gives rise to thoughts about ideas. Thoughts about ideas give rise to the desire for ideas. The desire for ideas gives rise to the passion for ideas. The passion for ideas gives rise to searching for ideas.
§4That’s how diversity of elements gives rise to diversity of perceptions, and diversity of perceptions gives rise to diversity of thoughts, and diversity of thoughts gives rise to diversity of desires, and diversity of desires gives rise to diversity of passions, and diversity of passions gives rise to diversity of searches.”
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