Reading guide
Five denials matching five forward links
Each step of SN 14.7's chain receives its own explicit reverse denial here, in reverse order from search back down to elements, mirroring the forward chain's structure exactly.
The same rhythm, now at greater length
SN 14.2 and SN 14.3 established this pairing — forward claim, then explicit denial — at a two-step chain; this discourse applies the identical rhythm to a chain five steps long.
Reading the denial in the reverse order it lists
The source states its denials starting from the chain's far end, searches not producing passions, working backward link by link to perceptions not producing elements, rather than repeating the forward order with “not” inserted.
A closed system, confirmed twice over
Between the internal set's SN 14.3/14.5 and this discourse, every chain given so far in this vagga has now been shown to run one way only, never looping back on itself.
The vagga's longest denial list so far
Five paired denials, doubled again across the six sense doors though only two are spelled out in full, make this discourse's structure the most elaborate given in this vagga up to this point.
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. Diversity of searches doesn’t give rise to diversity of passions. Diversity of passions doesn’t give rise to diversity of desires. Diversity of desires doesn’t give rise to diversity of thoughts. Diversity of thoughts doesn’t give rise to diversity of perceptions. Diversity of perceptions doesn’t give rise to diversity of elements. 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 … diversity of perceptions doesn’t give rise to diversity of elements?
§3The sight element gives rise to the perception of sights … The idea element gives rise to the perception of ideas … the search for ideas. The search for ideas doesn’t give rise to the passion for ideas. The passion for ideas doesn’t give rise to the desire for ideas. The desire for ideas doesn’t give rise to thoughts about ideas. Thoughts about ideas don’t give rise to perceptions of ideas. Perceptions of ideas don’t give rise to the idea element.
§4That’s how diversity of elements gives rise to diversity of perceptions … diversity of perceptions doesn’t give rise to diversity of elements.”
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