The compressed arising/cessation formula, matching SN 26.3–5's own treatment
Length
Under a minute to read
Northern parallel
A rough counterpart may exist in the Chinese Saṃyukta-āgama (T99), though this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — brief and familiar by this point
Why this discourse
This saṃyutta's own halfway point, at the identical position SN 25.6 reached in its own sequence: perception (saññā) of each of the six sense objects, given the same arising/cessation identity as every category before it.
Reading guide
Six perceptions, framed by object
"The arising of perception of sights... perception of ideas... is the manifestation of old age and death" — naming perception by its object, exactly as SN 25.6 did, continuing this saṃyutta's own parallel framing choice at the identical category.
Recognition, declared suffering's arising
Perception's usual role — identifying and labeling experience — receives no gentler treatment here than any other link: its arising is suffering's arising, just as directly as the eye's own arising was at SN 26.1. The saṃyutta draws no distinction in urgency between the earliest and latest links in the chain.
The saṃyutta's own midpoint, mirroring SN 25 exactly
With this discourse, five of this saṃyutta's ten categories are complete, at precisely the same sequence position where SN 25.6 marked its own halfway point — confirming once more how closely the two saṃyuttas' structures track each other.
The same compressed treatment, unchanged
As with the discourses before it, only the six-item names at each end survive, with the closing phrase kept in full.
Key terms
saññā — perception — the cognitive act of recognizing and labeling sense experience, the subject of this discourse
rūpasaññā — perception of sights — the first of the six perceptions named, framed by object as at SN 25.6
dukkhassa uppādo — the arising of suffering — asserted here of perception's own arising, with no lesser urgency than any earlier link
peyyāla — an elision mark — continuing this saṃyutta's compression pattern from SN 26.3–5
uppāda / nirodha — arising / cessation — this saṃyutta's own standing pair
The text
The complete discourse as bilara-data preserves it: the six perceptions' arising and cessation, compressed. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, the arising of perception of sights … perception of ideas … is the manifestation of old age and death. The cessation of perception of sights … perception of ideas … is the disappearance of old age and death.”
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Self-check quiz
Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 10
What six items does this discourse examine?
Correct: A. Framed by object, matching SN 25.6's own framing at the identical category.
Question 2 of 10
Does this saṃyutta treat perception's arising as less urgent than earlier links like the sense faculties?
Correct: A. No distinction in urgency is drawn between the earliest and latest links in the chain.
Question 3 of 10
What milestone does this discourse mark, mirroring SN 25.6 exactly?
Correct: A. Confirming how closely the two saṃyuttas' structures track each other.
Question 4 of 10
What four categories remain after this discourse?
Correct: A. Completing this saṃyutta's full ten-part sequence.
Question 5 of 10
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: A. Matching the setting of most discourses in this saṃyutta.
Question 6 of 10
How does this discourse's compression compare to the discourses before it?
Correct: A. The six-item names at each end, closing phrase kept in full, unchanged since SN 26.3.
Question 7 of 10
What discourse examines the link that follows perception in this sequence?
Correct: A. Continuing one link at a time through the standard chain.
Question 8 of 10
What is the first of the six perceptions named in this discourse?
Correct: A. Followed by perception of sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas.
Question 9 of 10
What does perception's usual role consist of, according to the standard analytical chain?
Correct: A. A cognitive act of recognition, given no gentler treatment here than any other link.
Question 10 of 10
What is this saṃyutta's own recurring pair of terms?
Correct: A. The pair giving this saṃyutta its own working method and name.
