Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 35.61

The Depletion of All Fuel for Grasping (1st)

Paṭhamasabbupādānapariyādānasutta — Avijjāvagga

Setting
Sāvatthī (by cross-reference)
Speakers
The Buddha addressing the mendicants directly
Form
SN 35.60's own dependent-origination chain and disillusionment formula, repeated with a new closing verb: fuel for grasping depleted, not merely understood
Length
~1 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
★★☆☆☆ — a substitution on SN 35.60's own template, but with a real change of verb

Why this discourse

This discourse repeats SN 35.60's own template almost exactly — the same short chain of dependent origination, the same familiar disillusionment-to-freedom sequence — but closes on a different achievement: not pariññā (complete understanding) but pariyādāna, the depletion or exhaustion of “fuel” (again upādāna, though here better read as what feeds continued existence) for grasping. Sujato's own English marks this discourse “(1st)”, already signaling its own paired companion, SN 35.62, still to come — this vagga's own closing discourse.

Reading guide

Same chain, new verb

The same dependent-origination platform and disillusionment sequence carry over unchanged from SN 35.60; only the closing achievement changes, from pariññā to pariyādāna.

Fuel exhausted, not merely understood

Where SN 35.60 closed on “I have completely understood grasping”, this discourse closes on “I have completely depleted fuel for grasping” — a stronger claim, paralleling the pahāna/samugghāta pattern's own gentler-to-stronger shape earlier in this vagga.

A marked pair begins

Sujato's own English title marks this discourse “(1st)”, the same convention this project has already met at SN 35.26-27 and SN 35.31-32, signaling its own companion (SN 35.62, marked “(2nd)”) is still to come.

Key terms

pariyādāna — depletion, exhaustion — this discourse's own closing achievement, “fuel” for grasping used up rather than merely understood
upādāna — grasping — carried over from SN 35.60, here read as “fuel” for continued existence
nibbindati — grows disillusioned — the same first link in this project's own familiar liberation sequence
phassa — contact — carried over from SN 35.60's own dependent-origination chain
vedanā — feeling — carried over from SN 35.60, arising dependent on contact

The text

The complete discourse: the same dependent-origination chain and disillusionment sequence as SN 35.60, closing instead on grasping's own fuel depleted. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1“Mendicants, I will teach you the principle for depleting all fuel for grasping. Listen … And what is the principle for depleting all fuel for grasping?

§2Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, sights, eye consciousness, eye contact, and feeling. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they are liberated, they understand: ‘I have completely depleted fuel for grasping.’

§3Ear … nose … tongue … body …

§4Mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and ideas. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the mind, ideas, mind consciousness, mind contact, and feeling. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they are liberated, they understand: ‘I have completely depleted fuel for grasping.’

§5This is the principle for depleting all fuel for grasping.”

· · ·

Self-check quiz

5 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 5
What verb replaces SN 35.60's own “complete understanding” (pariññā) here?
Correct: A. A stronger claim than mere understanding, closing this discourse's own chain.
Question 2 of 5
What does “(1st)” in this discourse's own title signal?
Correct: A. The same convention this project already met at SN 35.26-27 and SN 35.31-32.
Question 3 of 5
What chain repeats from SN 35.60 largely unchanged?
Correct: A. Only the closing achievement differs.
Question 4 of 5
How does this discourse compress the middle four sense fields (ear, nose, tongue, body), compared with SN 35.60?
Correct: A. A further compression this discourse introduces on SN 35.60's own already-compressed template.
Question 5 of 5
What discourse follows, completing this pair?
Correct: A. SN 35.62 both completes this pair and closes Avijjāvagga itself.
Answered 0 of 5 · Correct 0

Further reading

← PreviousSN 35.60 · The Complete Understanding of All Grasping