The City1

Introduction
At Savatthi. “Bhikkhus, before my enlightenment, while I was still a bodhisatta, not yet
fully enlightened, it occurred to me: ‘Alas, this world has fallen into trouble, in that it is
born, ages, and dies, it passes away and is reborn, yet it does not understand the escape
from this suffering[headed by] aging-and-death. When now will an escape be discerned
from this suffering [headed by] aging-and death?

如是我聞：
一時，佛住舍衞國祇樹給孤獨園。
爾時，世尊告諸比丘：
「我憶宿命未成正覺時，獨一靜處，專精禪思，作是念：
何法有故老死有？何法緣故老死有？

The Origination of Suffering

“Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists does aging-and-death come to be?
By what is aging-and-death conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention,
there took place in me breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is birth, aging-and-death
comes to be; aging-and-death has birth as its condition.’

卽正思惟，生如實無間等2：生有故老死有，生緣故老死有，如是有、取、愛、受、
觸、六入處、名色。何法有故名色有？何法緣故名色有？

“Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what exists does birth come to
be?...existence?...clinging?...craving?...feeling?...contact?...the six sense
bases?...name-and-form? By what is name-and-from conditioned?’ Then, bhikkhus,
through careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When
there is consciousness, name-and-form comes to be; name-and-form has consciousness as
its condition.’

“Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘This consciousness turns back it does not go
further than name-and-from. It is to this extent that one may be born and age and die,
pass away and reborn, that is, when there is consciousness with name-and-from as its
condition, and name-and-from with consciousness as its condition. With
name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition,

1
Bhikkhu Bodhi, The connected Discourses of the Buddha. A New Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya.
Vol. 1. MA, USA. 2000. P.601.
2
「正思惟起無間等知」，巴利本作 yoniso manasikārā ahu paññāya abhisamay，其意為由於已有
如理思惟，以般若(慧)現觀

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contact…. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.’

卽正思惟，如實無間等生：識有故名色有，識緣故有名色有。我作是思惟時，齊識
而還不能過彼3，謂緣識名色，緣名色六入處，緣六入處觸，緣觸受，緣受愛，緣愛
取，緣取有，緣有生，緣生老、病、死、憂、悲、惱苦，如是如是純大苦聚集。
“‘Origination, origination’ – thus, bhikkhus, in regard to this unheard before there arose
in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light.

The Cessation of Suffering

“Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘When what does not exist does aging-and-death not
come to be? With the cessation of what does the cessation of aging-and-death come
about?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took place in me a
breakthrough by wisdom: ‘When there is no birth, aging-and-death does not come to be
with the cessation of birth comes cessation of aging-and-death.”

「我時作是念：何法無故則老死無？何法滅故老死滅？卽正思惟，生如實無間等：
生無故老死無，生滅故老死滅，如是生、有、取、愛、受、觸、六入處、名色、識、
行廣說。

“It occurred to me: ‘When what does not exist does birth not come to
be…existence?...clinging?...craving?...feeling?...contact?...the six sense
bases?...name-and-form? With the cessation of what does the cessation of
name-and-form come about?’ Then, bhikkhus, through careful attention, there took
place in me a breakthrough by wisdom; ‘When there is no consciousness,
name-and-form does not come to be; with the cessation of consciousness comes
cessation of name-and-from.’

“It occurred to me: ‘When what does not exist does consciousness not come to be?
With the cessation of what does the cessation of consciousness come about? Then,
bhikkhus, trough careful attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom:
‘When there is no name-and-from, consciousness does not come to be; with the cessation
of name-and-form comes cessation of consciousness.’

“Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘I have discovered this path to enlightenment, that is,
with the cessation of name-and-form comes cessation of consciousness; with the

3
「齊識而還不能過彼」，巴利本作 Paccvdāvattati kho idam viññānaj nāmarūpamhā nāparaj
gacchati, ettāvatā jīyetha vā jāyetha vā mayetha vā cavetha vā upapajjetha vā(此識由此
退，不超越名色而進，於此限老、衰、死而後再生)。「齊識 」 ，即以識為限。「不能過彼」 ，即不超
越名色。

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cessation of consciousness comes cessation of name-and-form; with the cessation of
name-and-form, cessation of the six sense bases with the cessation of the six sense bases,
cessation of contact… Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.’

「我復作是思惟：何法無故行無？何法滅故行滅？卽正思惟如實無間等：無明無故
行無，無明滅故行滅，行滅故識滅，識滅故名色滅，名色滅故六入處滅，六入處滅
故觸滅，觸滅故受滅，受滅故愛滅，愛滅故取滅，取滅故有滅，有滅故生滅，生滅
故老、病、死、憂、悲、惱苦滅，如是如是純大苦聚滅。

“’Cessation, cessation’ –thus, bhikkhus, in regard to things unheard before there arose in
me vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light.

The Ancient Path to the City of Ultimate Peace

“Suppose, bhikkhus, a man wandering through a forest would see and ancient path, an
ancient road traveled upon by people in the past. He would follow it and would see and
ancient city, an ancient capital that had been inhabited by people in the past, with parks,
groves, ponds, and ramparts, a delightful place. Then the man would inform the king or
a royal minister: ‘Sire, know that while wandering through the forest I saw an ancient
path, an ancient road traveled upon by people in the past. I followed it and saw an
ancient city, an ancient capital that had been inhibited by people in the past, with parks,
groves, ponds, and ramparts, a delight place. Renovate that city, sire!’ Then the king
or the royal minister would renovate the city, and some time later that city would become
successful and prosperous, will populated, fill with people, attained to growth and
expansion.

「我時作是念：我得古仙人道、古仙人逕、古仙人道跡，古仙人從此跡去，我今
隨去。譬如有人遊於曠野，披荒覓路，忽遇故道古人行處，彼則隨行，漸漸前進，
見故城邑、古王宮殿、園觀浴池、林木清淨。彼作是念：我今當往白王令知。卽往
白王：
『大王當知：我遊曠野，披荒求路，忽見故道古人行處，我卽隨行；我隨行已，
見故城邑、故王宮殿、園觀浴池、林流清淨，大王可往居止其中。』王卽往彼，止
住其中，豐樂安隱，人民熾盛。

“So too, bhikkhus, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly
Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road: It is
just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action,
right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. I followed that path
and by doing so I have directly know aging-and-death, its origin, its cessation, and the
way leading to its cessation. I have directly known

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birth…existence…clinging…craving…feeling…contact…the six sense
bases…name-and-from…consciousness…volitional formations, their origin, their
cessation, and the way leading to their cessation. Having directly known them, I have
explained them to the bhikkhus, the bhikkhunis, the male lay followers, and the female
lay follower. This holy life, bhikkhus, has become successful and prosperous, extended,
popular, widespread, will proclaimed among devas and humans.”

「今我如是，得古仙人道、古仙人逕、古仙人跡，古仙人去處，我得隨去，謂八
聖道──正見、正志、正語、正業、正命、正方便、正念、正定。我從彼道見老病死、
老病死集、老病死滅、老病死滅道跡，見生、有、取、愛、受、觸、六入處、名色、
識、行、行集、行滅、行滅道跡。我於此法自知自覺、成等正覺，為比丘、比丘尼、
優婆塞、優婆夷，及餘外道沙門、婆羅門、在家、出家，彼諸四眾聞法正向、信樂，
知法善，梵行增廣，多所饒益，開示顯發。」
佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行！