1. Because of Not Knowing (1)
1At Sāvatthī. Then the wanderer Vacchagotta approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him.294 Vacchagotta appears as the inquirer in three suttas in MN, Nos. 71, 72, and 73. In the third he becomes a monk and attains arahantship. In SN he reappears in 44:7-11, again with questions about the undeclared points.
When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to him: [258]
2“Master Gotama, what is the cause and reason why these various speculative views arise in the world: ‘The world is eternal’ or ‘The world is not eternal’; or ‘The world is finite’ or ‘The world is infinite’; or ‘The soul and the body are the same’ or ‘The soul is one thing, the body is another’; or ‘The Tathāgata exists after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata does not exist after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death’?”
3“It is, Vaccha, because of not knowing form, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation that those various speculative views arise in the world: ‘The world is eternal’ … or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’ This, Vaccha, is the cause and reason why those various speculative views arise in the world.”295 This sutta, and those to follow, apply the framework of the Four Noble Truths to each of the five aggregates. Since not knowing the Four Noble Truths (dukkhe aññāṇaṁ, etc.) is ignorance (avijjā; see 12:2; II 4,11-14), these suttas collectively establish that ignorance (i.e., lack of knowledge) is the underlying cause of the ten speculative views. Spk says that this saṁyutta contains eleven suttas with a total of fifty-five explanations, but I have followed the printed editions, which count each explanation as a separate sutta.
2. Because of Not Knowing (2)
1At Sāvatthī….
2“It is, Vaccha, because of not knowing feeling, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation that those various speculative views arise in the world: ‘The world is eternal’ … or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’ This, Vaccha, is the cause and reason why those various speculative views arise in the world.”
3. Because of Not Knowing (3)
1[259] … “It is, Vaccha, because of not knowing perception, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation that those various speculative views arise in the world….”
4. Because of Not Knowing (4)
1… “It is, Vaccha, because of not knowing volitional formations, their origin, their cessation, and the way leading to their cessation that those various speculative views arise in the world….”
5. Because of Not Knowing (5)
1[260] … “It is, Vaccha, because of not knowing consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation that those various speculative views arise in the world….”
6-10. Because of Not Seeing
1… “It is, Vaccha, because of not seeing form … feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation that those various speculative views arise in the world….”296 Spk explains each of the causes as a synonym of not knowing. The Pāli ablatives are: adassanā, anabhisamayā, ananubodhā , appaṭivedhā, asallakkhaṇā, anupalakkhaṇā, apaccupalakkhaṇā , asamapekkhaṇā, appaccupekkhaṇā, apaccakkhakammā.
11-15. Because of Not Breaking Through
1… “It is, Vaccha, because of not breaking through to form … feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation that those various speculative views arise in the world….” [261]
16-20. Because of Not Comprehending
(The same, but read “not comprehending form,ʺ etc.)
21-25. Because of Not Penetrating
26-30. Because of Not Discerning
31-35. Because of Not Discriminating
36-40. Because of Not Differentiating
41-45. Because of Not Examining
[262]
46-50. Because of Not Closely Examining
51-55. Because of Not Directly Cognizing
1… “It is, Vaccha, because of not directly cognizing form … feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation that those various speculative views arise in the world: [263] ‘The world is eternal’ … or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’ This, Vaccha, is the cause and reason why those various speculative views arise in the world: ‘The world is eternal’ or ‘The world is not eternal’; or ‘The world is finite’ or ‘The world is infinite’; or ‘The soul and the body are the same’ or ‘The soul is one thing, the body is another’; or ‘The Tathāgata exists after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata does not exist after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death,’ or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’”