Related:: [[Sankhata]], [[Paticca-samuppada|Dependent Origination]]
# Hetu & Paccaya (Cause and Conditions)
> [!important] Cause and Condition for the [[Kilesa|Corruption]] and [[Visuddhi|Purificaiton]] of Living Beings — in Mahālisutta ([SN22.60](https://suttacentral.net/sn22.60/en/sujato))
> **(Question of Mahāli)**
> “Sir, Pūraṇa Kassapa says this:
> _“Pūraṇo, bhante, kassapo evamāha:_
>
> ‘There is **==no cause or reason==** for the **corruption of sentient beings**.
> _‘**==natthi hetu natthi paccayo==** **sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya**;_
>
> Sentient beings are corrupted without cause or reason.
> _ahetū appaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti._
>
> There’s no cause or reason for the purification of sentient beings.
> _Natthi hetu natthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā;_
>
> Sentient beings are purified without cause or reason.’
> _ahetū appaccayā sattā visujjhantī’ti._
>
> What does the Buddha say about this?”
> _Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?_
>
> ---
> **(Buddha's Answer: There IS a cause and condition)**
>
> “Mahāli, **==there is a cause and reason== for the ==corruption of sentient beings==**.
> _“**==Atthi==**, mahāli, **==hetu atthi paccayo==** **==sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya==**;_
>
> Sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason.
> _sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti._
>
> **==There is a cause and reason== for the ==purification of sentient beings==**.
> _**==Atthi==, mahāli, ==hetu, atthi paccayo== ==sattānaṁ visuddhiyā==**;_
>
> Sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.”
> _sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti._
>
> ---
>
> “But sir, what is the cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings?
> _“Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya;_
>
> How are sentient beings corrupted with cause and reason?”
> _kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissantī”ti?_
>
> ---
> **(Cause of [[Kilesa|Corruption]])**
> “Mahāli, **if ==form were exclusively painful==**—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t be **==aroused==** by it.
>
> _“**==Rūpañca==** hidaṁ, mahāli, **==ekantadukkhaṁ==** abhavissa dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā rūpasmiṁ **==sārajjeyyuṁ==**._
>
> But **==because form is pleasurable==**—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings are **aroused** by it.
> _Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, **==rūpaṁ sukhaṁ==** sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, tasmā sattā rūpasmiṁ **sārajjanti**;_
>
> Since they are **==aroused==** by it, they’re **==caught up in it==**, and so **==they become corrupted==**.
> _**==sārāgā==** **==saṁyujjanti==**; **saṁyogā** **==saṅkilissanti==**._
>
> **==This is a cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings==**.
> _Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya;_
>
> This is how sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason.
> _evaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti._
>
> **(... and also for feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness)**
>
> ---
> “But sir, what is the cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings?
> _“Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā;_
>
> How are sentient beings purified with cause and reason?”
> _kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti?_
>
> ---
> **(Cause of [[Visuddhi|Purificaiton]])**
> “Mahāli, if **form was perfectly pleasurable**—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow **disillusioned** with it.
>
> _“**==Rūpañca==** hidaṁ, mahāli, **==ekantasukhaṁ==** abhavissa sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā rūpasmiṁ **==nibbindeyyuṁ==**._
>
> But because **==form is painful==**—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow **disillusioned** with it.
> _Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, **==rūpaṁ dukkhaṁ==** dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, tasmā sattā rūpasmiṁ **nibbindanti**;_
>
> Being **==disillusioned==**, **==desire fades away==**. When desire fades away they are **==purified==**.
> _**==nibbindaṁ==** **==virajjanti==**; virāgā **==visujjhanti==**._
>
> This is a cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings.
> _Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, sattānaṁ visuddhiyā._
>
> This is how sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.
> _Evaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhanti._
>
> **(... and also for feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness)**
^hetu-paccaya-sankilesa
## [[Destiny]] is a Wrong View
> [!error] Wrong view: No cause and condition, but only [[Destiny]] — In Hetusutta ([SN24.7](https://suttacentral.net/sn24.7/en/sujato))
> “Mendicants, when what exists, because of grasping what and insisting on what, does the view arise:
> _“Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati, kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:_
>
> ‘**==There is no cause or reason==** for the **corruption of sentient beings**.
> _‘**==natthi hetu, natthi paccayo==** **sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya**._
>
> Sentient beings are corrupted without cause or reason.
> _Ahetū appaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti._
>
> There’s **no cause or reason for the purification of sentient beings**.
> _Natthi hetu, natthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā._
>
> Sentient beings are purified without cause or reason.
> _Ahetū appaccayā sattā visujjhanti._
>
> There is **no power, no energy, no human strength or vigor**.
> _Natthi balaṁ natthi vīriyaṁ natthi purisathāmo natthi purisaparakkamo._
>
> **All sentient beings, all living creatures, all beings, all souls ==lack control, power, and energy==**. **==Molded by destiny, circumstance, and nature==, they experience pleasure and pain in the six classes of rebirth**’?”
>
> _Sabbe sattā sabbe pāṇā sabbe bhūtā sabbe jīvā **==avasā abalā avīriyā==** niyatisaṅgatibhāvapariṇatā chasvevābhijātīsu sukhadukkhaṁ paṭisaṁvedentī’”ti?_
>
> (**[[Hetu & Paccaya#^hetu-paccaya-sankilesa|Actual Answer]]**)
^ahetu-apaccaya
**Another Answer:**
![[SN22.100 Dutiyagaddulabaddhasutta#^citta-corruption-purification]]
## Videos
![[☸️📒 {Eryu} Dhamma Reads#^2oylq2]]
## Suttas
- [[AN3.61 Titthāyatanasutta]]
- SN22.60 Mahālisutta ([link](https://suttacentral.net/sn22.60/en/sujato))
- SN24.7 Hetusutta ([link](https://suttacentral.net/sn24.7/en/sujato))
- No cause and condition but only destiny is a wrong view
- MN60 Apaṇṇakasutta ([link](https://suttacentral.net/mn60/en/sujato))