Upādānā; Upādiyati

Renderings

• upādāna: fuel

• upādāna: sustenance

• upādāna: grasping

• upādānā: fuelled

• upādiyati: to take up

• upādiyati: to absorb

• upādiyati: to grasp

Introduction

Grasping not clinging

That upādāna is best rendered as grasping not clinging is nowhere clearer than in the fact that the Buddha ‘does not sit while grasping his chin with his hand’ (na ca pāṇinā hanukaṃ upādiyitvā nisīdati, M.2.138).

Illustrations

Illustration: upādiyati, take up

Sāriputta, he who lays down one body and takes up a new body is one I call blameworthy
☸ imañca kāyaṃ nikkhipati aññañca kāyaṃ upādiyati tamahaṃ saupavajjo ti vadāmi (M.3.266).

Illustration: upādiyati, absorb

Suppose the seed of a nimb or creeper or bitter gourd be planted in moist soil. Whatever of the earth-nutriment or water-nutriment it absorbs (yañceva paṭhavirasaṃ upādiyati yañca āporasaṃ upādiyati), all that leads to its bitterness, acridity, and unpleasant taste (A.5.212).

Illustration: upādiyati, grasp

He does not grasp anything in the world (of phenomena)
☸ na kiñci loke upādiyati (M.1.252).

Illustration: upādāya, grasping

When there is the visual sense… the mental sense, by grasping the visual sense… the mental sense, by stubbornly adhering to the visual sense… the mental sense, the thought occurs “I am better” or “I am equal” or “I am worse”
☸ cakkhusmiṃ kho bhikkhave sati cakkhuṃ upādāya cakkhuṃ abhinivissa seyyo’hamasmī ti vā hoti sadiso’hamasmī ti vā hoti hīno’hamasmī ti vā hoti (S.4.88).

Illustration: upādāya, grasping

While Venerable Sāriputta considered this his mind was liberated (from perceptually obscuring states) through being without grasping.
☸ anupādāya āsavehi cittaṃ vimucci (M.1.501).

Illustration: upādāya, grasping

’The notion “I am” occurs with grasping, not without grasping.
☸ Upādāya āvuso ānanda asmī ti hoti no anupādāya

‘Suppose, a youngster, youthful and fond of ornaments (vain), would examine their facial image in a mirror or in a bowl filled with pure, clean water.
☸ itthi vā puriso vā daharo yuvā maṇaḍanajātiko ādāse vā parisuddhe pariyodāte acche vā udakapatte sakaṃ mukhanimittaṃ paccavekkhamāno

‘They would look at it with grasping, not without grasping
☸ upādāya passeyya no anupādāya

So, too, the notion “I am” occurs with the grasping of (the five aggregates), not without grasping.
☸ Evameva kho āvuso ānanda rūpaṃ upādāya asmī ti hoti no anupādāya… viññāṇaṃ upādāya asmī ti hoti no anupādāya (S.3.105).

Illustration: upādāno, sustenance

Suppose there was a great tree and all its roots going downwards and across would send the sap upwards. With that as nourishment, with that as sustenance, that great tree would stand for a very long time
☸ tadāhāro tadupādāno ciraṃ dīghamaddhānaṃ tiṭṭheyya (S.2.86).

Illustration: upādānaṃ, fuel

I declare rebirth for one with fuel, not for one without fuel; just as a fire burns with fuel not without fuel.
Sa upādānassa kho’ haṃ vaccha uppattiṃ paññāpemi no anupādānassa; seyyathā pi vaccha aghi saupādāno jalati no anupādāno:

… On that occasion craving is the fuel
☸ Taṇhāhissa vaccha tasmiṃ samaye upādānaṃ hotī ti (S.4.399-400).

Illustration: upādānā, fuelled

If I were to direct this detached awareness so purified and refined to the state of awareness of boundless space, and to develop my mind accordingly, then this detached awareness of mine, supported by that, fuelled by it, would remain for a very long time.
☸ imaṃ ce ahaṃ upekkhaṃ evaṃparisuddhaṃ evaṃpariyodātaṃ ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ upasaṃhareyyaṃ tadanudhammañca cittaṃ bhāveyyaṃ evaṃ ayaṃ upekkhā tannissitā tadupādānā ciraṃ dīghamaddhānaṃ tiṭṭheyya (M.3.243).

Illustration: upādānaṃ, grasping

There are visible objects known via the visual sense that are likeable, loveable, pleasing, agreeable, connected with sensuous pleasure, and charming.
☸ cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṃhitā rajanīyā

If a bhikkhu takes delight in them, welcomes them, and persists in cleaving to them, then the mind is attached to them.
☸ tañce bhikkhu abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati tassa taṃ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato tannissitaṃ viññāṇaṃ hoti

That is grasping.
☸ tadupādānaṃ (S.4.102).

Illustration: upādānaṃ, grasping

Spiritually fettering delight in bodily form is grasping
☸ yā rūpe nandī tadupādānaṃ (S.3.13).

Illustration: upādānaṃ grasping

Grasping arises dependent on craving
☸ taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṃ (S.2.14).

Illustration: upādānaṃ grasping

And certainly when this Venerable regards himself thus: ‘I am at peace. I am inwardly at peace. I am free of grasping’ that is declared to be graspingon the part of this good ascetic or Brahmanist.
☸ Yañca kho ayamāyasmā santo’hamasmi nibbuto’hamasmi anupādino’hamasmī ti samanupassati tadapi imassa bhoto samaṇassa brāhmaṇassa upādānamakkhāyati (M.2.237).

Illustration: upādānāya, grasping

The ascetics whose doctrine and dogmatic view is that “Everything is acceptible to me,” that view is close to attachment, bondage (to individual existence), delight, cleaving, and grasping;
☸ ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṃ vādino evaṃdiṭṭhino sabbaṃ me khamatī ti tesamayaṃ diṭṭhi sārāgāya santike saṃyogāya santike abhinandanāya santike ajjhosānāya santike upādānāya santike (M.1.498).

Illustration: upadānaṃ grasping

Neither is grasping the same as the five grasped aggregates, nor is it separate.
☸ na kho bhikkhu taññeva upādānaṃ te pañcupādānakkhandhā na pi aññatra pañcupādānakkhandhehi upādānaṃ

Whatever there is the fondness and attachment, that is the grasping.
☸ yo tattha chandarāgo taṃ tattha upādānan ti (S.3.100-1).

Illustration: upadānaṃ grasping

If there were no grasping in any way
☸ sabbaso upādāne asati upādānanirodhā

• grasping of sensuous pleasure
☸ kāmūpādānaṃ

• grasping of dogmatic views
☸ diṭṭhūpādānaṃ

• grasping of observances and practices
☸ sīlabbatūpādānaṃ

• grasping of theories of an (absolute) Selfhood
☸ attavādūpādānaṃ

would individual existence be discerned?
☸ api nu kho bhavo paññāyethā ti (D.2.58).

Illustration: upādā, grasping

In this regard, having seen any kind of bodily form… sphere of sensation according to reality with perfect penetrative discernment as “not (in reality) mine,” “not (in reality) what I am,” “not my (absolute) Selfhood,” a bhikkhu is liberated (from perceptually obscuring states) through being without grasping.
☸ Idha aggivessana bhikkhu yaṃ kiñci rūpaṃ atītānāgata paccuppannaṃ ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṃ vā sukhumaṃ vā hīnaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā yaṃ dūre sannike vā sabbaṃ rūpaṃ n’etaṃ mama n’eso’hamasmi na me so attā ti evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya disvā anupādā vimutto hoti.

Yā kāci vedanā… saññā… saṅkhārā… viññāṇaṃ… (M.1.235).

Comment: Thus grasping equals seeing things as “(in reality) mine,” “(in reality) what I am,” “my (absolute) Selfhood.”