CH17: Upādāna (Clinging)

At-a-glance: Present Cause • Kilesa-vaṭṭa

A. Definition & place in DO

• Upādāna = clinging/grasping, the tightening of taṇhā into hold (SN 12.1).

• Four clingings (SN 12.2):

  1. Kāmupādāna — clinging to sensuality.

  2. Diṭṭhupādāna — clinging to views.

  3. Sīlabbatupādāna — clinging to rites-and-rituals (as ends or guarantors).

  4. Attavādupādāna — clinging to self-doctrine (“I/me/mine”).

• Placement (Ch02): Present Cause, downstream of taṇhā, upstream of (kamma)bhava.

• Round (Ch03): Kilesa-vaṭṭa (defilement).

• Function: fixes attention and energy around an object/view/identity, driving fresh doing and becoming.

B. Mechanism (how upādāna conditions the next)

• Vedanā → Taṇhā → Upādāna: feeling tones tilt to craving; craving hardens into clinging when we endorse the lean (“must have,” “must be true,” “this ritual will save me,” “this is me”).

• Upādāna → (Kamma)bhava: the grip channels intentions into action patterns, consolidating becoming; this projects future result (jāti → jarāmaraṇa) via C3.

• Cessation read (SN 12.1): If taṇhā is cooled or upādāna is not taken up, bhava doesn’t build; the dukkha downstream wanes.

C. Practice (micro-drills, 1–3 minutes)

1. Name the Cling (90 sec)
   Catch a fresh urge/opinion/identity pinch. Label one of the four: “sensuality / view / rites-&-rituals / self.” Saying the category loosens its spell.

2. Open the Grip (2 min)
   a) Feel the body spot of gripping (throat, chest, hands).
   b) Exhale 4–6 sec; soften the spot.
   c) State a truer, lighter line, e.g., “Pleasant, changing” (for kāmupādāna), “It’s one view among many” (for diṭṭhupādāna), “Ritual is a tool, not a guarantee” (for sīlabbatupādāna), “Processes, not a self” (for attavādupādāna).

3. Swap to Path (3 min)
   Identify the next tiny action that fits the Eightfold Path (right view/speech/action/effort etc.). Do one: e.g., close tab, delay reply, skip performative ritual, rephrase “I am…” to “There is … feeling/thinking.” Notice clinging loses fuel.

D. Cross-links

• Ch16 Taṇhā (upstream lean that hardens into clinging).

• Ch18 (Kamma)bhava (downstream becoming that C3 projects).

• Ch05 Two Truths (upādāna functions within samudaya).

• Ch06 Three Connections (watch C2 before upādāna; C3 after bhava).

• Ch21 Khandha present-aspect (seeing “no self,” only aggregates).

Sources

SN 12.1; SN 12.2.

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QR Footer (left → right)

• Audio QR-CH17-AUD1 — “Name the Cling” guided drill. (Alt: “QR to audio: four clingings practice”)

• Video QR-CH17-VID1 — From craving to clinging to becoming. (Alt: “QR to video: taṇhā→upādāna→bhava demo”)

• Slides QR-CH17-PPT1 — Four Clingings quick-teach. (Alt: “QR to slides: upādāna teaching deck”)

• Prompt QR-CH17-PRM1 — Open-the-Grip cue card. (Alt: “QR to prompt: release clinging script”)

Next: Ch18 — (Kamma)bhava (Becoming).