➥ upādānā and upādiyati.

• for upādāna:
  • fuel
  • sustenance
  • grasping
  • fuelled
• for upādiyati:
  • to take up
  • to absorb
  • |to grasp
• upādāna: fuelled
• upādiyati: take up; absorb; grasp
• upādāya: grasping
• upādāno: sustenance
• upādānaṁ: fuel; grasping
• upādānāya: grasping
• upādā: grasping

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 hanukaṁ upādiyitvā nisīdati, MN ii 138).

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.

imaṁ ce ahaṁ upekkhaṁ evaṁparisuddhaṁ evaṁpariyodātaṁ ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasaṁhareyyaṁ tadanudhammañca cittaṁ bhāveyyaṁ evaṁ ayaṁ upekkhā tannissitā tadupādānā ciraṁ dīghamaddhānaṁ tiṭṭheyya. (MN iii 243)

➥ upādiyati: (main article see: upādānā)

Illustration: upādiyati, take up

Sāriputta, he who lays down one body and takes up a new body is one I call blameworthy

imañca kāyaṁ nikkhipati aññañca kāyaṁ upādiyati tamahaṁ saupavajjo ti vadāmi. (MN iii 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 paṭhavirasaṁ upādiyati yañca āporasaṁ upādiyati), all that leads to its bitterness, acridity, and unpleasant taste. (AN v 212)

Illustration: upādiyati, grasp

He does not grasp anything in the world [of phenomena]

na kiñci loke upādiyati. (MN i 252)

➥ upādāya: (main article see: upādānā)

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”

cakkhusmiṁ kho bhikkhave sati cakkhuṁ upādāya cakkhuṁ abhinivissa seyyo'hamasmī ti vā hoti sadiso'hamasmī ti vā hoti hīno'hamasmī ti vā hoti. (SN iv 88)

While Venerable Sāriputta considered this his mind was liberated [from perceptually obscuring states] through being without grasping.

anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucci. (MN i 501)

’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 sakaṁ mukhanimittaṁ 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 rūpaṁ upādāya asmī ti hoti no anupādāya… viññāṇaṁ upādāya asmī ti hoti no anupādāya. (SN iii 105)

➥ upādāno: (main article see: upādānā)

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 ciraṁ dīghamaddhānaṁ tiṭṭheyya. (SN ii 86)

➥ upādānaṁ: (main article see: upādānā)

Illustration: upādānaṁ, 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' haṁ vaccha uppattiṁ paññāpemi no anupādānassa; seyyathā pi vaccha aghi saupādāno jalati no anupādāno:

… On that occasion craving is the fuel

Taṇhāhissa vaccha tasmiṁ samaye upādānaṁ hotī ti. (SN iv 399-400)

Illustration: upādānaṁ, 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 kāmūpasaṁhitā 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 taṁ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato tannissitaṁ viññāṇaṁ hoti

That is grasping.

tadupādānaṁ. (SN iv 102)

Spiritually fettering delight in bodily form is grasping

yā rūpe nandī tadupādānaṁ. (SN iii 13)

Grasping arises dependent on craving

taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ. (SN ii 14)

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 grasping on 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 (MN ii 237)

➥ upādānāya: (main article see: upādānā)

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 evaṁ vādino evaṁdiṭṭhino sabbaṁ me khamatī ti tesamayaṁ diṭṭhi sārāgāya santike saṁyogāya santike abhinandanāya santike ajjhosānāya santike upādānāya santike. (MN i 498)

Neither is grasping the same as the five grasped aggregates, nor is it separate.

na kho bhikkhu taññeva upādānaṁ te pañcupādānakkhandhā na pi aññatra pañcupādānakkhandhehi upādānaṁ

Whatever there is the fondness and attachment, that is the grasping.

yo tattha chandarāgo taṁ tattha upādānan ti. (SN iii 100-1)

If there were no grasping in any way

sabbaso upādāne asati upādānanirodhā

• grasping of sensuous pleasure

kāmūpādānaṁ

• grasping of dogmatic views

diṭṭhūpādānaṁ

• grasping of observances and practices

sīlabbatūpādānaṁ

• grasping of theories of an [absolute] Selfhood

attavādūpādānaṁ

would individual existence be discerned?

api nu kho bhavo paññāyethā ti. (DN ii 58)

➥ upādā: (main article see: upādānā)

Illustration: upādā, grasping

In this regard, having seen any kind of bodily form… field 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 yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ atītānāgata paccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā yaṁ dūre sannike vā sabbaṁ rūpaṁ n’etaṁ mama n’eso’hamasmi na me so attā ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā anupādā vimutto hoti.

Yā kāci vedanā… saññā… saṅkhārā… viññāṇaṁ…. (MN i 235)

Comment:

Thus grasping equals seeing things as “[in reality] mine,” “[in reality] what I am,” “my [absolute] Selfhood.”