What is meant by 'dukkhe loko patiṭṭhito'?

Question

In SN68 Pihitasutta;

Kenassu pihito loko, kismiṁ loko patiṭṭhito; Kenassu uḍḍito loko, kenassu parivāritoti.

Maccunā pihito loko, dukkhe loko patiṭṭhito; Taṇhāya uḍḍito loko, jarāya parivāritoti.

Translation:

By what is the world shut in? On what is the world established? By what is the world ensnared? By what is it enveloped?”

“The world is shut in by death; The world is established on suffering; The world is ensnared by craving; It is enveloped by old age.

What is meant by 'dukkhe loko patiṭṭhito'? why is it said that "The world is established on suffering?"

EDIT:

The same is repeated in, SN67 Uḍḍitasutta which may be much clearer.

Kenassu uḍḍito loko, kenassu parivārito; Kenassu pihito loko, kismiṁ loko patiṭṭhitoti.

Taṇhāya uḍḍito loko, jarāya parivārito; Maccunā pihito loko, dukkhe loko patiṭṭhitoti.

Translation

By what is the world ensnared? By what is it enveloped? By what is the world shut in? On what is the world established?”

The world is ensnared by craving; It is enveloped by old age; The world is shut in by death; The world is established on suffering.

Answer 1

To understand what this means, we must first understand what "world" means in context.

"World" in this context, refers to the world of mental formations.

Please read "What is world (loka) in SN 12.44? Why is it called "world"?" for more info.

Also, please see below.

In Piya Tan's commentary on SN 12.44, he drew a connection from the arising of feeling to the arising of mental proliferation (papanca).

And what, bhikshus, is the arising of the world¹⁰?

Bhikshus, dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises.
The meeting of the three is contact.
With contact as condition, there is feeling.¹²

_{¹⁰ On the 3 types of “world,” see Rohitassa S
¹² From hereon, Madhu,pindika S (M 18.16) continues: “What one feels, one perceives. What one perceives, one thinks about. What one thinks about, one mentally proliferates. What a person mentally proliferates is the source through which perceptions and notions due to mental proliferation impacts one regarding past, future and present forms cognizable through the eye.”}

In Piya Tan's commentary on the Rohitassa Sutta (SN 2.26), he explains the three types of worlds:

In the Rohitassa Sutta, the word “world” (loka) is used in two senses: in the sense of the physical world and the world of formations. Rohitassa asks the Buddha a question on the physical world (cakka-vāla loka, “universe world”), but the Buddha answers him referring to the world of formations. Through-out the Buddhist texts, the word “world” has three senses:

1. Sankhāra loka - the world of formations,
2. Satta loka - the world of beings,
3. Okāsa loka - the world of space (ie the space-time reality).
   (Vism 7.37/204 f; DA 1:173; MA 1:397, 2:200)

The world of formations is defined in the Patisambhidā,magga thus: “One world: all beings are sustained by food.” (Pm 1:122).

So, the "world" of SN 12.44 corresponds to the world of mental formations (sankhara loka) arising from mental proliferations (papanca), that is derived from the feelings (vedana) coming from the contact of consciousness with the six sense media and their sense objects (The All).

Answer 2

I must revise this answer for 'the world' with a pertinent quote from SN 12.10, namely:

‘Alas, this world has fallen into trouble. It’s born, grows old, dies, passes away and follows on as before'.

‘kicchaṁ vatāyaṁ loko āpanno jāyati ca jīyati ca mīyati ca cavati ca upapajjati ca.

The word 'jāyati' (verbal form of 'jati') above does not mean physical birth. For example, AN 4.200 & Dhp 212 say:

Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, pemāni jāyanti. Katamāni cattāri? Pemā pemaṃ jāyati, pemā doso jāyati, dosā pemaṃ jāyati, dosā doso jāyati.

Monks, these four things are born. Which four? Affection is born of affection. Aversion is born of affection. Affection is born of aversion. Aversion is born of aversion.

Piyato jāyatī soko, piyato jāyatī bhayaṃ

From affection is grief born, from affection is fear born.

SN 12.2 defines "jati" as the birth of a "category of beings" ("satta nikaye"). SN 23.2 defines "a being" ("satta") as "strong attachment". SN 5.10 defines "a being" ("satta") as "a view"; "a convention"; "a word".

Therefore, when SN 12.10 says "the world is born", this means "the world is born from self-views". In other words, it is from self-views that grief & fear are born. Thus "the world" is that has the nature of grief, fear & sorrow. Thus AN 8.6 says:

Bhikkhus, these eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around these eight worldly conditions. What eight? Gain and loss, disrepute and fame, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain. These eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around these eight worldly conditions.

In SN 2.26, SN 12.44 & SN 12.15, it appears the term "world" is a synonym for "suffering" ("dukkha"). SN 12.15, in particular, says:

For one who sees the origin of the world as it really is with correct wisdom.... for one who sees the cessation of the world as it really is with correct wisdom... This world, Kaccana, is for the most part shackled by engagement, clinging and adherence. But this one with right view does not become engaged and cling through that engagement and clinging, mental standpoint, adherence, underlying tendency; he does not take a stand about ‘my self.’ He has no perplexity or doubt that what arises is only suffering arising, what ceases is only suffering ceasing.

The word 'patiṭṭhito' is found in suttas such as AN 3.76 & SN 22.53. Here, 'patiṭṭhito' is about when craving causes consciousness to be "established" or "fixated" in a sense object. In AN 3.76, it appears 'patiṭṭhito' explains or defines what 'bhava' ('becoming') is.

While am no Pali expert & while the following distinction is not important, the term "dukkhe" appears to be of locative case. Thus, I would translate the phrase: "the world is established in suffering" rather than "the world is established on suffering".

Therefore, per SN 12.15, it appears the phrase 'dukkhe loko patiṭṭhito' means 'the world is established in the self-views that are suffering'.

To reiterate from SN 12.15:

For one who sees the origin of the world as it really is with correct wisdom.... this world, Kaccana, is for the most part shackled by engagement, clinging and adherence... a stand about ‘my self’... what arises is only suffering arising...

Similarly, SN 5.10, which is about the worldly wrong view & convention of "a being" ("satta"), says:

Why now do you assume 'a being'? Mara, have you grasped a view?

Just as, with an assemblage of parts, The word 'chariot' is used, So, when the aggregates are present, There's the convention 'a being.'

It's only suffering that comes to be, Nothing but suffering comes to be.

Therefore, again, it appears the world is established in the self-views of "beings" that are suffering.

Again, to note, SN 23.2 defines "a being" ("satta") as "strong attachment" ("visatta").