Eva½ me suta½- eka½ samaya½ bhagav± s±vatthiya½ viharati jetavane an±thapiº¹ikassa ±r±me. Tatra kho bhagav± bhikkh³ ±mantesi– “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkh³ bhagavato paccassosu½. Bhagav± etadavoca–

I have heard thus. At one time the Sublime One was living at S±vatthi, in Jeta's grove of An±thapiº¹ika.
The Sublime One addressed the monks: “Monks!” Those monks replied: “Yes, venerable sir.” And the Sublime One said thus:

Catt±rome, bhikkhave, ±h±r± bh³t±na½ v± satt±na½ µhitiy± sambhaves²na½ v± anuggah±ya. katame catt±ro? kaba¼²k±ro ±h±ro o¼±riko v± sukhumo v±, phasso dutiyo, manosañcetan± tatiy±, viññ±ºa½ catuttha½. Ime kho, bhikkhave, catt±ro ±h±r± bh³t±na½ v± satt±na½ µhitiy± sambhaves²na½ v± anuggah±ya”.

“Monks, there are four aliments for the continuance of the born and for the benefit of those to be born. What four?...
Material food, coarse or subtle, is the first, contact is the second, mental reflection is the third and consciousness is the fourth. Monks, these are the four aliments for the continuance of the born and for the benefit of those to be born.

“Ime, bhikkhave, catt±ro ±h±r± ki½nid±n± ki½samuday± ki½j±tik± ki½pabhav±? Ime catt±ro ±h±r± taºh±nid±n± taºh±samuday± taºh±j±tik± taºh±pabhav±.

“Monks, and of these four aliments; from what is their foundation, from what is their origin, from what is their birth and from what is their cause? Of these four aliments; from craving is their foundation, craving is their origin, craving is their birth and from craving is their cause.

Taºh± c±ya½, bhikkhave, ki½nid±n± ki½samuday± ki½j±tik± ki½pabhav±? Taºh± vedan±nid±n± vedan±samuday± vedan±j±tik± vedan±pabhav±.

“Monks, and of this craving; from what is their foundation, from what is their origin, from what is their birth and from what is their cause? Of this craving; from sensations of feeling is their foundation, sensations of feeling is their origin, sensations of feeling is their birth and from sensations of feeling is their cause.

Vedan± c±ya½, bhikkhave, ki½nid±n± ki½samuday± ki½j±tik± ki½pabhav±? Vedan± phassanid±n± phassasamuday± phassaj±tik± phassapabhav±.

“Monks, and of the sensations of feeling; from what is their foundation, from what is their origin, from what is their birth and from what is their cause? Of the sensations of feeling; from contact is its foundation, contact is its origin, contact is its birth and from contact is its cause.

Phasso c±ya½, bhikkhave, ki½nid±no ki½samudayo ki½j±tiko ki½pabhavo? Phasso sa¼±yatananid±no sa¼±yatanasamudayo sa¼±yatanaj±tiko sa¼±yatanapabhavo.

“Monks, and of contact; from what is its foundation, from what is their origin, from what is their birth and from what is their cause? Of this contact; from the six extensions of sensation is its foundation, the six extensions of sensation are its origin, the six extensions of sensation are its birth and from the six extensions of sensation are its cause.

Sa¼±yatanañcida½, bhikkhave, ki½nid±na½ ki½samudaya½ ki½j±tika½ ki½pabhava½? Sa¼±yatana½ n±mar³panid±na½ n±mar³pasamudaya½ n±mar³paj±tika½ n±mar³papabhava½.

“Monks, and of the six extensions of sensations; from what is its foundation, from what is their origin, from what is their birth and from what is their cause? Of the six extensions of sensations; from cognition of the physical is their foundation, cognition of the physical is their origin, cognition of the physical is their birth and from cognition of the physical is their cause.

N±mar³pañcida½, bhikkhave, ki½nid±na½ ki½samudaya½ ki½j±tika½ ki½pabhava½? N±mar³pa½ viññ±ºanid±na½ viññ±ºasamudaya½ viññ±ºaj±tika½ viññ±ºapabhava½.

“Monks, and of this cognition of the physical; from what is its foundation, from what is its origin, from what is its birth and from what is its cause? Of this cognition of the physical; from consciousness is its foundation, consciousness is its origin, consciousness is its birth and from consciousness is their cause.

Viññ±ºañcida½, bhikkhave, ki½nid±na½ ki½samudaya½ ki½j±tika½ ki½pabhava½? Viññ±ºa½ saªkh±ranid±na½ saªkh±rasamudaya½ saªkh±raj±tika½ saªkh±rapabhava½.

“Monks, and of this consciousness; from what is its foundation, from what is its origin, from what is its birth and from what is its cause? Of this consciousness; from volitional cognition is its foundation, volitional cognition is its origin, volitional cognition is its birth and from volitional cognition is its cause.

Saªkh±r± cime, bhikkhave, ki½nid±n± ki½samuday± ki½j±tik± ki½pabhav±? Saªkh±r± avijj±nid±n± avijj±samuday± avijj±j±tik± avijj±pabhav±.

“Monks, and of this volitional cognition; from what is its foundation, from what is its origin, from what is its birth and from what is its cause? Of this volitional cognition; from ignorance is its foundation, ignorance is its origin, ignorance is its birth and from ignorance is its cause.

“Iti kho, bhikkhave, avijj±paccay± saªkh±r±; saªkh±rapaccay± viññ±ºa½; viññ±ºapaccay± n±mar³pa½; n±mar³papaccay± sa¼±yatana½; sa¼±yatanapaccay± phasso; phassapaccay± vedan±; vedan±paccay± taºh±; taºh±paccay± up±d±na½; up±d±napaccay± bhavo; bhavapaccay± j±ti; j±tipaccay± jar±maraºa½ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassup±y±s± sambhavanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

“Therefore Monks, ignorance is the supportive condition for volitional cognition, volitional cognition is the supportive condition for consciousness, consciousness is the supportive condition for cognition of the physical, cognition of the physical is the supportive condition for the six extensions of sensation, the six extensions of sensation is the supportive condition for contact, contact is the supportive condition for the sensation of feeling, the sensation of feeling is the supportive condition for craving, craving is the supportive condition for identification, identification is the supportive condition for becoming, becoming is the supportive condition for birth and birth is the supportive condition for the arising of aging and death, sorrow, weeping, affliction and mental distress.

Such is the genesis of this entire mass of suffering.

“Avijj±ya tveva asesavir±ganirodh± saªkh±ranirodho; saªkh±ranirodh± viññ±ºanirodho; viññ±ºanirodh± n±mar³panirodho; n±mar³panirodh± sa¼±yatananirodho; sa¼±yatananirodh± phassanirodho; phassanirodh± vedan±nirodho; vedan±nirodh± taºh±nirodho; taºh±nirodh± up±d±nanirodho; up±d±nanirodh± bhavanirodho; bhavanirodh± j±tinirodho; j±tinirodh± jar±maraºa½ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassup±y±s± nirujjhanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hot²”ti.

“With the cessation and fading without remainder of ignorance; volitional cognition ceases. With the cessation of volitional cognition, consciousness ceases, with the cessation of consciousness, cognition of the physical ceases, with the cessation of cognition of the physical, the six extensions of sensations cease, with the cessation of the six extensions of sensations, contact ceases, with the cessation of contact, the sensation of feeling ceases, with the cessation of the sensation of feeling, craving ceases, with the cessation of craving, identification ceases, with the cessation of identification, becoming ceases, with the cessation of becoming, birth ceases and with the cessation of birth; aging and death, sorrow, weeping, affliction and mental distress ceases.

Such is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering.”

~~~

[Khantijayo Bhikkhu]