Saṃyukta Āgama, Discourse 287, Part Three

Original text:我时作是念。何法无故则老死无。何法灭故老死灭。即正思惟。生如实无间等。生无故老死无。生灭故老死灭。如是生有。取爱受触。六入处名色。识行广说。

Explanation: The Buddha said: At this time I again had such a doubt-laden thought: with the absence of what dharma is there no aging-and-death? With the cessation of what dharma does aging-and-death cease? I then entered right contemplation (yoniso manasikāra), and afterward there arose the wisdom of true reality without interruption, knowing that when arising is absent, aging-and-death is absent, and when the phenomenon of arising ceases, aging-and-death ceases. Contemplating in this way onward, one will realize that when existence in the three realms disappears, arising will no longer appear; when existence in the three realms ceases, arising ceases; when grasping (upādāna) is absent, existence in the three realms is absent; when grasping ceases, existence in the three realms ceases.

When craving is absent, grasping is absent; when craving ceases, grasping ceases; when feeling is absent, craving is absent; when feeling ceases, craving ceases; when contact disappears, feeling disappears; when contact ceases, feeling ceases; when the six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana) are absent, contact is absent; when the six sense bases cease, contact ceases; when name-and-form is absent, the six sense bases are absent; when name-and-form ceases, the six sense bases cease; when the six consciousnesses no longer create bodily, verbal, and mental actions, name-and-form ceases; when the karmic formations of the six consciousnesses cease, name-and-form ceases; when the mental activities of the manas are absent, the karmic formations of the six consciousnesses are absent; when the mental activities of the manas cease, the karmic formations leading to aging-and-death cease.