Samyutta Nikaya 283: Part 2

(2) Original Text: It is like a person planting a tree. Initially small and weak, it is cared for and protected to ensure its safety, enriched with manure and soil, watered at appropriate times, and adjusted for warmth and coolness. Through these causes and conditions, that tree then grows large. Similarly, bhikkhus, regarding the dharmas bound by the fetters: if you relish, cling to, protect, and nurture them, then affection arises. From affection as condition arises grasping; from grasping as condition arises becoming; from becoming as condition arises birth; from birth as condition arise aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. Thus, thus is the arising of this entire mass of suffering.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Just like people planting a tree—after planting, the sapling is still weak and may die if not carefully attended to. It requires constant human care and protection: adding soil, watering, fertilizing, and adjusting the temperature at all times to allow it to grow healthily. Only when all the causes and conditions for normal growth are complete can the sapling gradually grow large. Bhikkhus, similar to the principle of a tree’s growth—if, when the dharmas bound by the afflictive fetters first appear, you greedily cling to them, cherish, protect, and nurture them, then affection and craving will arise in your mind. With craving, the mind of grasping arises; continuous grasping gives rise to the world of the three realms. When the conditions for the three realms are complete, the five aggregates will be born. After the birth of the five aggregates, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, despair, and so forth—this entire mass of great suffering—will gather.

The Buddha used the small tree to symbolize the afflictive fetters of sentient beings. When the afflictive fetters first arise, sentient beings not only fail to nip them in the bud and extinguish them, but instead cultivate them, allowing the afflictions to grow increasingly firm. Consequently, they sink deeper into the cycle of birth and death. Practitioners should constantly introspect their own minds; upon discovering afflictions, they should subdue and eliminate them, not nurture, cultivate, or cherish them. Those who lack enlightenment, whose awareness is insufficient, or who are already habituated to afflictions find it difficult to recognize their own afflictive fetters and often act according to their afflictions. If one always follows their afflictions, the afflictions will grow heavier, and sinking deeper into birth and death will become increasingly profound. When afflictions first arise, lacking both realization and restraint allows them to grow increasingly severe. Once deep-rooted habitual afflictions are formed, they ultimately become very difficult to eradicate.