Saṃyuktāgama (292), Part Eight

(Eight) Original text:复次。比丘思量观察正尽苦。究竟苦边时。思量彼行何因何集。何生何触。知彼行无明因无明集。无明生无明触。彼福行无明缘。非福行亦无明缘。非福不福行亦无明缘。是故当知。彼行无明因无明集。无明生无明触。彼无明永灭无余。则行灭。彼所乘无明灭道迹。如实知。修习彼向次法。是名比丘向正尽苦。究竟苦边。所谓无明灭。

Explanation: Furthermore, if a bhikkhu wishes to deliberate and contemplate the complete cessation of suffering and reach the ultimate end of suffering, he must deliberate and contemplate what cause gave rise to the mental formations of the manas, what dharma, when it accumulated, brought forth the mental formations of the manas, what dharma, when it arose, gave rise to the mental formations of the manas, and what dharma, when it contacted, brought forth the birth of the mental formations of the manas. After deliberation, he comes to know that the mental formations of the manas appear because of ignorance; it is ignorance that, when accumulated, brings forth the birth of the mental formations of the manas; ignorance that, when it arises, gives rise to the mental formations of the manas; and ignorance that, when it contacts, brings forth the appearance of the mental formations of the manas. The manas's mental formations of wanting to create meritorious formations arise because of ignorance; the manas's mental formations of wanting to create unmeritorious and unwholesome formations arise because of ignorance; and even the manas's mental formations of wanting to create formations that are neither meritorious nor unmeritorious arise because of ignorance.

Therefore, the bhikkhus should know that the mental formations of the manas are born with us as their cause and condition, are born from the accumulation of ignorance, are born from the arising of ignorance, and are born from the contact of ignorance. If the ignorance of the manas is forever extinguished without remainder, the mental formations of the manas will cease along with it. The bhikkhus should truly understand the path that they cultivate for extinguishing ignorance, and cultivate the dharma leading toward the path and the auxiliary dharmas. This is called a bhikkhu heading toward the complete cessation of suffering and reaching the ultimate end of suffering—namely, the complete extinguishing of ignorance.