Saṃyukta Āgama Sūtra No. 295, Part 1

(1) Original Text: Because this does not exist, the sixfold base for consciousness does not exist. Then the sixfold base for contact, the sixfold base for feeling, the sixfold base for perception, and the sixfold base for mental formations do not exist. Because this does not exist, there is no future birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, or despair. Thus, the entire mass of suffering ceases. If a learned noble disciple rightly knows, thoroughly sees, clearly comprehends, and fully penetrates the arising and cessation of the world, such a noble disciple attains this goodness, obtains this wholesome Dhamma, knows this wholesome Dhamma, and enters into this wholesome Dhamma. They awaken to, perceive, and witness the arising and cessation of the world, accomplish the noble liberation, truly realize the stilling of suffering, the complete cessation of suffering, and reach the very end of suffering. For what reason? Because the learned noble disciple has rightly known the arising and cessation of the world, thoroughly seeing, clearly comprehending, and fully penetrating it. The bhikkhus, having heard the Buddha’s words, rejoiced and undertook them respectfully.

Explanation: The Buddha taught that because this does not exist, the sixfold base for consciousness ceases. Subsequently, the sixfold base for contact, the sixfold base for feeling, the sixfold base for perception, and the sixfold base for mental formations also cease. Because this does not exist, there is no future birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, or despair. Thus, the entire mass of suffering ceases. If a learned noble disciple can rightly know the arising and cessation of the world, skillfully observe, awaken to, and fully penetrate this Dhamma, then such a noble disciple gathers this wholesome Dhamma, obtains this wholesome Dhamma, knows this wholesome Dhamma, and enters into this wholesome Dhamma. They awaken to and witness the arising and cessation of the world, accomplish the noble liberation, truly realize the stilling of suffering and the complete cessation of suffering, and reach the very end of suffering. Why is this said? Because the learned noble disciple has rightly known the arising and cessation of the world, being skilled in observing, awakening to, and penetrating this Dhamma.

When this does not exist, that does not exist. For example, when ignorance ceases, mental formations cease; when mental formations cease, the sixfold base for consciousness ceases; when the sixfold base for consciousness ceases, the six sense bases cease; when the six sense bases cease, contact ceases; when contact ceases, feeling ceases; when feeling ceases, craving ceases; when craving ceases, clinging ceases; when clinging ceases, becoming ceases; when becoming ceases, birth ceases; when birth ceases, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair cease. When ignorance ceases, birth, aging, and death cease. If any link in this chain is broken, the entire cycle of the twelve links of dependent origination is severed.

The key to birth, death, suffering, and happiness lies in whether there is clinging. When clinging persists without cessation, suffering persists without end. For whatever you grasp, you grasp suffering; whatever you grasp, you grasp thorns; whatever you grasp, you grasp poison. Clinging to craving is grasping suffering; craving itself is suffering; the arising of craving is the arising of suffering; the arising of clinging is the arising of suffering. We must always remember: as long as there is clinging, we are clinging to suffering, clinging to poison, ultimately harming ourselves.

Knowing the principle of the arising and cessation of suffering in the world accomplishes the noble liberation. This knowing is not merely intellectual understanding at the conscious level; it must primarily be known by the mind base, because the mind base is the consciousness that makes decisions and exercises control. Only when the mind base knows can it choose not to create causes of suffering, cease the accumulation of suffering, and liberate from birth and death. If the mental consciousness knows suffering but the mind base does not, the mind base will still initiate actions that create causes of suffering, because the mind base determines all bodily, verbal, and mental actions. The mental consciousness does not play a decisive role; even if it knows suffering, it cannot prevent it. Therefore, practicing the Dhamma requires cultivating the mind base, learning until it penetrates the mind base. Although the mental consciousness is also crucial, the mind base is even more critical.