Saṃyukta Āgama Sutta 298, Part 2

(2) Original text: Conditioned by ignorance are formations. What are formations? There are three kinds: bodily formations, verbal formations, and mental formations. Conditioned by formations is consciousness. What is consciousness? It refers to the six consciousness bodies: eye-consciousness body, ear-consciousness body, nose-consciousness body, tongue-consciousness body, body-consciousness body, and mind-consciousness body. Conditioned by consciousness is name-and-form. What is name? It refers to the four formless aggregates: the feeling aggregate, the perception aggregate, the formation aggregate, and the consciousness aggregate. What is form? It refers to the four great elements and the form derived from the four great elements. This is called form. This form together with the aforementioned name constitutes name-and-form.

Explanation: Conditioned by ignorance are formations. What are formations? There are three kinds: bodily formations, verbal formations, and mental formations. Conditioned by formations is consciousness. What is consciousness? It is the six consciousness bodies: eye-consciousness body, ear-consciousness body, nose-consciousness body, tongue-consciousness body, body-consciousness body, and mind-consciousness body. Conditioned by consciousness is name-and-form. What is name? It is the four formless aggregates: the feeling aggregate, the perception aggregate, the formation aggregate, and the consciousness aggregate. What is form? It is the four great elements and the form derived from the four great elements, called form. Combined with name, it is called name-and-form.

The three kinds of formations—bodily, verbal, and mental—are all governed by the mental formations of the manas (mind root). Because of ignorance, the manas intends to produce bodily, verbal, and mental formations, and only then do the six consciousnesses arise. After the six consciousnesses arise, bodily, verbal, and mental formations occur. Without the six consciousnesses, there are no bodily, verbal, or mental formations. For example, when asleep without the six consciousnesses, there are no bodily, verbal, or mental formations. When unconscious and the six consciousnesses have ceased, there are no bodily, verbal, or mental formations, as in the state of non-perception (asaṃjñā-samāpatti) and the cessation attainment (nirodha-samāpatti); without the six consciousnesses, there are no bodily, verbal, or mental formations. Therefore, the mental formations of the manas come first, then the six consciousnesses and the bodily, verbal, and mental formations of the six consciousnesses. The manas precedes; the six consciousnesses follow.

Original text: Conditioned by name-and-form are the six sense bases. What are the six sense bases? They are the six internal sense bases: the eye base, the ear base, the nose base, the tongue base, the body base, the mind base. Conditioned by the six sense bases is contact. What is contact? It refers to the six contact bodies: eye-contact body, ear-contact body, nose-contact body, tongue-contact body, body-contact body, mind-contact body. Conditioned by contact is feeling. What is feeling? It refers to three kinds: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Conditioned by feeling is craving. What is craving? It refers to three kinds: craving for sensual pleasures, craving for form, and craving for the formless. Conditioned by craving is clinging. What is clinging? Four kinds: clinging to sensual desires, clinging to views, clinging to rites and observances, and clinging to a doctrine of self. Conditioned by clinging is becoming. What is becoming? Three kinds: becoming in the sensual realm, becoming in the form realm, becoming in the formless realm.

Explanation: Conditioned by name-and-form are the six sense bases. What are the six sense bases? They are the six internal sense bases: the eye base, the ear base, the nose base, the tongue base, the body base, and the mind base. Conditioned by the six sense bases is contact. What is contact? It is the six contact bodies: eye-contact body, ear-contact body, nose-contact body, tongue-contact body, body-contact body, and mind-contact body. Conditioned by contact is feeling. What is feeling? It is the three kinds: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Conditioned by feeling is craving. What is craving? It is the three kinds: craving for the desire realm, craving for the form realm, and craving for the formless realm. Conditioned by craving is clinging. What is clinging? It is the four kinds: clinging to sensual desires, clinging to wrong views, clinging to rites and rituals, and clinging to self-doctrine. Conditioned by clinging is becoming. What is becoming? It is the three kinds: becoming in the desire realm, becoming in the form realm, and becoming in the formless realm.