Saṃyukta Āgama (359)

Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Jeta Grove, Anathapindika's Garden in Shravasti. At that time, the World-Honored One addressed the bhikshus: "If there is deliberation, if delusion arises, that causes the clinging consciousness to dwell. Because there is the dwelling of the clinging consciousness, there is future existence—birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. Thus is the entire mass of suffering assembled. If there is no deliberation, no delusion, there is nothing to cause the clinging consciousness to dwell. Because there is no dwelling of the clinging consciousness, in the future, birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair cease. Thus is the entire mass of suffering extinguished." After the Buddha had spoken this sutra, the bhikshus, having heard what the Buddha taught, heard it with joy and respectfully put it into practice.

Explanation: The World-Honored One told the bhikshus: If a person's mind gives rise to deliberation and delusion, it causes the six consciousnesses, which cling to the six dusts (sense objects), to arise and dwell upon those six dusts. Because there is the dwelling of the six consciousnesses upon the six dusts, there will be future existence with birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair—the entire mass of suffering assembled. If a person no longer deliberates or has delusion, there will be no arising of the six consciousnesses that cling to the six dusts and dwell upon them. Because there is no dwelling of the six consciousnesses clinging to the six dusts, the future birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, despair—the entire mass of suffering—will cease and not appear.

The deliberation and delusion spoken of here both refer to the deliberative and deluded nature of the manas (the seventh consciousness, or mind-root). When the manas deliberates upon dharmas (phenomena) and becomes deluded about dharmas, it causes the six consciousnesses to arise to satisfy the delusions of the manas and to actualize its delusions. Consequently, the six consciousnesses dwell upon the deluded states and continuously create bodily, verbal, and mental actions. The karmic seeds thus retained lead to the manifestation of a future five-aggregate body which undergoes birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. If the manas no longer deliberates upon dharmas and has no delusion, the six consciousnesses will not arise, bodily, verbal, and mental actions will not occur, no karmic seeds are retained, and thus there will be no future birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, or despair.