Saṃyuktāgama (371) Part 2

(2) Original Text: What is the cause, what is the origin, what is the arising, what is the condition of these four kinds of nutriment? They are caused by craving, originate from craving, arise from craving, and are conditioned by craving. What is the cause, what is the origin, what is the arising, what is the condition of this craving? Craving is caused by feeling, originates from feeling, arises from feeling, and is conditioned by feeling. What is the cause, what is the origin, what is the arising, what is the condition of this feeling? Feeling is caused by contact, originates from contact, arises from contact, and is conditioned by contact.

Explanation: What is the cause for the arising of these four kinds of nutriment? What is the origin from which they accumulate? What is the arising that brings them forth? What is the contact that conditions them? These four kinds of nutriment arise due to craving as the cause; they originate from the accumulation of craving; they are brought forth by the arising of craving; they are conditioned by the contact of craving. Then, what is the cause for the arising of this craving? What is the origin from which it accumulates and is brought forth? What is the arising that triggers it? What contact, occurring, produces it? This craving arises due to feeling as the cause; it originates from the accumulation of feeling; it is brought forth by the arising of feeling; it is produced by the contact of feeling. What is the cause for the arising of this feeling? What is the origin from which it accumulates and is brought forth? What is the arising that triggers it? What contact, occurring, produces it? This feeling arises due to the contact between the six sense faculties and their objects as the cause; it originates from the accumulation of contact; it is brought forth by the arising of contact; it is produced by the contact between the six sense faculties and their objects.

If there is no craving, if craving is utterly extinguished, then mental-nutriment does not arise. Without mental-nutriment, there is no contact-nutriment, and without contact-nutriment, there is no volitional-nutriment and physical-nutriment. Thus, the four kinds of nutriment cease and do not arise. Therefore, craving is suffering; craving is the cause of suffering in the cycle of birth and death.

Original Text: What is the cause, what is the origin, what is the arising, what is the condition of this contact? Contact is caused by the six sense-bases, originates from the six sense-bases, arises from the six sense-bases, and is conditioned by the six sense-bases. The accumulation of the six sense-bases is the accumulation of contact. The accumulation of contact is the accumulation of feeling. The accumulation of feeling is the accumulation of craving. The accumulation of craving is the accumulation of nutriment. Because of the accumulation of nutriment, in the future life, birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair accumulate. Thus this entire mass of suffering accumulates. With the cessation of the six sense-bases comes cessation of contact. With the cessation of contact comes cessation of feeling. With the cessation of feeling comes cessation of craving. With the cessation of craving comes cessation of nutriment. With the cessation of nutriment, in the future life, birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair cease. Thus this entire mass of suffering ceases. After the Buddha spoke this sutra, the bhikkhus, having heard the Buddha's teaching, rejoiced and undertook it accordingly.

Explanation: What is the cause for the arising of this contact? What is the origin from which it accumulates and arises? What is the arising that triggers it? What contact, occurring, produces it? Contact arises due to the six sense-bases as the cause; it originates from the accumulation of the six sense-bases; it is brought forth by the arising of the six sense-bases; it is the result conditioned by the contact of the six sense-bases. The accumulation of the six sense-bases is the accumulation of contact. The accumulation of contact is the accumulation of feeling. The accumulation of feeling is precisely the accumulation of craving. The accumulation of craving is the accumulation of the four kinds of nutriment. Because of the accumulation of nutriment, in the future life, birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair will accumulate; the entire mass of suffering will accumulate. According to the interdependent relationship of these phenomena: if the six sense-bases cease, contact ceases; if contact ceases, feeling ceases; if feeling ceases, craving ceases; if craving ceases, the four kinds of nutriment cease; if the four kinds of nutriment cease, then in the future life, birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, despair, and the entire mass of suffering cease.