Dīgha Āgama: Mahānidāna Sutta No. 9

(1) Original Text: Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was residing at the residence of Kalmāṣa in the country of Kuruṣa, together with a great assembly of twelve hundred and fifty bhikṣus. At that time, the Buddha said to Ānanda, "Conditioned by birth there is aging-and-death. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without birth, would there be aging-and-death?" Ānanda replied, "No, there would not." "Therefore, Ānanda, by this condition, know that aging-and-death arises due to birth. Conditioned by birth there is aging-and-death. The meaning of what I have said lies herein." The Buddha further said to Ānanda, "Conditioned by becoming there is birth. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without the becoming of the desire realm, the becoming of the form realm, and the becoming of the formless realm, would there be birth?" Ānanda replied, "No, there would not." "Ānanda, by this condition, I know that birth arises due to becoming. Conditioned by becoming there is birth. The meaning of what I have said lies herein." 

Commentary: The Buddha told Ānanda, "Conditioned by birth there is aging-and-death, what does this mean for sentient beings? If all sentient beings could be without birth, could there be aging-and-death?" Ānanda replied, "There would be no aging-and-death." The Buddha said, "Therefore, because of this cause, it is known that aging-and-death exists due to birth; conditioned by birth there is aging-and-death. The meaning of what I said is thus." The Buddha further told Ānanda, "Conditioned by becoming there is birth, what is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings could be without the becoming of the desire realm, the becoming of the form realm, and the becoming of the formless realm, could there be birth?" Ānanda replied, "There would be no birth." The Buddha said, "Ānanda, because of this cause, I know that birth exists due to becoming; conditioned by the becoming of the three realms there is birth. The meaning of what I said is this." 

Original Text: The Buddha further said to Ānanda, "Conditioned by clinging there is becoming. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without desire-clinging, view-clinging, virtue-and-vow-clinging, and self-clinging, would there be becoming?" Ānanda replied, "No, there would not." "Ānanda, by this condition, I know that becoming arises due to clinging. Conditioned by clinging there is becoming. The meaning of what I have said lies herein. The Buddha further said to Ānanda, "Conditioned by craving there is clinging. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without craving for sensual desires, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence, would there be clinging?" Ānanda replied, "There would not be." "Ānanda, by this condition, I know that clinging arises due to craving. Conditioned by craving there is clinging. The meaning of what I have said lies herein." The Buddha further said to Ānanda, "Conditioned by feeling there is craving. What is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without pleasant feeling, painful feeling, or neutral feeling, would there be craving?" Ānanda replied, "No, there would not." "Ānanda, by this condition, I know that craving arises due to feeling. Conditioned by feeling there is craving. The meaning of what I have said lies herein." 

Commentary: The Buddha further told Ānanda, "Conditioned by clinging there is the becoming of the three realms, what is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without desire-clinging, without the clinging to various wrong views headed by self-view, without the clinging to non-liberating precepts mistaken as liberating precepts, and without clinging to the self's five aggregates, could there be the becoming of the three realms?" Ānanda replied, "There would not." The Buddha said, "Ānanda, because of this cause, I know the becoming of the three realms exists due to clinging; conditioned by clinging there is the becoming of the three realms. The meaning of what I said is this." 

The Buddha further told Ānanda: "Conditioned by craving there is clinging, what is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without craving for the desire realm, without craving for the form realm, and without craving for the formless realm, could there be clinging?" Ānanda replied, "There could not be clinging." The Buddha said, "Ānanda, because of this cause, I know that clinging exists due to craving; conditioned by craving there is clinging. The meaning of what I said is this." The Buddha further told Ānanda: "Conditioned by feeling there is craving, what is the meaning of this? If all sentient beings were without pleasant feeling, painful feeling, or neutral feeling, could there be craving?" Ānanda replied, "There could not be craving." The Buddha said, "Ānanda, because of this cause, I know the arising of craving is due to the existence of feeling; conditioned by feeling there is craving. The meaning of what I said is this."