Samyukta Agama, Volume 1, Section 7

The Buddha told the bhikkhus: If a person has craving and delight for the aggregate of form, it is equivalent to delighting in suffering. One who delights in suffering cannot be liberated from suffering. Because of craving and delight for the aggregate of form, the view of self is not severed, one becomes bound by the aggregate of form, and the mind grasps and clings to the aggregate of form. If craving is not severed, the attachment of the mental faculty (manas) to the aggregate of form remains unbroken. At the time of death, because of this attachment, the mental faculty constantly desires the existence of the aggregate of form, and thus an intermediate existence (antarābhava) is produced.

The intermediate existence perishes every seven days, with a maximum of seven such existences. Knowing the unreliability of the intermediate existence, the mental faculty rushes urgently to take rebirth in order to secure the existence of the aggregate of form in the future life. After rebirth, the aggregate of form of the next life arises, and thus comes the immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair of birth, aging, sickness, and death. The complete mass of suffering then arises. Sentient beings must then endure these immeasurable sorrows, laments, pains, distresses, and despairs, unable to liberate themselves from the suffering of birth and death, and the experience of suffering remains unbroken. Therefore, the Buddha said that craving for the aggregate of form is craving for suffering.

The Buddha once led his disciples to a seashore where they saw a female corpse lying on the sand. This corpse was already bloated and swollen, with a small insect crawling on its face. The Buddha told his disciples: "This woman was extremely beautiful in her previous life. She greatly delighted in her own appearance and looked at her face in a mirror every day. At the time of death, because of her clinging attachment to herself, she was reborn as this insect crawling on the face, continuing to crave her own face." This story tells us that whatever one delights in, one becomes bound by it, unable to detach or liberate oneself. There will inevitably be the birth, aging, sickness, and death of future lives, one cannot be free from sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair, and one cannot be liberated from the suffering of birth and death. The Buddha instructs us to sever craving, which is to sever suffering, liberate the mind, and transcend the cycle of birth and death.

The Buddha told the bhikkhus: Similarly, if one has craving and delight for the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, one is craving and delighting in suffering. One who delights in suffering cannot be liberated from suffering, and the experience of suffering remains unbroken. Because of craving for the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, one becomes bound and stuck by these four aggregates, the mind grasps these four aggregates, and if this grasping remains unbroken, future existence remains unbroken. At the time of death, because of the attachment of the mental faculty, an intermediate existence arises, and then one takes rebirth again. This results in the arising of the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness in the next life. Then the immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair of birth, aging, sickness, and death arise, sentient beings experience unbroken suffering, and cannot be liberated from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.

The Buddha further told the bhikkhus: If one no longer has craving or delight for the aggregate of form, one will not be bound by the aggregate of form, the mind will no longer grasp the aggregate of form, and there will no longer be the appearance of an intermediate existence. Alternatively, the mental faculty will cause the intermediate existence to cease by itself, and one will not take rebirth again. Thus, the aggregate of form of a future life will not arise, the immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair of birth, aging, sickness, and death will cease, the mind will be liberated, and one will also be liberated from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.

The Buddha further told the bhikkhus: If one no longer has craving or delight for the four aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, one will not be bound or stuck by these four aggregates, the mind will no longer grasp these four aggregates, and there will no longer be the appearance of an intermediate existence. Alternatively, the mental faculty will cause the intermediate existence to cease, and one will not take rebirth. Thus, the four aggregates of a future life will not arise, the immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair of birth, aging, sickness, and death will cease, the mind will be liberated, and one will also be liberated from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.