Saṃyuktāgama, Fascicle 1, Sutta 7

The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: If a person craves and delights in the aggregate of form, it is the same as delighting in suffering; one who craves and delights in suffering is not liberated from that suffering. Because of craving and delighting in the aggregate of form, the view of self is not severed, and one will be bound by the aggregate of form, and the mind will grasp at and crave the aggregate of form. If this craving and grasping is not severed, the manas's attachment to the aggregate of form will not cease. At the time of death, because of the manas's attachment, it always wishes for the aggregate of form to exist, and thus the neutrino-body (antarā-bhava) will arise.

The neutrino-body perishes every seven days, and there can be at most seven such bodies. When the manas knows that the neutrino-body is unreliable, it will hurriedly go to take rebirth in a womb, so as to ensure the existence of the aggregate of form in the future life. After conception, the aggregate of form of the next life comes into being, and thus there arise the immeasurable sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress (śoka-parideva-duḥkha-daurmanasyopāyāsa) of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and the great mass of suffering is produced. Then sentient beings must undergo these immeasurable sorrows, griefs, sufferings, and distresses, unable to attain liberation from the suffering of birth and death, with suffering unceasing. Therefore the World-Honored One said that craving the aggregate of form is craving suffering.

The World-Honored One once led his disciples to a seashore, where they saw a female corpse lying on the beach. The corpse was swollen and bloated, with a small insect crawling on its face. The World-Honored One told the disciples: This woman was very beautiful in appearance during her lifetime, and she was extremely fond of her own looks, looking at her face in the mirror every day. At the time of her death, because she could not let go of her self-attachment, she was reborn as an insect crawling back and forth on her face, continuing to crave her own face. This story tells us that whatever one likes, one is bound by, unable to escape, unable to be liberated. There will surely be birth, aging, sickness, and death in the future life, one cannot depart from sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress, and one cannot be liberated from the suffering of birth and death. The World-Honored One's instruction to sever craving and attachment is to have us sever suffering, so that the mind attains liberation and escapes the cycle of birth and death.

The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: Likewise, if one craves and delights in the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of volitional formations, and the aggregate of consciousness, one is craving and delighting in suffering; one who delights in suffering cannot be liberated from that suffering, and suffering will be unceasing. Because of craving the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of volitional formations, and the aggregate of consciousness, one will be bound and stuck fast by these four aggregates, and the mind will grasp at these four aggregates. If this grasping is unceasing, the existence of future lives will be unceasing. At the time of death, because of the manas's attachment, the neutrino-body will arise, and then one goes to take rebirth in a womb, and the four aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness of the next life will come into being. Then the immeasurable sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress of birth, aging, sickness, and death are produced, and sentient beings will suffer unceasingly, unable to attain liberation from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.

The World-Honored One further told the bhikṣus: If one no longer craves and delights in the aggregate of form, one will not be bound by the aggregate of form, the mind will no longer grasp at the aggregate of form, and the neutrino-body will no longer appear; or the manas will extinguish itself within the neutrino-body and will not go to take rebirth in a womb. In this way, the aggregate of form of the future life will not come into being, the immeasurable sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress of birth, aging, sickness, and death will also cease, the mind will attain liberation, and one will be liberated from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.

The World-Honored One further told the bhikṣus: If one no longer craves and delights in the four aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, one will not be bound and stuck fast by these four aggregates, the mind will no longer grasp at the four aggregates, and the neutrino-body will no longer appear; or the manas will extinguish itself within the neutrino-body and will not go to take rebirth in a womb. In this way, the four aggregates of the future life will not come into being, the immeasurable sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress of birth, aging, sickness, and death will also cease, the mind will attain liberation, and one will be liberated from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.