Saṃyuktāgama, Volume 12 (285), Part 4

（四）原文：又复思惟。何法无故有无。何法灭故有灭。即正思惟。生如实无间等观。取无故有无。取灭故有灭。又作是念。何法无故取无。何法灭故取灭。即正思惟。生如实无间等观。所取法无常生灭。离欲灭尽舍离。心不顾念。心不缚着。爱则灭。彼爱灭故取灭。取灭故有灭。有灭故生灭。生灭故老病死忧悲恼苦灭。如是如是纯大苦聚灭。

Explanation: The Buddha said: I contemplated again: with the cessation of what dharma does existence in the three realms cease? With the extinction of what dharma does existence in the three realms perish? After such questioning doubt arose, I immediately entered right contemplation (yoniso manasikāra); after right contemplation, there arose the true, unbroken contemplative wisdom of continuous observation (anantarya-abhisamaya), and I realized that when grasping (upādāna) ceases, existence in the three realms ceases, and that once grasping perishes, existence in the three realms will perish.

I then gave rise to another such questioning doubt: with the absence of what dharma does grasping cease? With the extinction of what dharma does grasping perish? I immediately entered right contemplation; after right contemplation, there arose the true, unbroken contemplative wisdom of continuous observation, and I realized that all dharmas that are grasped at are impermanent, arising and ceasing; toward these impermanent, arising-and-ceasing dharmas, desire ceased, desire was extinguished completely, and I relinquished dharma-greed and dharma-attachment; the mind no longer dwelt upon these worldly dharmas of the five aggregates, and the mind was no longer bound by the worldly dharmas of the five aggregates; thus craving (tṛṣṇā) ceased. Once craving ceased, grasping at worldly dharmas ceased; once grasping ceased, existence in the three realms ceased; once existence in the three realms ceased, birth ceased; once birth ceased, old age, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress (śoka-parideva-duḥkha-daurmanasyopāyāsa) ceased. In this way, in this very way, the entire great mass of suffering ceased.

Why is it that when one no longer grasps at the worldly five aggregates, the existence of the three-realm world disappears? Because the nature of grasping is the ignorance of the manas, that is, the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) of the manas. The three-realm world is established precisely because of the ignorant attachments of the manas. When the manas has completely severed its attachments and no longer grasps at the worldly five aggregates, then the mind is empty and tranquil (praśama), no longer creating karmic actions of the three realms, or creating only few of them, and the karmic seeds of the three realms will gradually disappear. During the duration of this life, one abides in nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa); at the end of life, when the manas grasps at and clings to no dharma whatsoever, then the tathāgatagarbha can no longer give rise to any dharma, nor can it give rise to the consciousness-seeds of the manas; thus the manas perishes, the body of the five aggregates disappears, and from then on the body of the five aggregates is never again born, and the three-realm worldly existence belonging to oneself also ceases and is never again produced. Because there is no longer the existence of the three-realm world, there is nothing for future lives to be anchored in; and moreover, with no karmic seeds of the three realms remaining, the conditions and causes for the birth of life are incomplete, and thus no living being will ever appear again.

Why is it that when craving ceases, the nature of grasping ceases? Because craving causes the mind to sink deeply into the world of the five aggregates, unable to extricate itself, unable to separate from the five aggregates, and it will inevitably grasp at worldly dharmas. If there is no craving, and dharmas are regarded as dispensable—going along with conditions freely and at ease—then there is no longer any impetus for grasping. Therefore, the cycle of birth and death is brought about by craving. If one does not crave the three realms, then nirvāṇa will necessarily follow, and there will be no more unending birth and death.