Samyukta Āgama (287), Part One

(1) Original text: 如是我闻。一时。佛住舍卫国祇树给孤独园。尔时。世尊告诸比丘。我忆宿命未成正觉时。独一静处。专精禅思。作是念。何法有故老死有。何法缘故老死有。即正思惟。生如实无间等。生有故老死有。生缘故老死有。如是有取。爱受触。六入处名色。

Explanation: The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: "I recall that in past lives, before I had accomplished perfect and complete enlightenment, I dwelt alone in a quiet place, focusing my contemplation single-mindedly. This thought arose in my mind: By the arising of what dharma does aging-and-death arise? By the condition of what dharma does aging-and-death arise? I then entered right contemplation, and after right contemplation, there arose true, unbroken and uninterrupted wisdom, knowing that when a living being is born, aging-and-death follows; it is because a living being is born that aging-and-death appears."

By inferring backward in this way, link by link, it was realized that the arising of a living being occurs because of the appearance of the vessel-world of the three realms: when the vessel-world of the three realms appears, a living being accordingly appears; with existence in the three realms as the condition, a living being is born. The appearance of existence in the vessel-world of the three realms is because sentient beings grasp at the worldly dharmas of the five aggregates: when there is grasping, existence accordingly appears; with the grasping of sentient beings as the condition, existence is born. When sentient beings have craving for the world of the five aggregates, grasping appears; because of craving, the phenomenon of grasping arises. Because sentient beings have feeling with respect to the world of the five aggregates, there is craving; due to feeling, craving is born. Because sentient beings have contact of the six sense faculties with the six sense objects, feeling arises; due to contact, feeling is born. Because sentient beings have the external six entrances and the internal six entrances, there is contact; due to the existence of the internal and external six entrances, contact is produced. Because sentient beings have name-and-form, the six entrances accordingly arise; with name-and-form as the condition, the six entrances are produced.