Samyukta Āgama (291), Part Two

（二） Original text:佛告阿难。善哉。谛听。当为汝说。此诸比丘取内触法。应如是思惟。若众生所有种种众苦生。此苦何因何集。何生何触。作如是取时。当知此苦亿波提因。亿波提集。亿波提生。亿波提转。

Explanation: The Buddha told Ānanda, "Excellent! Listen carefully, and I shall explain it to you." When you bhikṣus take up the method of inner contact, you should contemplate in this way: when all the various sufferings of sentient beings arise, what is the cause of this suffering? By what is it accumulated? By what does it arise? By what does it make contact? When taking up in this way, you should know that this suffering has upādāna (grasping) as its cause; it is accumulated through upādāna; it arises through upādāna; it transmigrates through upādāna. That is, it is because of the cause of grasping that suffering exists; when grasping is accumulated, suffering is accumulated; when grasping is born, suffering is born; when grasping flows forth and transmigrates, suffering flows forth and transmigrates.

Original text:复次比丘。内触法。又亿波提何因。何集何生何触。彼取时当复知。亿波提爱因爱集。爱生爱触。复次比丘。取内触法。当复知爱何因何集。何生何触。如是取时。当知世间所念。谛正之色。于彼爱生而生。系而系。住而住。

Explanation: Again, bhikṣus, if you take up the method of inner contact, you should know: what dharma is again the cause for the birth of grasping? By what dharma being accumulated is grasping accumulated? By what dharma being born is grasping born? By what dharma making contact does grasping make contact? When you take up in this way, you should know that grasping is born because of craving (tṛṣṇā); it is because craving is accumulated that grasping is accumulated; when craving is produced, grasping is born; when craving makes contact, grasping makes contact.

Again, bhikṣus, when taking up the method of inner contact, you should also know: due to what cause does craving arise? By what dharma being accumulated is craving accumulated? By what dharma being born is craving born? By what dharma making contact does craving make contact? When taking up in this way, you should know that when craving for the refined and pure aggregate of form that worldly people keep in their minds arises, grasping arises; when the aggregate of form is bound by craving, it is bound by grasping; when craving dwells upon the aggregate of form, grasping dwells upon the aggregate of form.

This is a portion of the twelve links of dependent origination taught by the World-Honored One. What was taught earlier is that the accumulation of contact is the cause of the accumulation of feeling; what is taught here is that the accumulation of craving is the cause of the accumulation of grasping. With craving there is grasping; with grasping there is birth, aging, sickness, death, and the suffering of sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress (śoka-parideva-duḥkha-daurmanasyopāyāsa). Because of craving, one grasps at the six sense objects; after grasping, there comes existence (bhava); with existence there is birth; and after birth, suffering emerges.