The Saṃyukta Āgama (295), Part One

(1) Original text:谓此无故。六识身无。六触身六受身。六想身六思身无。谓此无故。无有当来生老病死忧悲恼苦。如是如是纯大苦聚灭。若多闻圣弟子于世间集世间灭。如实正知。善见善觉善入。是名圣弟子招此善。得此善法。知此善法。入此善法。觉知觉见世间生灭。成就贤圣出离。实寂正尽苦。究竟苦边。所以者何。谓多闻圣弟子世间集灭如实知。善见善觉善入故。诸比丘闻佛所说。欢喜奉行。

Explanation: The Buddha said that because this ceases to exist, the six consciousness bodies cease to exist, and subsequently the six contact bodies, six feeling bodies, six perception bodies, and six volition bodies also disappear accordingly. Because this exists, there is no future birth, aging, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress, and thus this entire great mass of suffering is extinguished. If a well-learned noble disciple can truly and correctly understand the arising of the world and the cessation of the world, being skilled in observing, skilled in awakening, and skilled in entering this Dharma, then the noble disciple has gathered this wholesome Dharma, obtained this wholesome Dharma, known this wholesome Dharma, and entered into this wholesome Dharma, being able to awaken to and realize the arising and ceasing of the world, accomplishing the noble and sage fruit of liberation, truly realizing the tranquil cessation and the complete ending of suffering, reaching the ultimate far shore of suffering. Why is this said? Because well-learned noble disciples have truly understood the arising and cessation of the world, being skilled in observing, skilled in awakening, and skilled in entering this Dharma. The bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully practiced in accordance.

When this does not exist, that does not exist. For example, when ignorance ceases, the formations of the manas cease; when formations cease, the six consciousness bodies cease; when the six consciousness bodies cease, the six sense bases cease; when the six sense bases cease, contact ceases; when contact ceases, feeling ceases; when feeling ceases, craving ceases; when craving ceases, grasping ceases; when grasping ceases, existence ceases; when existence ceases, birth ceases; when birth ceases, aging, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress cease. When ignorance ceases, birth, aging, and death cease. No matter which link in the middle is broken, the entire twelve-linked chain of dependent origination—the cycle of birth and death—is severed.

The key to the suffering and happiness of birth and death lies in whether one grasps. When your grasping is unceasing, your afflictions are unceasing, because whatever you grasp at, you are grasping at suffering; whatever you grasp at, you are grasping at thorns; whatever you grasp at, you are grasping at poison. Grasping and craving is grasping at suffering; craving is suffering; the arising of craving is the arising of suffering; the arising of grasping is the arising of suffering. We must remember: as long as we grasp, we are grasping at suffering, grasping at poison, ultimately harming ourselves.

Knowing the principle of the arising of suffering in the world and the cessation of suffering, and accomplishing the noble and sage fruit of liberation—this knowing cannot merely be intellectual knowledge at the level of the mind consciousness; it mainly requires the manas to know. Because the manas is the consciousness that governs and makes decisions, only when the manas knows can it choose not to create karmic causes of suffering, can it extinguish suffering and sever the arising of suffering, and can it attain liberation from birth and death. If the mind consciousness knows suffering but the manas does not, it will still govern and create the causes of suffering as before. Because it is the manas that determines all bodily, verbal, and mental actions, and the mind consciousness does not play a decisive role, even knowing suffering is of no avail. Therefore, in studying the Dharma, one must cultivate the manas, learning it into the mind of the manas. Although the mind consciousness is also crucial, the manas is even more crucial.