The Ninth Sūtra of the Dīrgha Āgama: The Great Discourse on the Causes and Conditions

(1) Original text: 如是我闻。一时。佛在拘流沙国劫摩沙住处。与大比丘众千二百五十人俱。尔时。佛告阿难。缘生有老死。此为何义。若使一切众生。无有生者。宁有老死不。阿难答曰。无也。是故阿难。以此缘。知老死由生。缘生有老死。我所说者。义在于此。又告阿难。缘有有生。此为何义。若使一切众生。无有欲有。色无色有者。宁有生不。答曰。无也。 阿难。我以此缘。知生由有。缘有有生。我所说者。义在于此。 

Explanation: The Buddha told Ānanda that old age and death exist conditioned on birth. What does this mean? If it were possible for all sentient beings to have no birth, could there be old age and death? Ānanda replied: There would be no old age and death. The Buddha said: Therefore, for this reason, it is known that old age and death exist because of birth; old age and death exist conditioned on birth. This is the meaning of what I have said. The Buddha further told Ānanda that birth exists conditioned on existence (bhava). What does this mean? If it were possible for all sentient beings to have no existence in the desire realm, no existence in the form realm, and no existence in the formless realm, could there be birth? Ānanda replied: There would be no birth. The Buddha said: Ānanda, for this reason, I know that birth exists because of existence; birth exists conditioned on existence. This is the meaning of what I have said. 

Original text: 又告阿难。缘取有有。此为何义。若使一切众生。无有欲取。见取戒取。我取者。宁有有不。答曰。无也。阿难。我以此缘。知有由取。缘取有有。我所说者。义在于此。 又告阿难。缘爱有取。此为何义。若使一切众生。无有欲爱。有爱无有爱者。宁有取不。答曰。无有。阿难。我以此缘。知取由爱。缘爱有取。我所说者。义在于此。又告阿难。缘受有爱。此为何义。若使一切众生。无有乐受苦受。不苦不乐受者。宁有爱不。答曰。无也。阿难。我以此缘。知爱由受。缘受有爱。我所说者。义在于此。 

Explanation: The Buddha further told Ānanda that the existence of the three realms exists conditioned on grasping (upādāna). What does this mean? If it were possible for all sentient beings to have no grasping of desire, no grasping of the various wrong views headed by the view of self, no grasping of non-liberating precepts as liberating precepts, and no grasping of the self's five aggregates, could there still be the existence of the three realms? Ānanda replied: There would not be. The Buddha said: Ānanda, for this reason, I know that the existence of the three realms arises because of grasping; the existence of the three realms exists conditioned on grasping. This is the meaning of what I have said. 

The Buddha further told Ānanda: Grasping exists because of craving. What does this mean? If it were possible for all sentient beings to have no craving for the desire realm, no craving for the form realm, and no craving for the formless realm, could there still be grasping? Ānanda replied: There could be no grasping. The Buddha said: Ānanda, for this reason, I know that grasping exists because of craving; grasping exists conditioned on craving. This is the meaning of what I have said. The Buddha further told Ānanda: Craving exists conditioned on feeling. What does this mean? If it were possible for all sentient beings to have no pleasant feeling, no painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, could there still be craving? Ānanda replied: There could be no craving. The Buddha said: Ānanda, for this reason, I know that the arising of craving is due to feeling; craving exists conditioned on feeling. This is the meaning of what I have said.