Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta Grove in Śrāvastī.
It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “I recall a past life before I had achieved perfect awakening. I was alone in a quiet place focused in meditative reflection when this thought occurred to me: ‘The world is in a difficult situation. That is, whether they are born, grow old, become ill, die, transmigrate, or receive birth, sentient beings still do not truly understand what supports that birth, old age, and death.’”
“I had this thought, ‘The existence of what causes birth to exist? The condition of what causes birth to exist?’ When I properly considered it, this [true] understanding occurred to me immediately: ‘Birth exists because existence exists. Birth exists because of the condition of existence.’
“Again, I considered this, ‘The existence of what causes existence to exist? The condition of what causes existence to exist?’ When I properly considered it, this true understanding occurred to me immediately: ‘Existence exists because grasping exists. Existence exists because of the condition of grasping.’
“I also had this thought, ‘Again, what’s the condition for grasping? The existence of what causes grasping to exist? The condition of what causes grasping to exist?’ When I properly considered it, this true understanding occurred to me immediately: ‘When things that are grasped are savored, thought about, and fetter the mind, craving grows. Grasping exists because craving exists. It’s craving that conditions grasping. Grasping conditions existence, existence conditions birth, and birth conditions old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. Such is the way the whole mass of suffering forms.’
“Monks, what do you think? Take the example of oil and a wick being the conditions for lighting a lamp. Doesn’t the lamp’s light last longer when more oil and wick are added?”
They answered, “Yes, Bhagavān.”
“So it is, monks, when grasping form is savored, thought about it, and fetters the mind, it increases craving, which is the condition for grasping. Grasping conditions existence, existence conditions birth, and birth conditions old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. Such is the way the whole mass of suffering forms.
“Once again, I had this thought, ‘The absence of what causes the absence of old age, illness, and death? The ceasing of what causes old age, illness, and death to cease?’ When I properly considered it, this true [understanding] occurred to me immediately: ‘If birth is absent, then old age, illness, and death are absent. If birth ceases, then old age, illness, and death cease.’
“Again, I had the thought, ‘The absence of what causes the absence of birth? The ceasing of what causes birth to cease?’ When I properly considered it, this true [understanding] occurred to me immediately: ‘When existence is absent, then birth is absent. When existence ceases, then birth ceases.’
“Again, I had the thought, ‘The absence of what causes the absence of existence? The ceasing of what causes existence to cease?’ When I properly considered it, this true [understanding] occurred to me immediately: ‘When grasping is absent, then existence is absent. When grasping ceases, then existence ceases.’
“Again, I had this thought, ‘The absence of what causes the absence of grasping? The ceasing of what causes grasping to cease?’ When I properly considered it, this true observation occurred to me immediately: ‘Things that are grasped are impermanent, arising and ceasing. Parting with desire for, completely ceasing, and getting rid of them, one’s mind doesn’t think about and isn’t fettered by them. Craving then ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, existence ceases. When existence ceases, birth ceases. When birth ceases, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain cease. Such is the way the whole mass of suffering ceases.’
“Monks, what do you think? Take the example of oil and a wick being conditions for lighting a lamp. If oil isn’t added or the wick adjusted, wouldn’t that lamp light not arise, come to an end, and gradually go out at some point?”
The monks said to the Buddha, “Yes, Bhagavān.”
“So it is, monks, when one observes that things that are grasped are impermanent, arising and ceasing. Parting with desire for, completely ceasing, and getting rid of them, one’s mind doesn’t think about and isn’t fettered by them. Craving then ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases … the whole mass of suffering ceases.”
After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.