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 existence of what causes old and death to exist? The condition of what causes old age and death 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.’ So it is with existence, grasping, craving, feeling, contact, the six senses, name and form.
“‘The existence of what causes the existence of name and form? The condition of what causes the existence of name and form?’ When I properly considered it, this true [understanding] occurred to me immediately: ‘Name and form exist because awareness exists. Name and form exist because the condition of awareness exists.’ When I contemplated this, I stopped at awareness, turned back, and couldn’t go beyond it. That is, ‘name and form is conditioned by awareness, the six senses are conditioned by name and form, contact is conditioned by the six senses, feeling is conditioned by contact, craving is conditioned by feeling, grasping is conditioned by craving, existence is conditioned by grasping, birth is conditioned by existence, and old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain are conditioned by birth. Such is the way that the whole mass of suffering forms.’
“The thought then occurred to me, ‘The absence of what causes the absence old age and death absent? The ceasing of what causes old age and death to cease?’ When I properly considered it, this true [understanding] occurred to me immediately: ‘If birth is absent, that old age and death are absent. If birth ceases, then old age and death cease.’ So it is with birth, existence, clinging, craving, feeling, contact, six senses, name and form, awareness, and action.
“The thought again occurred to me, ‘The absence of what causes the absence of action? The ceasing of what causes action to cease?’ When I properly considered it, this true [understanding] occurred to me immediately: ‘Action is absent because ignorance is absent. Action ceases because ignorance ceases. Awareness ceases because action ceases. Name and form cease because awareness ceases. The six senses cease because name and form cease. Contact ceases because the six senses cease. Feeling ceases because contact ceases. Craving ceases because feeling ceases. Grasping ceases because craving ceases. Existence ceases because grasping ceases. Birth ceases because existence ceases. Old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain cease because birth ceases. Such is the way that the whole mass of suffering ceases.’
“The thought then occurred to me, ‘I found the road of ancient sages, the way of ancient sages, and the tracks of ancient sages. Ancient sages had departed following these tracks, and now I’ve departed by following them.’
“It was like someone who explores the wilderness. Parting the undergrowth in search of a path, they discover the road to a place where ancient people lived. Following it, they eventually make their way forward until they see an ancient city and an ancient king’s palace hall, pleasure garden, pond, and pristine forest. The thought occurs to them, ‘Now, I should go to the King and let him know about this!’ They then go to their King and say, ‘Great King, you should know that I was exploring the wilderness. Parting the undergrowth in search of a path, I discovered a road to a place where ancient people lived, and then I followed it. After following it, I saw an ancient city and an ancient king’s palace, pleasure garden, pond, and a pristine forest. Perhaps the Great King could go and live there?’ Their king then goes there to live in that bountiful, pleasant, and peaceful place, and his people flourish.
“Now, I was like that. I found the road of ancient sages, the way of ancient sages, and the tracks of ancient sages. Ancient sages had departed following these tracks, and now I’ve departed by following them. It was the noble eightfold path, which is right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right method, right mindfulness, and right samādhi. Following that path, I saw old age, illness, and death, the formation of old age, illness, and death, the cessation of old age illness, and death, and the path to the cessation of old, illness, and death. I saw birth … existence … grasping … craving … contact … the six senses … name and form … awareness … action, the formation of action, the cessation of action, and the path to the cessation of action.
“I knew and realized this teaching myself and achieved the perfect awakening for the monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, and the all the other ascetics and priests of other religions who live at home or go homeless. Those four assemblies who hear the teaching, are correctly oriented, and confident know the teaching is good, develops the religious life, is of benefit to many, and is disclosed openly.”
After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.