Saṃyuktāgama (284), Part Two

(2) Original text: 譬大树根干枝条。柯叶华果。下根深固。壅以粪土。溉灌以水。彼树坚固。永世不朽。如是比丘。于所取法随生味着。顾念心缚。其心驱驰。追逐名色。名色缘六入处。六入处缘触。触缘受。受缘爱。爱缘取。取缘有。有缘生。生缘老病死忧悲恼苦。如是如是纯大苦聚集。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Suppose there is a great tree with roots, trunk, branches, leaves, and flowers. We plant its roots deep into the ground, fix and secure them, heap manure and soil around them, and water them. That tree will grow firmly and will never decay or be destroyed. Monks, the principle is the same as planting a tree: with regard to the dharmas you grasp, such as the five aggregates and the six sense faculties, sense objects, and consciousnesses, you indulge in them as they arise, your thoughts never forgetting them, binding your mind. Your mind is driven by these dharmas, chasing after the five aggregates of nāma-rūpa. With nāma-rūpa as condition, the six sense bases arise; with the six sense bases as condition, contact arises; with contact as condition, feeling arises; with feeling as condition, craving arises; with craving as condition, grasping arises; with grasping as condition, existence arises; with existence as condition, a future life arises; with life as condition, old age, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress arise. In this way, the great mass of suffering is assembled.

Original text: 若于所取法随顺无常观。住生灭观。无欲观。灭观厌观。心不顾念。无所缚着。识则不驱驰。追逐名色。则名色灭。名色灭则六入处灭。六入处灭则触灭。触灭则受灭。受灭则爱灭。爱灭则取灭。取灭则有灭。有灭则生灭。生灭则老病死忧悲恼苦灭。如是如是则纯大苦聚灭。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Thus, monks, if with regard to the dharmas you yourself grasp, you contemplate their impermanence, verify and accord with their impermanence, the mind will abide in the view that all dharmas arise and cease. Toward the dharmas originally grasped, there will no longer be any desire or seeking; the mind will want these dharmas to cease and will become disenchanted with them, no longer constantly cherishing and attending to them, and the mind will no longer be bound by these dharmas.

If the seven consciousnesses no longer chase after the dharmas of nāma-rūpa, the five aggregates, and the eighteen realms, nāma-rūpa will cease and no longer manifest. Once nāma-rūpa ceases, the six sense bases and contact will cease; once the six sense bases cease, contact will cease; once contact ceases, feeling will cease; once feeling ceases, craving will cease; once craving ceases, grasping will cease; once grasping ceases, existence in the threefold world will cease; once existence ceases, life will cease; once the living body is no longer born, old age, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress will cease. In this way, the greatest and most fundamental suffering of sentient beings will no longer be assembled, and the suffering of birth and death will disappear.