Samyukta Agama Sutra (292), Part 6

(6) Original text: 复次。比丘思量观察正尽苦。究竟苦边时。思量名色。何因何集。何生何触。知彼名色。识因识集。识生识触。彼识欲灭无余。则名色灭。彼所乘识灭道迹。如实知。修习彼向次法。是名比丘向正尽苦。究竟苦边。所谓识灭。

Explanation: Furthermore, when a bhikṣu deliberates and contemplates the complete cessation of suffering, wishing to reach the ultimate end of suffering, he must deliberate on name-and-form: due to what causes does it arise? Due to what conditions does it aggregate and arise? What dharma, having arisen, gives rise to name-and-form? What dharma, having contacted name-and-form, causes it to arise? After contemplation and deliberation, he knows that the arising of name-and-form occurs through the causes and conditions of the six consciousnesses; it arises because the six consciousnesses aggregate; when the six consciousnesses arise, they lead to the arising of name-and-form in future lives; and when the six consciousnesses contact, they result in the arising of name-and-form in future lives. If the six consciousnesses cease entirely without remainder, name-and-form will cease accordingly. Bhikṣus should truly and as-it-is understand the path leading to the cessation of the six consciousnesses, which means cultivating the dharma directed toward the path as well as the secondary assisting dharmas. This is called a bhikṣu heading toward the complete cessation of suffering and reaching the ultimate end of suffering—namely, the dharma of the complete cessation of the six consciousnesses.