Dīrgha-āgama, Sūtra No. 9: The Great Causes and Conditions Sūtra

Original text:阿难。因爱有求。此为何义。若使一切众生无有爱者。宁有求不。 答曰。无也。阿难。我以此缘。知求由爱。因爱有求。我所说者。义在于此。又告阿难。因爱有求。至于守护。受亦如是。因受有求。至于守护。佛告阿难。缘触有受。此为何义。阿难。若使无眼无色。无眼识者。宁有触不。 答曰。无也。若无耳声耳识。鼻香鼻识。舌味舌识。身触身识。意法意识者。宁有触不。答曰。无也。 

Explanation: Ānanda, because of craving there arises the mind of seeking — what does this mean? If all sentient beings were made to be without craving, would there still be seeking? Ānanda replied: There would not be. The Buddha said: Ānanda, for this reason I know that seeking arises from craving; it is because of craving that there is seeking. This is what I mean by what I have said. The Buddha further told Ānanda: Because of craving there is seeking, and even up to guarding and protecting. Feeling is also like this: because of feeling there is seeking, and even up to guarding and protecting. The Buddha told Ānanda: Feeling arises conditioned on contact — what does this mean? Ānanda, if there were no eye faculty, no forms, and no eye consciousness, would there be contact? Ānanda replied: There would not be. If there were no ear faculty, sounds, and ear consciousness, no nose faculty, odors, and nose consciousness, no tongue faculty, flavors, and tongue consciousness, no body faculty, tangibles, and body consciousness, and no manas, mental objects, and mind consciousness, would there be contact? Ānanda replied: There would not be. 

Original text:阿难。若使一切众生无有触者。宁有受不。答曰。无也。阿难。我以是义。知受由触。缘触有受。我所说者。义在于此。阿难。缘名色有触。此为何义。若使一切众生无有名色者。宁有心触不。 答曰。无也。 若使一切众生无形色相貌者。宁有身触不。答曰。无也。阿难。若无名色。宁有触不。答曰。无也。阿难。我以是缘。知触由名色。缘名色有触。我所说者。义在于此。 

Explanation: The Buddha said: Ānanda, if all sentient beings were made to be without contact, would there still be feeling? Ānanda replied: There would be no feeling. The Buddha said: Ānanda, by this principle I know that feeling arises from contact; feeling exists conditioned on contact. This is what I mean by what I have said. Ānanda, contact arises conditioned on name-and-form — what does this mean? If all sentient beings were made to be without name-and-form, would there still be mental contact? Ānanda replied: There would not be. If all sentient beings were made to be without physical form and appearance, would there still be bodily contact? Ānanda replied: There would not be. The Buddha said: Ānanda, if there were no name-and-form, would there be contact? Ānanda replied: There would not be. The Buddha said: Ānanda, for this reason I know that contact arises from name-and-form; contact exists conditioned on name-and-form. This is what I mean by what I have said.