The Saṃyukta Āgama, Volume 1, Chapter 7

The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: If a person craves and delights in the aggregate of form (rūpa), it is the same as delighting in suffering; one who delights in suffering is not liberated from suffering. Because of craving and delighting in the aggregate of form, the self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi) is not severed, and one becomes bound by the aggregate of form; the mind will grasp at and crave the aggregate of form. As long as this craving and grasping is not severed, the manas's attachment to the aggregate of form continues; at the time of death, because of the manas's attachment, it always wishes for the aggregate of form to exist, and thus the neutrino-body (antarā-bhava) arises.

The neutrino-body perishes every seven days, and there can be at most seven such bodies. Knowing that the neutrino-body cannot be relied upon, the manas hurriedly seeks to enter the womb, so as to ensure the existence of the aggregate of form in the future life. After entering the womb, the aggregate of form of the next life comes into being, and thus arise birth, old age, sickness, death, and immeasurable sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress (śoka-parideva-duḥkha-daurmanasyopāyāsa); the great mass of suffering is thereby produced. Sentient beings must then endure these immeasurable sorrows and distresses, unable to attain liberation from the suffering of birth and death, with suffering continuing without end. Therefore the World-Honored One said that craving the aggregate of form is craving suffering.

The World-Honored One once led his disciples to a seashore, where they saw a female corpse lying on the beach. The corpse was swollen and bloated, with a small insect crawling on its face. The World-Honored One told his disciples: This woman was very beautiful in life, and she was extremely fond of her own appearance, looking at her face in the mirror every day. At the time of death, because she could not let go of her attachment to herself, she was reborn as an insect, crawling back and forth on her face, continuing to be attached to her face. This story tells us that whatever one likes, one becomes bound by it, unable to break free, unable to attain liberation. There will surely be birth, old age, sickness, and death in the future life, and one cannot escape sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress, nor attain liberation from the suffering of birth and death. When the World-Honored One teaches us to sever craving and attachment, it is to teach us to sever suffering, so that the mind attains liberation and escapes the cycle of birth and death.

The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: Likewise, if one craves and delights in the aggregate of feeling (vedanā), the aggregate of perception (saṃjñā), the aggregate of formations (saṃskāra), and the aggregate of consciousness (vijñāna), one is craving and delighting in suffering; one who delights in suffering is not liberated from suffering, and suffering continues without end. Because of craving the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, one is bound and stuck fast by these four aggregates; the mind will grasp at these four aggregates, and as this grasping continues, the existence of future lives continues without end. At the time of death, because of the manas's attachment, the neutrino-body arises, and then one enters the womb, resulting in the birth of the four aggregates—feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—in the next life. Thus arise birth, old age, sickness, death, and immeasurable sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress; sentient beings suffer endlessly, unable to attain liberation from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.

The World-Honored One further told the bhikṣus: If one no longer craves and delights in the aggregate of form, one will not be bound by the aggregate of form; the mind will no longer grasp at the aggregate of form, and the neutrino-body will no longer appear. Or the manas will extinguish itself within the neutrino-body and will not enter the womb again. In this way, the aggregate of form in the future life will not come into being, and birth, old age, sickness, death, and immeasurable sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress will cease; the mind attains liberation, and one is liberated from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.

The World-Honored One further told the bhikṣus: If one no longer craves and delights in the four aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, one will not be bound and stuck fast by these four aggregates; the mind will no longer grasp at the four aggregates, and the neutrino-body will no longer appear, or the manas will extinguish itself within the neutrino-body and will not enter the womb. In this way, the four aggregates of the future life will not come into being, and birth, old age, sickness, death, and immeasurable sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress will cease; the mind attains liberation, and one is liberated from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.