3.
The Third Discourse on Enlightenment
3.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Uruvelā on the bank of the river Nerañjarā at the foot of the Bodhi tree, newly fully enlightened.
Now at that time the Blessed One was seated for seven days in a single cross-legged posture experiencing the bliss of liberation.
Then the Blessed One, after the elapse of that week, having risen from that concentration, during the last watch of the night thoroughly attended in mind to dependent origination in forward and reverse order -
"Thus when this exists, that comes to be; from the arising of this, that arises; when this is absent, that does not exist; from the cessation of this, that ceases; that is to say - with ignorance as condition, activities; with activities as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, mentality-materiality; with mentality-materiality as condition, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving; with craving as condition, clinging; with clinging as condition, existence; with existence as condition, birth; with birth as condition, ageing and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and anguish come to be. Thus is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.
"But from the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance comes the cessation of activities; from the cessation of activities comes the cessation of consciousness; from the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of mentality-materiality; from the cessation of mentality-materiality comes the cessation of the six sense bases; from the cessation of the six sense bases comes the cessation of contact; from the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling; from the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving; from the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging; from the cessation of clinging comes the cessation of existence; from the cessation of existence comes the cessation of birth; from the cessation of birth, ageing and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and anguish cease. Thus is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering."
Then the Blessed One, having understood this matter, at that time uttered this inspired utterance -
To the ardent, meditating brahmin;
He stands dispelling Māra's army,
Like the sun illuminating the sky." The third.