10.
The Discourse on Causation
60.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Kurus, where there was a market town of the Kurus named Kammāsadhamma.
Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One -
"Wonderful, Venerable Sir, marvellous, Venerable Sir!
How deep this dependent origination is, Venerable Sir, and how deep its appearance, and yet to me it seems as if utterly clear."
"Do not say so, Ānanda, do not say so, Ānanda! This dependent origination is deep, Ānanda, and deep in its appearance. Through not understanding, through not penetrating this teaching, Ānanda, this generation has become like a tangled ball of thread, like a matted ball of string, like muñja grass and pabbaja reeds, and does not pass beyond the realm of misery, the unfortunate realm, the nether world, the round of rebirths.
"Ānanda, for one dwelling observing gratification in phenomena subject to clinging, craving increases. 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.
"Just as, Ānanda, a great tree. Whatever roots of it go downwards, and whatever go sideways, all those bring nutriment upwards. Thus indeed, Ānanda, that great tree, with that nutriment, with that fuel, would remain for a long time, for a long duration. So too, Ānanda, for one dwelling observing gratification in phenomena subject to clinging, craving increases. With craving as condition, clinging; with clinging as condition, existence, etc. Thus is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.
"Ānanda, for one dwelling observing danger in phenomena subject to clinging, craving ceases. From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging; from the cessation of clinging comes the cessation of existence, etc. Thus is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.
"Just as, Ānanda, a great tree. Then a man might come along having taken a spade and basket. He might cut that tree at the root, having cut the root he might dig around it, having dug around it he might pull out the roots, even those as small as a usīra grass stalk. He might cut that tree into fragments. Having cut it into fragments he might split it; having split it he might make it into splinters, having made it into splinters he might dry it in wind and heat, having dried it in wind and heat he might burn it with fire, having burnt it with fire he might make it into ashes, having made it into ashes he might winnow it in a strong wind or let it be carried away by a swift-flowing river. Thus indeed, Ānanda, that great tree would be with its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. So too, Ānanda, for one dwelling observing danger in phenomena subject to clinging, craving ceases. 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." The tenth.