5.
The Discourse on Ignorance as Condition
35.
He was dwelling at Sāvatthī, etc.
"With ignorance as condition, monks, activities;
with activities as condition, consciousness; etc.
Thus is the origin of this whole mass of suffering."
When this was said, a certain monk said this to the Blessed One -
"What indeed, venerable sir, is ageing and death, and to whom does this ageing and death belong?"
"That is not a proper question," the Blessed One said. "Whoever, monk, would say 'What is ageing and death, and to whom does this ageing and death belong?' or whoever, monk, would say 'Ageing and death is one thing, and this ageing and death belongs to another' - both of these are one in meaning, only different in phrasing.
Monk, if there is the view 'The soul is the same as the body,' there is no abiding by the holy life.
Monk, if there is the view 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' there is no abiding by the holy life.
Not approaching these two extremes, monk, the Truth-finder expounds the Teaching by the middle -
'Birth is the condition for ageing and death.'"
"What indeed, venerable sir, is birth, and to whom does this birth belong?" "That is not a proper question," the Blessed One said. "Whoever, monk, would say 'What is birth, and to whom does this birth belong?' or whoever, monk, would say 'Birth is one thing, and this birth belongs to another' - both of these are one in meaning, only different in phrasing. Monk, if there is the view 'The soul is the same as the body,' there is no abiding by the holy life. Monk, if there is the view 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' there is no abiding by the holy life. Not approaching these two extremes, monk, the Truth-finder expounds the Teaching by the middle - 'Existence is the condition for birth.'"
"What indeed, venerable sir, is existence, and to whom does this existence belong?" "That is not a proper question," the Blessed One said. "Whoever, monk, would say 'What is existence, and to whom does this existence belong?' or whoever, monk, would say 'Existence is one thing, and this existence belongs to another' - both of these are one in meaning, only different in phrasing. Monk, if there is the view 'The soul is the same as the body,' there is no abiding by the holy life; monk, if there is the view 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' there is no abiding by the holy life. Not approaching these two extremes, monk, the Truth-finder expounds the Teaching by the middle - 'Clinging is the condition for existence,' etc. 'Craving is the condition for clinging,' 'Feeling is the condition for craving,' 'Contact is the condition for feeling,' 'The six sense bases are the condition for contact,' 'Mentality-materiality is the condition for the six sense bases,' 'Consciousness is the condition for mentality-materiality,' 'Activities are the condition for consciousness.'"
"What, venerable sir, are activities, and to whom are these activities?" "That is not a proper question," the Blessed One said, "'What are activities, and to whom are these activities?' - thus, monk, whoever would say, or 'Activities are one thing, and these activities belong to another' - thus, monk, whoever would say, both of these are one in meaning, only different in phrasing. Monk, if there is the view 'The soul is the same as the body,' there is no abiding by the holy life; monk, if there is the view 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' there is no abiding by the holy life. Not approaching these two extremes, monk, the Truth-finder expounds the Teaching by the middle - 'ignorance is the condition for activities.'"
"But, monk, from the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, whatever wrigglings, contortions, and struggles there are - 'What is ageing and death, and to whom is this ageing and death?' or 'Ageing and death is one thing, and this ageing and death belongs to another' or 'the soul is the same as the body' or 'the soul is one thing and the body another.' All those have been abandoned, their roots cut off, made like palm stumps, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future.
"But, monk, from the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, whatever wrigglings, contortions, and struggles there are - 'What is birth, and to whom is this birth?' or 'Birth is one thing, and this birth belongs to another' or 'the soul is the same as the body' or 'the soul is one thing and the body another.' All those have been abandoned, their roots cut off, made like palm stumps, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future.
"But, monk, from the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, whatever wrigglings, contortions, and struggles there are - What is existence... etc. what is clinging... what is craving... what is feeling... what is contact... what is the six sense bases... what is mentality-materiality... what is consciousness... etc.
"But, monk, from the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, whatever wrigglings, contortions, and struggles there are - 'What are activities, and to whom are these activities?' or 'Activities are one thing, and these activities belong to another' or 'the soul is the same as the body' or 'the soul is one thing and the body another.' All those have been abandoned, their roots cut off, made like palm stumps, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future." The fifth.