7.
The Discourse on the Sheaf of Reeds
67.
On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika were dwelling at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana.
Then the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika, in the evening, having emerged from seclusion, approached the Venerable Sāriputta;
having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the Venerable Sāriputta.
Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, he sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika said this to the Venerable Sāriputta -
"Now what, friend Sāriputta, is ageing and death self-made, is ageing and death made by another, is ageing and death both self-made and made by another, or is ageing and death neither self-made nor made by another but fortuitously arisen?"
"No indeed, friend Koṭṭhika, ageing and death is not self-made, ageing and death is not made by another, ageing and death is not both self-made and made by another, nor is ageing and death neither self-made nor made by another but fortuitously arisen.
But rather, birth is the condition for ageing and death."
"Now what, friend Sāriputta, is birth self-made, is birth made by another, is birth both self-made and made by another, or is birth neither self-made nor made by another but fortuitously arisen?" "No indeed, friend Koṭṭhika, birth is not self-made, birth is not made by another, birth is not both self-made and made by another, nor is birth neither self-made nor made by another but fortuitously arisen. But rather, existence is the condition for birth."
"Now what, friend Sāriputta, is existence self-made... etc. is clinging self-made... is craving self-made... is feeling self-made... is contact self-made... are the six sense bases self-made... is mentality-materiality self-made, is mentality-materiality made by another, is mentality-materiality both self-made and made by another, or is mentality-materiality neither self-made nor made by another but fortuitously arisen?" "No indeed, friend Koṭṭhika, mentality-materiality is not self-made, mentality-materiality is not made by another, mentality-materiality is not both self-made and made by another, nor is mentality-materiality neither self-made nor made by another but fortuitously arisen. But rather, consciousness is the condition for mentality-materiality."
"Now what, friend Sāriputta, is consciousness self-made, is consciousness made by another, is consciousness both self-made and made by another, or is consciousness neither self-made nor made by another but fortuitously arisen?" "No indeed, friend Koṭṭhika, consciousness is not self-made, consciousness is not made by another, consciousness is not both self-made and made by another, nor is consciousness neither self-made nor made by another but fortuitously arisen. But rather, mentality-materiality is the condition for consciousness."
"Just now we understand the Venerable Sāriputta's statement thus - 'No indeed, friend Koṭṭhika, mentality-materiality is not self-made, mentality-materiality is not made by another, mentality-materiality is not both self-made and made by another, nor is mentality-materiality neither self-made nor made by another but fortuitously arisen. But rather, consciousness is the condition for mentality-materiality.'
"And yet just now we understand the Venerable Sāriputta's statement thus - 'No indeed, friend Koṭṭhika, consciousness is not self-made, consciousness is not made by another, consciousness is not both self-made and made by another, nor is consciousness neither self-made nor made by another but fortuitously arisen. But rather, mentality-materiality is the condition for consciousness.'
"But in what way, friend Sāriputta, is the meaning of this statement to be seen?" "Well then, friend, I will make a simile for you. By means of a simile some wise men here understand the meaning of what is said. Just as, friend, two bundles of reeds might stand depending on each other. So too, friend, with mentality-materiality 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, etc. Thus is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. If, friend, one of those bundles of reeds were pulled away, one would fall; if the other were pulled away, the other would fall. So too, friend, from the cessation of mentality-materiality 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; etc. thus is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering." "It is wonderful, friend Sāriputta; it is marvellous, friend Sāriputta! How well this has been spoken by the Venerable Sāriputta. And we rejoice in what the Venerable Sāriputta has said on these thirty-six grounds - 'If, friend, a monk expounds the Teaching for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of ageing and death, it is fitting to say "a monk who is speaker of the Teaching". If, friend, a monk is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of ageing and death, it is fitting to say "a monk practising in accordance with the Teaching". If, friend, a monk is liberated through non-clinging through disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of ageing and death, it is fitting to say "a monk who has attained Nibbāna in this present life". If regarding birth... if regarding existence... if regarding clinging... if regarding craving... if regarding feeling... if regarding contact... if regarding the six sense bases... if regarding mentality-materiality... if regarding consciousness... if regarding activities... If, friend, a monk expounds the Teaching for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of ignorance, it is fitting to say "a monk who is speaker of the Teaching". If, friend, a monk is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of ignorance, it is fitting to say "a monk practising in accordance with the Teaching". If, friend, a monk is liberated through non-clinging through disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of ignorance, it is fitting to say "a monk who has attained Nibbāna in this present life".' The seventh.