Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta

Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta (Analysis of Dependent Co-arising)
Translated from Pali by Thanissaro Bhikku

Dwelling at Savatthi... "Monks, I will describe & analyze dependent co-arising for you."

"And what is dependent co-arising? From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications. From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-and-form. From name-and-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media. From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress and suffering."

"And what is aging and death? Whatever aging, decrepitude, brokenness, graying, wrinkling, decline of life-force, weakening of the faculties of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called aging. Whatever deceasing, passing away, breaking up, disappearance, dying, death, completion of time, break-up of aggregates, casting off of the body, interruption in the life faculty of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called death."

"And what is birth? Whatever birth, taking birth, descent, coming-to-be, coming forth, appearance of aggregates, and acquisition of [sense] media of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called death.