SN12.23 — The Group of Ten Powers, The Discourse on Supporting Conditions
Dwelling at Sāvatthī. Disciples, I declare the destruction of the taints for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know and does not see. And what does one know and see for the destruction of the taints to occur? It is thus: This is form, this is the arising of form, this is the cessation of form; this is feeling, this is the arising of feeling, this is the cessation of feeling; this is perception, this is the arising of perception, this is the cessation of perception; these are formations, this is the arising of formations, this is the cessation of formations; this is consciousness, this is the arising of consciousness, this is the cessation of consciousness. Thus for one who knows and sees in this way, the destruction of the taints occurs.
And I declare that the knowing of destruction has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for the knowing of destruction? It should be said: Liberation. I declare that liberation has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for liberation? It should be said: Dispassion. I declare that dispassion has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for dispassion? It should be said: Disenchantment. I declare that disenchantment has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for disenchantment? It should be said: Knowledge and vision of things as they really are. I declare that knowing and vision of things as they really are has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for knowing and vision of things as they really are? It should be said: Concentration. I declare that concentration has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for concentration? It should be said: Happiness. I declare that happiness has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for happiness? It should be said: Tranquility. I declare that tranquility has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for tranquility? It should be said: Joy. I declare that joy has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for joy? It should be said: Rapture. I declare that rapture has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for rapture? It should be said: Faith. I declare that faith has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for faith? It should be said: Suffering. I declare that suffering has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for suffering? It should be said: Birth. I declare that birth has supporting conditions, not without supporting conditions. And what is the supporting condition for birth?
Becoming should be spoken of. I declare that becoming has a condition, not without a condition. And what is the condition for becoming? Clinging should be spoken of. I declare that clinging has a condition, not without a condition. And what is the condition for clinging? Craving should be spoken of. I declare that craving has a condition, not without a condition. And what is the condition for craving? Feeling should be spoken of... Contact should be spoken of... The six sense bases should be spoken of... Name-and-form should be spoken of... Consciousness should be spoken of... Formations should be spoken of. I declare that formations have a condition, not without a condition. And what is the condition for formations? Ignorance should be spoken of.
Thus formations have ignorance as their condition, consciousness has formations as its condition, name-and-form has consciousness as its condition, the six sense bases have name-and-form as their condition, contact has the six sense bases as its condition, feeling has contact as its condition, craving has feeling as its condition, clinging has craving as its condition, becoming has clinging as its condition, birth has becoming as its condition, suffering has birth as its condition, faith has suffering as its condition, joy has faith as its condition, rapture has joy as its condition, tranquility has rapture as its condition, happiness has tranquility as its condition, concentration has happiness as its condition, knowing and vision of things as they really are have concentration as their condition, disenchantment has knowing and vision of things as they really are as its condition, dispassion has disenchantment as its condition, liberation has dispassion as its condition, and knowing of destruction has liberation as its condition.
Just as when heavy rain falls on the upper mountains, the water flows down, filling the mountain clefts, gullies, and crevices. When the mountain clefts, gullies, and crevices are full, they fill the small ponds. When the small ponds are full, they fill the large ponds. When the large ponds are full, they fill the small rivers. When the small rivers are full, they fill the large rivers. When the large rivers are full, they fill the great ocean.
In the same way formations have ignorance as their condition, consciousness has formations as its condition, name-and-form has consciousness as its condition, the six sense bases have name-and-form as their condition, contact has the six sense bases as its condition, feeling has contact as its condition, craving has feeling as its condition, clinging has craving as its condition, becoming has clinging as its condition, birth has becoming as its condition, suffering has birth as its condition, faith has suffering as its condition, joy has faith as its condition, rapture has joy as its condition, tranquility has rapture as its condition, happiness has tranquility as its condition, concentration has happiness as its condition, knowing and vision of things as they really are have concentration as their condition, disenchantment has knowing and vision of things as they really are as its condition, dispassion has disenchantment as its condition, liberation has dispassion as its condition, and knowing of destruction has liberation as its condition.