SN22.54 — Bījasutta
Setting at Sāvatthi.
Disciples, there are these five kinds of seeds.
What five?
Root-seeds, stem-seeds, joint-seeds, fruit-seeds, and fifth, seeds themselves.
Disciples, if these five kinds of seeds are unbroken, not rotten, not damaged by wind and heat, full of essence, and well-kept, but there is no earth and no water, would these five kinds of seeds grow, increase, and expand?
No, venerable sir.
But, if these five kinds of seeds are unbroken, not rotten, not damaged by wind and heat, full of essence, and well-kept, and there is earth and water, would these five kinds of seeds grow, increase, and expand?
Yes, venerable sir.
Just as, the earth element is to be seen, so too are the four stations of consciousness to be seen.
Just as, disciples, the water element is to be seen, so too is delight and lust to be seen.
Just as, the five kinds of seeds are to be seen, so too is consciousness sustained by nutriment to be seen.
Disciples, if consciousness remains, it would remain connected with form, supported by form, with form as its foundation, and with delight as its moisture, it would grow, increase, and expand.
Or if consciousness remains connected with feeling, it would remain supported by feelings with feelings as its foundation and with delight as its moisture, it would grow increase, and expand.
Or if consciousness remains connected with perception, it would remain supported by perception with perception as its foundation and with delight as its moisture, it would grow increase, and expand.
Or if consciousness remains connected with formations, it would remain, supported by formations, with formations as its foundation, and with delight as its moisture, it would grow, increase, and expand.
Disciples, if someone were to say:
I will describe the coming, going, passing away, rebirth, growth, increase, and expansion of consciousness apart from form, apart from feeling, apart from perception, apart from formations, that is not possible.
Disciples, when a disciple has abandoned lust for the form element, with the abandonment of lust, the support and foundation for consciousness is cut off.
When a disciple has abandoned lust for the feeling element, with the abandonment of lust, the support and foundation for consciousness is cut off.
When a disciple has abandoned lust for the perception element, with the abandonment of lust, the support and foundation for consciousness is cut off.
When a disciple has abandoned lust for the formations element, with the abandonment of lust, the support and foundation for consciousness is cut off.
When a disciple has abandoned lust for the consciousness element, with the abandonment of lust, the support and foundation for consciousness is cut off.
That consciousness, not being established, not growing, not generating, is liberated.
Being liberated, it is steady.
Being steady, it is content.
Being content, it is not agitated.
Not being agitated, it personally attains Nibbāna.
Birth is destroyed... there is no more coming to any state of being.