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there is future rebirth. Where there is future rebirth, there is future birth, aging, and death. Where there is future birth, aging, and death, that, bhikkhus, I say is sorrowful, with anguish, with despair. If in edible food, bhikkhus, there is no passion, no delight, no craving, consciousness is not established there, not grown. Where consciousness is not established, not grown there is no descent of name-and-form. Where there is no descent of name-and-form, there is no growth of volitional formations. Where there is no growth of volitional formations, there is no future rebirth. Where there is no future rebirth, there is no future birth, aging, and death. Where there is no future birth, aging, and death, that, monks, I declare to be sorrowless, dustless, and without anguish. If, monks, in the nutriment of contact... If, monks, in the nutriment of mental volition... If, monks, in the nutriment of consciousness, there is no passion, no delight, no craving, then consciousness is not established there, not grown. Where consciousness is not established, not grown, there is no descent of name-and-form. Where there is no descent of name-and-form, there is no growth of volitional formations. Where there is no growth of volitional formations, there is no future rebirth. Where there is no future rebirth, there is no future birth, aging, and death. Where there is no future birth, aging, and death, that, monks, I declare to be sorrowless, dustless, and without anguish. Just as, monks, in a peaked house or a hall with a peaked roof, if there are windows to the north, south, or east, when the sun rises, where would its rays, entering through the window, be established? "On the western wall, venerable sir." "If, monks, there were no western wall, where would they be established?" "On the earth, venerable sir." "If, monks, there were no earth, where would they be established?" "In the water, venerable sir." "If, monks, there were no water, where would they be established?" "Unestablished, venerable sir." Even so, monks, if in the nutriment of physical food there is no passion, no delight, no craving... If, monks, in the nutriment of contact... in the nutriment of mental volition... in the nutriment of consciousness, monks... Monks, when there is no passion, no delight, no craving for food, consciousness is not established there, it does not grow there. Where consciousness is not established, does not grow, there is no descent of name-and-form. Where there is no descent of name-and-form, there is no growth of volitional formations. Where there is no growth of volitional formations, there is no future renewed existence. Where there is no future renewed existence, there is no future birth, aging, and death. Where there is no future birth, aging, and death, that, monks, I say is sorrowless, dustless, and without despair. The Fourth. 5. The Discourse on the City 65. Dwelling at Sāvatthī… … Before my enlightenment, monks, while I was still an unenlightened Bodhisatta, it occurred to me: ‘This world has fallen into distress: it is born, it ages, it dies, it passes away, and it reappears. Yet it does not understand the escape from this suffering, from aging and death. When will an escape from this suffering, from aging and death, be discerned?’ Then, monks, it occurred to me: ‘What being present, does aging and death occur? What is the condition for aging and death?’ Through careful attention, monks, there was an insight by wisdom: ‘When birth is present, aging and death occur. Birth is the condition for aging and death.’ Then, monks, it occurred to me: ‘What being present, does birth occur? … existence occurs? … clinging occurs? … craving occurs? … feeling occurs? … contact occurs? … the six sense bases occur? … name-and-form occurs? What is the condition for name-and-form?’ Through careful attention, monks, there was an insight by wisdom: ‘When consciousness is present, name-and-form occurs. Consciousness is the condition for name-and-form.’ Then, monks, it occurred to me: ‘What being present, does consciousness occur? What is the condition for consciousness?’ Through careful attention, monks, there was an insight by wisdom: ‘When name-and-form is present, consciousness exists, consciousness due to name-and-form. To me, monks, this occurred: This consciousness turns back from name-and-form, it does not go beyond. To this extent one is born, or ages, or dies, or passes away, or reappears, namely, consciousness due to name-and-form; name-and-form due to consciousness; six sense bases due to name-and-form; contact due to six sense bases... and so on... Thus is the origin of this entire mass of suffering. 'Origin, origin' - to me, monks, concerning doctrines unheard before, there arose vision, there arose knowledge, there arose wisdom, there arose true knowledge, there arose light. To me, monks, this occurred: 'When what is absent, old age and death are not? With the cessation of what is there cessation of old age and death?' To me, monks, through careful attention, there arose an understanding by wisdom: 'When birth is absent, old age and death are not; with the cessation of birth, there is cessation of old age and death.' To me, monks, this occurred: 'When what is absent, birth is not?... and so on... existence is not... clinging is not... craving is not... feeling is not... contact is not... six sense bases are not... name-and-form is not. With the cessation of what is there cessation of name-and-form?' To me, monks, through careful attention, there arose an understanding by wisdom: 'When consciousness is absent, name-and-form is not; with the cessation of consciousness, there is cessation of name-and-form.' To me, monks, this occurred: 'When what is absent, consciousness is not? With the cessation of what is there cessation of consciousness?' To me, monks, through careful attention, there arose an understanding by wisdom: 'When name-and-form is absent, consciousness is not; with the cessation of name-and-form, there is cessation of consciousness.' To me, monks, this occurred: This path to awakening has been attained by me, namely – with the cessation of name-and-form, there is cessation of consciousness; with the cessation of consciousness, there is cessation of name-and-form; with the cessation of name-and-form, there is cessation of the six sense bases. cessation; with the cessation of the six sense bases, there is the cessation of contact…and so on… Thus is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering. ‘Cessation, cessation’— Monks, regarding these teachings unheard before, vision arose in me, knowledge arose in me, wisdom arose in me, true knowledge arose in me, light arose in me. Just as, monks, a man wandering in a forest, in a wilderness, might see an ancient path, an ancient road, followed by people of old. He would follow it. Following it, he would see an ancient city, an ancient royal capital, inhabited by people of old, rich in parks, rich in groves, rich in ponds, well-built, delightful. Then, monks, that man would report to a king or a royal minister: ‘Sir, please know this: I saw, wandering in a forest, in a wilderness, an ancient path, an ancient road, followed by people of old; I followed it. Following it, I saw an ancient city, an ancient royal capital, inhabited by people of old, rich in parks, rich in groves, rich in ponds, well-built, delightful. Sir, have that city rebuilt!’ Then, monks, that king or royal minister would have that city rebuilt. That city, at a later time, would become prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with people, attaining growth and expansion. Even so, monks, I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, followed by the Buddhas of old. And what, monks, is that ancient path, that ancient road, followed by the Buddhas of old? It is this Noble Eightfold Path, namely: right view…and so on… right concentration. This, monks, is that ancient path, that ancient road, followed by the Buddhas of old; I followed it; following it, I directly knew aging and death. I fully understood the origin of aging and death; I fully understood the cessation of aging and death; I fully understood the path leading to the cessation of aging and death. I followed that; following that, I fully understood birth… …I fully understood becoming… …I fully understood clinging… …I fully understood craving… …I fully understood feeling… …I fully understood contact… …I fully understood the six sense bases… …I fully understood name-and-form… …I fully understood consciousness. I followed that; following that, I fully understood formations; I fully understood the origin of formations; I fully understood the cessation of formations; I fully understood the path leading to the cessation of formations. Having fully understood these, I taught them to monks, nuns, male lay followers, and female lay followers. This holy life, monks, is prosperous and flourishing, widespread, popular, extensive, and well-proclaimed among devas and humans.” The Fifth. 6. The Discourse on Comprehension 66. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying among the Kurus, in a Kuru town named Kammāsadhamma. There the Blessed One addressed the monks, saying: “Monks!” “Venerable sir,” those monks replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: “Do you comprehend, monks, the interval of comprehension?” When this was said, a certain monk said to the Blessed One: “I, venerable sir, comprehend the interval of comprehension.” “How then, monk, do you comprehend the interval of comprehension?” Then that monk explained. As that monk explained, that monk did not satisfy the mind of the Blessed One. When this was said, Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “Now is the time, Blessed One; now is the time, Fortunate One; for the Blessed One to speak about the interval of comprehension. Having heard from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it.” “Then, Ānanda, listen, pay careful attention; I will speak.”