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And "having abandoned fetters, they are released from old age and death." This is supramundane. This is both worldly and supramundane. "If, monks, in the nutriment of consciousness, When there is the descent of name-and-form, with the descent of name-and-form, there is renewed existence. With renewed existence, there is birth. With birth, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair arise. Thus is the origin of this entire mass of suffering. Just as, monks, a great tree, its roots, both those going downwards and those going sideways, all of them draw sap upwards. Thus, monks, that great tree, being nourished and sustained, would stand for a long, long time. Even so, monks, when consciousness is food, there is descent of name-and-form, all... and so on... thus is the origin of this entire mass of suffering. This is worldly. If, monks, when consciousness is not food, there is no descent of name-and-form. When there is no descent of name-and-form, there is no renewed existence. When there is no renewed existence, there is no birth. When there is no birth, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease. Thus is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering. Just as, monks, a great tree, then a man might come, taking a spade and a basket. He would cut that tree at its root. Having cut it at the root, he would dig it up. Having dug it up, he would pull out the roots, even the smallest fibers. He would cut that tree into pieces. Having cut it into pieces, he would split it. Having split it, he would make it into splinters. Having made it into splinters, he would dry it in the wind and sun. Having dried it in the wind and sun, he would burn it with fire. Having burned it with fire, he would make it into ash. Having made it into ash, he would scatter it in a strong wind, or float it away in a swift-flowing river. Thus, monks, that great tree would be uprooted, made like a palm-stump, brought to naught, incapable of future growth. Even so, mo... Monks, when there is no nutriment for consciousness, there is no descent of name-and-form. When there is no descent of name-and-form, then all…pe… thus is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering. This is supramundane. This is mundane and supramundane. 113. What, then, is based on beings? “Having traversed all directions with the mind, Nowhere did one find anything dearer than oneself; Thus dear is oneself to others, Therefore, one who loves oneself should not harm another.” This is based on beings. “Whatever beings have been, will be, or are, All will go, abandoning the body; Knowing this, the wise one, Should live the holy life with ardour.” This is based on beings. “Monks, a good friend endowed with seven qualities should not be abandoned for life, even if one is being separated, being pushed away, being crushed at the throat. Which seven? He is dear and pleasing, revered and to be esteemed, a speaker and patient of words, and he is a speaker of profound discourse, and he does not assign one to an improper place. With these seven, Monks…pe… should not be abandoned. This the Blessed One said, having said this, the Fortunate One. Then the Teacher further said this – “Dear, revered, to be esteemed, A speaker and patient of words; A speaker of profound discourse, And not one who assigns to an improper place; Such a friend, by one who desires a friend, Should be served even for life.” This is based on beings. What, then, is based on Dhamma? “Whatever sensual pleasure in the world, And whatever divine pleasure; These are not worth a sixteenth part Of the pleasure of the destruction of craving.” This is based on Dhamma. “Very pleasant, indeed, is Nibbāna, Taught by the Perfectly Enlightened One…” this; Sorrowless, dustless, secure, where suffering ceases.” This is the foundation of Dhamma. Among these, what is the foundation of beings and the foundation of Dhamma? “Having slain mother, having slain father, and two warrior kings; Having slain the country with its retinue”— this is the foundation of Dhamma. “The brahmin goes unmolested”; This is the foundation of beings; This is the foundation of beings and the foundation of Dhamma. “There are these four bases of psychic power, monks [see Iddhipāda Saṃyutta]. Which four? The base of psychic power endowed with concentration due to desire and the volitional formations of exertion, the base of psychic power endowed with concentration due to energy… and so on… mind. The base of psychic power endowed with concentration due to investigation and the volitional formations of exertion.” This is the foundation of Dhamma. He concentrates the mind on the body, and the body on the mind, and having entered upon and attained the perception of happiness and lightness in the body, he dwells. This is the foundation of beings, this is the foundation of beings and the foundation of Dhamma. 114. Among these, what is knowledge? “That supramundane knowledge, by which one is called omniscient; There is no decline for it, it operates at all times.” This is knowledge. “Indeed, wisdom is supreme in the world, that which leads to Nibbāna [leads to penetration]; By which one rightly understands, the destruction of birth and death.” This is knowledge. Among these, what is the knowable? “I shall declare to you [to you all], O Dhota, peace, In this very life, without hearsay; Knowing which, mindful, one fares, and crosses attachment in the world. “And I delight in that, O great sage, the supreme peace; Knowing which, mindful, one fares, and crosses attachment in the world. “Whatever you fully comprehend, O Dhota, Above, below, across, and in the middle; Knowing this, let go of attachment in the world, Do not make craving for existence and non-existence.” This is the knowable. “Through not understanding, not penetrating the four noble truths, monks, this long journey has been run, this long wandering has occurred for me and for you… and so on… therefore, monks, Monks, the noble truth of suffering has been understood, penetrated; the noble truth of the origin of suffering has been understood, penetrated; the noble truth of the cessation of suffering has been understood, penetrated; the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering has been understood, penetrated. The craving for existence is cut off, the thread of existence is exhausted, there is no more rebirth. This the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this: "Because of not seeing the four noble truths as they really are, I have wandered on for a long time through various births. But these have been seen, the thread of existence is uprooted; the root of suffering is cut off, there is no more rebirth." This is what is to be known. And what is knowledge and what is to be known? Form is impermanent, feeling is impermanent, perception is impermanent, mental formations are impermanent, consciousness is impermanent. This is what is to be known. Knowing thus, seeing thus, the noble disciple sees: "Form is impermanent," he sees: "Feeling is impermanent," he sees: "Perception... ...mental formations... ...consciousness is impermanent." This is knowledge. He is freed from form, he is freed from feeling, he is freed from perception, he is freed from mental formations, he is freed from consciousness, he is freed from suffering, I say. This is knowledge and what is to be known. "All formations are impermanent"— this is what is to be known. "When one sees this with wisdom"— this is knowledge. "Then one becomes disenchanted with suffering— this is the path to purity." This is knowledge and what is to be known. "All formations are suffering"— this is what is to be known. "When one sees this with wisdom"— this is knowledge. "Then one becomes disenchanted with suffering— this is the path to purity." This is knowledge and what is to be known. "All phenomena are not-self"— this is what is to be known. "When one sees this with wisdom"— this is knowledge. "Then one becomes disenchanted with suffering— this is the path to purity." This is knowledge and what is to be known. "Whoever, indeed, Sona, ascetics or brahmins, with impermanent form, suffering, subject to change, perceive 'I am superior', or perceive 'I am equal', or perceive 'I am inferior'. What else but not seeing things as they are? With impermanent feeling... with impermanent perception... with impermanent volitional formations... with impermanent consciousness, suffering, subject to change, perceive 'I am superior', or perceive 'I am equal', or perceive 'I am inferior'. What else but not seeing things as they are? This is what is to be known. But those, Sona, ascetics or brahmins, with impermanent form, suffering, subject to change, do not perceive 'I am superior', nor perceive 'I am equal', nor perceive 'I am inferior'. What else but seeing things as they are? With impermanent feeling... with impermanent perception... with impermanent volitional formations... with impermanent consciousness, suffering, subject to change, do not perceive 'I am superior', nor perceive 'I am equal', nor perceive 'I am inferior'. What else but seeing things as they are? This is knowledge. This is knowledge and the knowable. And what is vision? Those who clearly understand the Noble Truths, well-taught by one of profound wisdom. Even if they are very heedless, they do not take up an eighth existence. This is vision. Just as an Indra-post, firmly set in the earth, is unshaken by the four winds; such a good person I declare to be, one who sees the Noble Truths with penetrating insight. This is vision. Monks, a noble disciple endowed with the four factors of stream-entry, if he wishes, can declare of himself: 'I am one for whom hell is destroyed, for whom the animal realm is destroyed, for whom the realm of hungry ghosts is destroyed, for whom all states of woe, bad destinations, and downfall are destroyed.'