Samyuktagama 218
Saṃyuktāgama
218. [Discourse on the Path]
Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.
At that time the Blessed One said to the monks: “I will now teach you the path to the arising of dukkha and the path to the cessation of dukkha. Listen and pay proper attention to what I shall teach you.
“What is the path to the arising of dukkha? In dependence on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The coming together of these three things is contact. In dependence on contact, there is feeling. In dependence on feeling, there is craving. In dependence on craving, there is clinging. In dependence on clinging, there is becoming. In dependence on becoming, there is birth. In dependence on birth, old age, disease, death, worry, sorrow, vexation, and pain arise.
“In the same way the ear … the nose … the tongue … the body … the mind is also [to be recited] like that. This is called the path to the arising of dukkha.
“What is the path to the cessation of dukkha? In dependence on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The coming together of these three things is contact. With the cessation of contact, feeling then ceases. With the cessation of feeling, craving then ceases. With the cessation of craving, clinging then ceases. With the cessation of clinging, becoming then ceases. With the cessation of becoming, birth then ceases. With the cessation of birth, old age, disease, death, worry, sorrow, vexation, and pain then cease. In this way the entire great mass of dukkha ceases.
“The ear … the nose … the tongue … the body … the mind is also to be recited like that. This is called the path to the cessation of dukkha.”
When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, hearing what the Buddha had said the monks were delighted and received it respectfully.