§1. Just so, monks, for a monk engaged in higher mentality there are coarse defilements: bad body-conduct, bad speech-conduct, bad mind-conduct. A conscientious and able monk puts them away, drives them out, gets rid of them, brings them to naught. When these are put away and got rid of, then for a monk engaged in higher mentality there are medium defilements: sensual thoughts, angry thoughts, cruel thoughts. A conscientious and able monk puts them away, drives them out, gets rid of them, brings these to naught. When these are put away and got rid of, then for a monk engaged in higher mentality there are fine defilements: thoughts of birth, thoughts of country, thoughts connected with reputation. A conscientious and able monk puts them away, drives them out, gets rid of them, brings them to naught. When these are put away and got rid of, then there remain thoughts about the Nature of Things. There is concentration that is neither peaceful nor exalted nor tranquil nor arrived at unification, that is together with determinations,[1] constrained, obstructed, confined. There comes a time, monks, when that mind is internally steadied, settled, unified, and concentrated. There is concentration that is peaceful, exalted, tranquil, and arrived at unification, that is without determinations, unconstrained, unobstructed, unconfined.
A. III,100 (i, 254-5)

§2. His mind being thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, unblemished, with defilements gone, supple, workable, steady, and unshakeable, he directs it and turns it to the knowledge of recollection of former abodes. He recalls manifold former abodes: that is to say, one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, one hundred births, one thousand births, one hundred thousand births, manifold involutions of aeons; manifold evolutions of aeons, manifold involutions-and-evolutions of aeons: 'There, thus was my name, thus was may clan, thus my appearance (colour), thus my food, thus the pleasure and unpleasure experienced, thus the ending of my life; having fallen away thence, I re-arose here'. Thus he recalls manifold former abodes together with their features and indications.

Just as, Mahárája, a man might go from his own village to another village, and from that village might go to yet another village, and from that village might come back to his own village; and it might occur to him, 'Indeed, I went from my own village to that village, and there I stood thus, I sat thus, I spoke thus, I was silent thus; and from that village I went to that other village, and there too I stood thus, I sat thus, I spoke thus, I was silent thus; and then I came back to my own village' -- just so, Mahárája, a monk, his mind being thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, unblemished, with defilements gone, supple, workable, steady, and unshakeable, directs it and turns it to the knowledge of recollection of former abodes.[2]

His mind being thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, unblemished, with defilements gone, supple, workable, steady, and unshakeable, he directs it and turns it to the knowledge of falling away and re-arising of creatures. With a purified divine eye, surpassing that of man, he sees creatures falling away and re-arising; he understands the going of creatures according to their actions, debased and exalted, of good colour and of bad colour, well-destined and ill-destined: 'These folk, indeed, are creatures possessed of bad body-conduct, of bad speech-conduct, of bad-mind-conduct, they are revilers of the noble ones, holders of wrong views and performers of actions in accordance with wrong views. They, on the breaking up of the body, after death, have re-arisen in perdition, the ill destiny, the realms of misery, hell. But these folk, indeed, are creatures possessed of good body-conduct, of good speech-conduct, of good mind-conduct, they are non-revilers of the noble ones, holders of right views, and performers of actions in accordance with right views. They, on the breaking up of the body, after death, have re-arisen in the good destiny, in the heavenly world'. Thus with a purified divine eye, surpassing that of man, he sees creatures falling away and re-arising; he understands the going of creatures according to their actions, debased and exalted, of good colour and of bad colour, well-destined and ill-destined.

Just as, Mahárája, there might be a terrace in the middle of a square, and a man with eyes might stand there and see people entering and leaving houses and wandering about the roads and streets and sitting in the middle of the square; and it might occur to him, 'These people are entering and leaving houses, these are wandering about the roads and streets, these are sitting in the middle of the square' -- just so, Mahárája, a monk, his mind being thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, unblemished, with defilements gone, supple, workable, steady, and unshakeable, he directs it and turns it to the knowledge of falling away and re-arising of creatures.
D. 2 (i, 81-3)

§3. Beginningless, monks, is this running on of existence; a starting point of creatures who are coursing and running on constrained by nescience and attached by craving is not manifest.

How do you conceive this, monks: which is more, the blood that has flowed and streamed from your severed heads in this long stretch of coursing and running on, or the water in the four great oceans?

-- According, Lord, to our comprehension of the Teaching (dhamma) set forth by the Auspicious One, the blood that has flowed and streamed from our severed heads in this long coursing and running on is indeed more than the water in the four great oceans.

-- Well said, well said, monks: well have you thus comprehended the Teaching set forth by me. The blood that has flowed and streamed from your severed heads in this long coursing and running on is indeed more than the water in the four great oceans. A long time, monks, has the blood flowed and streamed from your severed heads when you were oxen: more than the water in the four great oceans. ...when you were buffaloes ... sheep ... goats ... deer ... chickens ... pigs ... when you were taken as village robbers ... when you were taken as highway robbers ... when you were taken as adulterers.... Why is this? Beginningless, monks, is this running on of existence: a starting point of creatures who are coursing and running on constrained by nescience and attached by craving is not manifest. For so long, monks, have you enjoyed (éprouvé) suffering (dukkha), agony, and misfortune, and swelled the charnel grounds: long enough, monks, for disgust for all determinations, for the fading out of lust for them, for release from them.
Anamatagga Samy. 13 (ii,187-9)

§4. Beginningless, monks, is this running on: a first point of creatures coursing and running on hindered by nescience and attached by craving is not evident. It is not easy, monks, to find that creature who has not formerly been your mother in this long stretch ... your father ... your brother, sister, son, daughter.... Why is this? Beginningless, monks, is this running on: a first point of creatures coursing and running on hindered by nescience and attached by craving is not evident. For so long, monks, have you enjoyed suffering, agony, and misfortune, and swelled the charnal grounds: long enough, monks, for disgust for all determinations, for the fading out of lust for them, for release from them.
Anamatagga Samy. 14-19 (ii, 189-90)

§5. It is through non-discernment and non-penetration of four noble truths that there has been this long stretch of coursing and running on, both for me and for you. Of which four?

It is through non-discernment and non-penetration of the noble truth of suffering (dukkha) that there has been this long stretch of coursing and running on, both for me and for you. It is through non-discernment and non-penetration of the noble truth of the arising of suffering ... the noble truth of the ceasing of suffering ... the noble truth of the way that leads to ceasing of suffering that there has been this long stretch of coursing and running on, both for me and for you.

When, monks, this noble truth of suffering is discerned and penetrated, when this noble truth of arising of suffering is discerned and penetrated, when this noble truth of ceasing of suffering is discerned and penetrated, when this noble truth of the way that leads to ceasing of suffering is discerned and penetrated, craving for being is cut off, what leads to being is exhausted, there is then no more being.
D. 16 (ii, 90)

§6. This indeed, monks, is the noble truth of suffering. Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, union with what is disliked is suffering, separation from what is liked is suffering, not to get what one wants, that too is suffering; in brief, the five holding aggregates [3] are suffering. This indeed, monks, is the noble truth of arising of suffering. This craving leading to more being, conjoined with desire and lust, taking delight here and there, that is to say: sensual craving, craving for being, craving for non-being, This indeed, monks, is the noble truth of ceasing of suffering. The entire fading out and cessation, the giving up, the relinquishment of that same craving, release from it, its abandonment. This indeed, monks, is the noble truth of the way that leads to ceasing of suffering. This noble eightfold path, that is to say, right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Sacca Samy. 11 (v, 421-2)

§7. The noble truth of suffering is to be known absolutely. The noble truth of arising of suffering is to be abandoned. The noble truth of ceasing of suffering is to be realized. The noble truth of the way that leads to ceasing of suffering is to be developed.
Sacca Samy. 29 (v, 436)

§8. Because of six elements,[4] monks, there is descent of the embryo; when there is descent there is name-&-matter; with name-&-matter as condition, six bases; with six bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; to one who feels, monks, I make known 'This is suffering', I make known 'This is arising of suffering', I make known 'This is ceasing of suffering', I make known 'This is the way that leads to ceasing of suffering'. And which, monks, is the noble truth of suffering? Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow, lamentation, pain (dukkha), grief, and despair are suffering; not to get what one wants, that too is suffering; in brief, the five holding aggregates are suffering. This, monks, is called the noble truth of suffering.

And which, monks, is the noble truth of arising of suffering? With nescience as condition, determinations; with determinations as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-&-matter; with name-&-matter as condition, six bases; with six bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving; with craving as condition, holding; with holding as condition, being; with being as condition, birth; with birth as condition, ageing-&-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, come into being; thus is the arising of this whole mass of unpleasure (suffering). This, monks, is called the noble truth of arising of suffering.

And which, monks, is the noble truth of ceasing of suffering? With entire fading out and cessation of nescience, ceasing of determinations; with cessation of determinations, ceasing of consciousness; with cessation of consciousness, ceasing of name-&-matter; with cessation of name-&-matter, ceasing of six bases; with cessation of six bases, ceasing of contact; with cessation of contact, ceasing of feeling; with cessation of feeling, ceasing of craving; with cessation of craving, ceasing of holding; with cessation of holding, ceasing of being; with cessation of being, ceasing of birth; with cessation of birth, ageing-&-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, cease; thus is the ceasing of this whole mass of unpleasure (suffering). This, monks, is called the noble truth of ceasing of suffering.

And which, monks, is the noble truth of the way that leads to ceasing of suffering? This noble eightfold path, that is to say, right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This, monks, is called the noble truth of the way that leads to ceasing of suffering.
A. III,61 (i, 176-7)

§9. And which, monks, is ageing-&-death? The decay, the ageing, the brokenness, the greying, the wrinkledness, the dwindling of life, the decrepitude of the faculties of creatures of various orders: this is called ageing. The falling away, the breaking up, the disappearance, the death, the coming of the time, the breaking up of the aggregates, the laying down of the corpse of creatures of various orders: this is called death. This is ageing and this is death. This, monks, is called ageing-&-death.

And which, monks, is birth? The birth, the coming to birth, the descent, the appearance, the becoming manifest of the aggregates, the obtaining of the bases, of creatures of various orders: This, monks, is called birth.

And which, monks, is being? There are, monks, these three beings: sensual being, material being, immaterial being. This, monks, is called being.[5]

And which, monks, is holding? There are, monks, these four holdings: sensual holding, holding to view, holding to virtue and duty, holding to belief in self. This, monks, is called holding.[6]

And which, monks, is craving? There are, monks, these six bodies of craving: craving for visible form, craving for sounds craving for smells, craving for tastes, craving for touches, craving for images/ideas (dhammá). This, monks, is called craving.[7]

And which, monks, is feeling? There are, monks, these six bodies of feeling: feeling born of eye-contact, feeling born of ear-contact, feeling born of nose-contact, feeling born of tongue-contact, feeling born of body-contact, feeling born of mind-contact. This, monks, is called feeling.[8]

And which, monks, is contact? There are, wonks, these six bodies of contact: eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, mind-contact. This, monks, is called contact.[9]

And which, monks, are the six bases? The eye-base, the ear-base, the nose-base, the tongue-base, the body-base, the mind-base. These, monks, are called the six bases.[10]

And which, monks, is name-&-matter? Feeling, perception, intention, contact, attention: this is called name. The four great entities and matter held (i.e. taken up by craving) from the four great entities: this is called matter. Thus, this is name and this is matter. This, monks, is called name-&-matter.[11]

And which, monks, is consciousness? There are, monks, these six bodies of consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness. This, monks, is called consciousness.[12]

And which, monks, are determinations? There are, monks, three determinations; body-determination, speech-determination, mind-determination. These, monks, are called determinations.[13]

And which, monks, is nescience? Non-knowledge of suffering, non-knowledge of arising of suffering, non-knowledge of ceasing of suffering, non-knowledge of the way that leads to ceasing of suffering. This, monks, is called nescience.[14]
Nidána Samy. 12 (ii, 2-4)

§10. An earliest point of nescience, monks, is not manifest: 'Before this, nescience was not; then afterwards it came into being'. Even if that is said thus, monks, nevertheless it is manifest: 'With this as condition, nescience'. I say, monks, that nescience, too, is with sustenance, not without sustenance.[15]
A. X,61 (v, 113)

§11. An earliest point of craving-for-being, monks, is not manifest: 'Before this, craving-for-being was not; then afterwards it came into being'. Even if that is said thus, monks, nevertheless it is manifest: 'With this as condition, craving-for-being'. I say, monks, that craving-for-being, too, is with sustenance, not without sustenance. And what is the sustenance of craving-for-being? 'Nescience' would be the reply.[16]
A. X,62 (v, 116)

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Footnotes:

[1] In mental concentration there is progressive subsidence of speech-determination (second jhána), body-determination (fourth jhána), and mind-determination (attainment of cessation of perception and feeling). Majjhima 44. See footnote 21.[Back to text]

[2] 'For finally the foetus was me; it represents the factual limit of my memory but not the theoretical limit of my past. There is a metaphysical problem concerning birth in that I can be anxious to know how I happen to have been born from that particular embryo; and this problem is perhaps insoluble.' Being and Nothingness [B&N], p. 139. [Back to text]

[3] The five holding aggregates: matter (or substance), feeling, perception, determinations, consciousness. [Back to text]

[4] Six elements: earth, water, fire, air, space, consciousness. [Back to text]

[5] Being: être. [Back to text]

[6] Holding: maniere d'être. 'The desire of being is always realized as the desire of a mode of being.' B&N, p. 567. [Back to text]

[7] Craving: manque d'être. 'Freedom is precisely the being which makes itself a lack of being. But since desire, as we have established, is identical with lack of being, freedom can arise only as being which makes itself a desire of being...' B&N, p. 567. [Back to text]

[8] Feeling: appectivité. 'It is this original relation which subsequently allows the empirical establishment of particular lacks as lacks suffered or endured.' B&N, p. 199. [Back to text]

[9] Contact: liberté en situation. [Back to text]

[10] The six bases: le corps pour soi. [Back to text]

[11] Name-&-matter: signification-et-existent-brut/l'objet transcendant/l'être-en-soi/la chose-ustensile/ceci. 'There is an unchangeable element in the past... and an element which is eminently variable. But since, on the other hand, the meaning of the past fact penetrates it through and through... it is finally impossible for me to distinguish the unchangeable brute existence from the variable meaning which it includes.' B&N, p. 497-8. [Back to text]

[12] Consciousness: conscience/l'être-pour-soi, etc. [Back to text]

[13] Determinations: néatisation. [Back to text]

[14] Nescience can perhaps be regarded as the tacit assumption (Project) that there is permanance, failing which there can be no néatisation. See footnote 31. 'The first potentiality of the object as the correlate of the engagement, an ontological structure of the negation, is permanence...' B&N, p. 193 [Back to text]

[15] 'There cannot be "nothingness of consciousness" before consciousness.' B&N, p. lv. Cf. A NOTE ON PATICCASAMUPPÁDA §§24 & 25. 'Consequently it is impossible at any particular moment when we consider a For-itself, to apprehend it as not-yet-having a Past.' B&N, p. 138. '...there can be no consciousness without a past.' B&N, p. 138. [Back to text]

[16] 'Fundamentally man is the desire to be, and the existence of this desire is not to be established by an empirical induction; it is the result of an a priori description of the being of the for-itself, since desire is a lack and since the for-itself is the being which is to itself its own lack of being.' B&N, p. 565. [Back to text]