A Stream-Enterer Understands Condition, the Cause, the Elimination, and the Way Leading to the Elimination of Condition

Herein, Monks, a Monk understands aging-and-death, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination.

He understands birth, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination.

He understands existence, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination.

He understands clinging, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination.

He understands craving, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination.

He understands feeling, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination.

He understands contact, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination.

He understands the six sense bases, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination.

He understands name-and-form, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination.

He understands consciousness, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination.

He understands volitional formations, their cause, their elimination, and the way leading to their elimination.

And what, Monks, is aging-and-death?

The aging of the various beings in the various orders of beings, their growing old, brokenness of teeth, greyness of hair, wrinkling of skin, decline of vitality, degeneration of the sense bases: this is called aging. The passing away of the various beings from the various orders of beings, their perishing, breakup, disappearance, mortality, death, completion of time, the breakup of the aggregates, the laying down of the carcass: this is called death. Thus this aging and this death are together called aging-and-death.

With the arising of birth there is the arising of aging-and-death. With the elimination of birth there is the elimination of aging-and-death. Just this Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of aging-and-death; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

And what, Monks, is birth?

The birth of the various beings into the various realms of beings, their being born, descent [into the womb], production, the coming together of the aggregates, the obtaining of the sense bases. This is called birth.

With the arising of existence there is the arising of birth. With the elimination of existence there is the elimination of birth. This Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of birth; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

And what, Monks, is existence?

There are these three kinds of existence: sense-sphere existence (six sense bases), form-sphere existence (form realms), formless-sphere existence (formless realms). This is called existence.

With the arising of clinging there is the arising of existence. With the elimination of clinging there is the elimination of existence. This Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of existence; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

And what, Monks, is clinging?

There are these four kinds of clinging: clinging to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, clinging to rules and vows, clinging to a notion of self. This is called clinging.

With the arising of craving there is the arising of clinging. With the elimination of craving there is the elimination of clinging. This Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of clinging; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

And what, Monks, is craving?

There are these six classes of craving: craving for forms, craving for sounds, craving for odors, craving for flavors, craving for physical objects, craving for mental objects. This is called craving.

With the arising of feeling there is the arising of craving. With the elimination of feeling there is the elimination of craving. This Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of craving; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

And what, Monks, is feeling?

There are these six classes 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 is called feeling.

With the arising of contact there is the arising of feeling. With the elimination of contact there is the elimination of feeling. This Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of feeling; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

And what, Monks, is contact?

There are these six classes of contact: eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, mind-contact. This is called contact.

With the arising of the six sense bases there is the arising of contact. With the elimination of the six sense bases there is the elimination of contact. This Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of contact; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

And what, Monks, are the six sense bases?

The eye base, the ear base, the nose base, the tongue base, the body base, the mind base. These are called the six sense bases.

With the arising of name-and-form there is the arising of the six sense bases. With the elimination of name-and-form there is the elimination of the six sense bases. This Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of the six sense bases; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

And what, Monks, is name-and-form?

Feeling, perception, volitional formation, contact, consciousness: this is called name. The four great elements and the form derived from the four great elements: this is called form. Thus this name and this form are together called name-and-form.

With the arising of consciousness there is the arising of name-and-form. With the elimination of consciousness there is the elimination of name-and-form. This Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of name-and-form; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

And what, Monks, is consciousness?

There are these six classes of consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness. This is called consciousness.

With the arising of volitional formations (choices/decisions) there is the arising of consciousness. With the elimination of volitional formations there is the elimination of consciousness. This Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of consciousness; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

And what, Monks, are volitional formations?

There are these three kinds of volitional formations (choices/decisions): the bodily volitional formation, the verbal volitional formation, the mental volitional formation. These are called the volitional formations.

With the arising of ignorance (unknowing of true reality) there is the arising of volitional formations. With the elimination of ignorance there is the elimination of volitional formations. Just this Noble Eight Fold Path is the way leading to the elimination of volitional formations; that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

When, Monks, a Monk thus understands aging-and-death, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination;

When he thus understands birth, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination;

When he thus understands existence, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination;

When he thus understands clinging, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination;

When he thus understands craving, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination;

When he thus understands feeling, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination;

When he thus understands contact, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination;

When he thus understands the six sense bases, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination;

When he thus understands name-and-form, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination;

When he thus understands consciousness, its cause, its elimination, and the way leading to its elimination;

When he thus understands volitional formations, their cause, their elimination, and the way leading to their elimination,

he is then called: A Noble Disciple who is accomplished in view, (who is) accomplished in vision, who has arrived at these true Teachings, who sees these true Teachings, who possesses a trainee’s wisdom, (who possesses) a trainee’s true wisdom, who has entered the stream of The Teachings, a Noble

One with penetrative wisdom, one who stands squarely before the door to the Deathless (Enlightenment).

(Reference: SN 12.28)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares another description of Dependent Origination as described in Chapter 14 of this book.