What One Intends One Has a Tendency Towards

Monks, what one intends, and what one desires, and whatever one has an obsession towards: this becomes a basis for the maintenance of consciousness.

When there is a basis, there is a support for the establishing of consciousness.

When consciousness is established and has come to growth, there is the production of future renewed existence.

When there is the production of future renewed existence, future birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be.

Such is the cause of this whole mass of discontentedness.

(Reference: SN 12.38)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares the cause of discontentedness and continuous rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth is craving/desire/attachment.

If one has an obsession towards certain objects of its affection, the mind has craving/desire/attachment. Craving/desire/attachment is what produces continued consciousness in future rebirths. “Maintenance of consciousness” is continued, supported, and maintained by craving/desire/attachment.

With consciousness established because of continuous craving/desire/attachment, “there is the production of future renewed existence”. Future renewed existence leads to “future birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure, and despair”.

This is what causes the entire massive amount of discontentedness in the mind. It is craving/desire/attachment that leads to the maintenance, support, and establishment of consciousness resulting in birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure, and despair.

It is only through eliminating craving/desire/attachment through The Six Sense Bases and elimination of The Ten Fetters that the mind is completely liberated from discontentedness and the entire Cycle of Rebirth. Once the mind is experiencing Enlightenment, it will no longer experience any discontentedness or future rebirths in The Cycle of Rebirth.