When a misguided monk clings to the idea of an unchanging consciousness that “wanders through rebirths,” the Buddha corrects him, revealing the truth of dependent co-arising. Consciousness, like fire, arises only through conditions. Tracing the cycle of existence from the four nutriments and conception to the snare of sensory reaction, he shows the way to the complete exhaustion of craving.

What sustains the journey between lives? Using the vivid simile of a flame flung by the wind, the Buddha explains the transition of consciousness and the distinction between a being with fuel and one without.