At Sāvatthi.

"I will teach you, bhikkhus, both the arising and the dissolution of the world. Listen to this and pay close attention, I will speak."

"Yes, venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:

"And what, bhikkhus, is the arising of the world? Depending on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises; with craving as a condition, clinging arises; with clinging as a condition, continued existence arises; with continued existence as a condition, birth arises; with birth as a condition, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and despair arises. This, bhikkhus, is the arising of the world.

Depending on the ear and sounds, ear-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises.

Depending on the nose and odors, nose-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises.

Depending on the tongue and tastes, tongue-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises.

Depending on the body and tactile objects, body-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises.

Depending on the mind and mental phenomena, mind-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises. With craving as a condition, clinging arises; with clinging as a condition, continued existence arises; with continued existence as a condition, birth arises; with birth as a condition, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and despair arises. This, bhikkhus, is the arising of the world.

And what, bhikkhus, is the dissolution of the world? Depending on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact.With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises. With the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving comes the cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging comes the cessation of continued existence; with the cessation of continued existence comes the cessation of birth; with the cessation of birth comes the cessation of aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and despair. This, bhikkhus, is the dissolution of the world.

Depending on the ear and sounds, ear-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises.

Depending on the nose and odors, nose-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises.

Depending on the tongue and tastes, tongue-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises.

Depending on the body and tactile objects, body-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises.

Depending on the mind and mental phenomena, mind-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition, there is feeling; with feeling as a condition, craving arises. With the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving comes cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging comes cessation of continued existence; with the cessation of continued existence comes cessation of birth; with the cessation of birth comes the cessation of aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and despair. This, bhikkhus, is the dissolution of the world.