At Sāvatthi.
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kind of |nourishment::sustenance, nutriment, fuel [āhāra]| for the |endurance::continuity, longevity [ṭhitiyā]| of beings that are existing and for the support of those seeking birth. What four? Edible food, whether coarse or fine; second, |contact::sense impingement, raw experience, touch [phassa]|; third, |mental volition::intention, choice, decision, karmic activity [cetanā]|; and fourth, |consciousness::quality of awareness — subjective awareness of experiences and the knowing of objects through the six sense doors [sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mind] [viññāṇa]|. These are the four kind of nourishment for the endurance of beings that are existing and for the support of those seeking birth.
When this was said, the Venerable Moḷiyaphagguna said to the Blessed One, ”Venerable sir, who consumes the consciousness nourishment?“
”This is not an appropriate question,“ said the Blessed One.
”I do not say, ‘One consumes nourishment.’ If I were to say, ‘One consumes nourishment,’ then it would be appropriate to ask, ‘Venerable sir, who consumes it?’ But I do not speak thus. However, if someone were to ask me, ‘Venerable sir, for what is the consciousness nourishment [a support]?’ this would be an appropriate question. The proper answer to that question would be: ‘The consciousness nourishment is a support for the |arising of future renewed existence::birth of renewed becoming [punabbhavābhinibbatti]|. Dependent on existence, there are the |six sense bases::the six internal sense faculties - eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind - that enable sensory experience [saḷāyatana]|; dependent on the six sense bases, there is contact.“
”Venerable sir, who experiences contact?“
”This is not an appropriate question,“ said the Blessed One.
”I do not say, ’One experiences contact.‘ If I were to say, ’One experiences contact,‘ then it would be appropriate to ask, ’Venerable sir, who experiences contact?‘ But I do not speak thus. However, if someone were to ask me, ’Venerable sir, dependent on what is there contact?‘ that would be an appropriate question. The proper answer to that question would be: ’Dependent on the six sense bases, there is contact; dependent on contact, there is |felt experience::pleasant, neutral or painful sensation, feeling, second of the five aggregates [vedanā]|.‘“
”Venerable sir, who feels sensation?“
”This is not an appropriate question,“ said the Blessed One.
”I do not say, ’One feels sensation.‘ If I were to say, ’One feels sensation,‘ then it would be appropriate to ask, ’Venerable sir, who feels sensation?‘ But I do not speak thus. However, if someone were to ask me, ’Venerable sir, dependent on what is there sensation?‘ that would be an appropriate question. The proper answer to that question would be: ’Dependent on contact, there is sensation; dependent on felt experience, there is |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]|.‘“
”Venerable sir, who craves?“
”This is not an appropriate question,“ said the Blessed One.
”I do not say, ’One craves.‘ If I were to say, ’One craves,‘ then it would be appropriate to ask, ’Venerable sir, who craves?‘ But I do not speak thus. However, if someone were to ask me, ’Venerable sir, dependent on what is there craving?‘ that would be an appropriate question. The proper answer to that question would be: ’dependent on felt experience, there is craving; dependent on craving, there is |clinging::grasping, acquiring, appropriating, taking possession, identifying [upādāna]|.‘“
”Venerable sir, who clings?“
”This is not an appropriate question,“ said the Blessed One.
”I do not say, ’One clings.‘ If I were to say, ’One clings,‘ then it would be appropriate to ask, ’Venerable sir, who clings?‘ But I do not speak thus. However, if someone were to ask me, ’Venerable sir, dependent on what is there clinging?‘ that would be an appropriate question. The proper answer to that question would be: ’Dependent on craving, there is clinging; dependent on clinging, there is existence; dependent on existence, there is birth; dependent on birth, there arise aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Thus is the arising of this whole mass of suffering.'“
With the |complete fading away and ending::remainderless dispassion and cessation [asesavirāganirodha]| of the six sense bases, Phagguna, there is the ending of contact; with the ending of contact, there is the ending of sensation; with the ending of sensation, there is the ending of craving; with the ending of craving, there is the ending of clinging; with the ending of clinging, there is the ending of existence; with the ending of existence, there is the ending of birth; with the ending of birth, there is the ending of aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Thus is the ending of this whole mass of suffering.”