Thus have I heard — at one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in Uruvelā on the bank of the river Nerañjarā at the root of the Bodhi tree, having just attained full awakening. Then, for seven days, the Blessed One sat in one posture experiencing the bliss of liberation. At the end of those seven days, the Blessed One, emerging from that stillness of mind, during the middle watch of the night, thoroughly paid attention to dependent co-arising in reverse order:

Thus, when this is not, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases. That is - with the cessation of ignorance, formations cease; with the cessation of formations, consciousness ceases; with the cessation of consciousness, name-and-form cease; with the cessation of name-and-form, the six sense bases cease; with the cessation of the six sense bases, contact ceases; with the cessation of contact, feeling ceases; with the cessation of feeling, craving ceases; with the cessation of craving, clinging ceases; with the cessation of clinging, becoming ceases; with the cessation of becoming, birth ceases; with the cessation of birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and despair cease. Thus, there is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering.

Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:

"When the nature of things becomes evident, to the Brahmin meditating with continuous effort; All his doubts are dispelled, for he has known the ending of conditions."