Samyuktagama (Sanskrit fragments) 284.5

284.5

「若於所取法隨順無常觀，住生滅觀、無欲觀、滅觀、厭觀，心不顧念，無所縛著，識則不驅馳、追逐名色，則名色滅，名色滅則六入處滅，六入處滅則觸滅，觸滅則受滅，受滅則愛滅，愛滅則取滅，取滅則有滅，有滅則生滅，生滅則老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦滅，如是如是則純大苦聚滅。猶如種樹，不隨時愛護令其安隱，不壅糞土，不隨時溉灌，冷暖不適，不得增長；若復斷根、截枝，段段斬截，分分解析，風飄日炙，以火焚燒，燒以成糞，或颺以疾風，或投之流水。比丘！於意云何？非為彼樹斷截其根，乃至焚燒，令其磨滅，於未來世成不生法耶？」

“Suppose clinging to things is followed by contemplation of impermanence, contemplation of persisting, arising, and ceasing, contemplation of desiring nothing, contemplation of cessation, and contemplation of detachment. One won’t think about [clinging to things], and their mind won’t be attached to anything. One’s consciousness won’t run around chasing after name and form, and then name and form cease. When name and form cease, the six sense fields cease. When the six sense fields cease, contact ceases. When contact ceases, feeling ceases. When feeling ceases, craving ceases. When craving ceases, clinging ceases. When clinging ceases, existence ceases. When existence ceases, birth ceases. When birth ceases, old age, illness, death, grief, sorrow, pain, and trouble cease. Thus ceases the whole mass of suffering.

“It’s like someone planting a tree. [At first, it’s small, flexible, and weak.] If it’s not cared for and protected in time, it’s not made secure. They don’t cultivate it with manure and soil, don’t water it at appropriate times, and don’t prepare it for cold and warm weather. It can’t grow larger [under those conditions].

“Suppose, again, they cut its roots, chop off its branches, cut it into sections, and the pieces are broken down further. The wind dries it out, and the sun bakes it. It’s burned to ash and used as fertilizer, blown away by a swift wind, or carried away by a stream of water.

“Monks, what do you think? Wouldn’t that tree be destroyed when its roots are cut … burned to ash? Would it be something that won’t arise in the future?”