Dighanikaya 15.115_3

15.115_3

Tasmātihānandāti yasmā mātukucchiyaṃ paṭisandhiggahaṇepi kucchivāsepi kucchito nikkhamanepi, pavattiyaṃ dasavassādikālepi viññāṇamevassa paccayo, tasmā eseva hetu esa paccayo nāmarūpassa, yadidaṃ viññāṇaṃ. Yathā hi rājā attano parisaṃ niggaṇhanto evaṃ vadeyya – ‘‘tvaṃ uparājā, tvaṃ senāpatīti kena kato nanu mayā kato, sace hi mayi akaronte tvaṃ attano dhammatāya uparājā vā senāpati vā bhaveyyāsi, jāneyyāma vo bala’’nti; evameva viññāṇaṃ nāmarūpassa paccayo hoti. Atthato evaṃ nāmarūpaṃ vadati viya ‘‘tvaṃ nāmaṃ, tvaṃ rūpaṃ, tvaṃ nāmarūpaṃ nāmāti kena kataṃ, nanu mayā kataṃ, sace hi mayi purecārike hutvā mātukucchismiṃ paṭisandhiṃ agaṇhante tvaṃ nāmaṃ vā rūpaṃ vā nāmarūpaṃ vā bhaveyyāsi, jāneyyāma vo bala’’nti. Taṃ panetaṃ viññāṇaṃ nāmarūpassa bahudhā paccayo hoti.

'Therefore, Ānanda': since consciousness alone is its condition both in taking rebirth-linking in the mother's womb, during the stay in the womb, and upon departing from the womb, as well as in the course [of life] at the time of ten years and so on, therefore this is the reason, this is the condition for name-and-form, namely, consciousness. For just as a king, censuring his retinue, might say: 'By whom were you made viceroy, by whom general? Were you not made by me? If, when I did not make you, you became viceroy or general by your own nature, we would know your strength!'—just so consciousness is the condition for name-and-form. In meaning, it is as though it says to name-and-form: 'By whom were you made as what is called name, form, and name-and-form? Were you not made by me? If, when I was not the forerunner taking rebirth-linking in the mother's womb, you became name, form, or name-and-form, we would know your strength!' And that consciousness is a condition for name-and-form in many ways.