DEPENDENT ORIGINATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS
                                                                         
 
 
Now, though one's eye be intact, yet if the external forms do not fall within the field of vision, and no corresponding conjunction takes place, in that case there occurs no formation of the corresponding aspect of consciousness. Or, though one's eye be intact, and the external forms fall within the field of vision, yet if no corresponding conjunction takes place, in that case also there occurs no formation of the corresponding aspect of consciousness. If, however, one's eye is intact, and the external forms fall within the field of vision, and the corresponding conjunction takes place, in that case there arises the corresponding aspect of consciousness.
 
Hence, I say: the arising of consciousness is dependent upon conditions; and without these conditions, no consciousness arises. And upon whatsoever conditions the arising of consciousness is dependent, after these it is called.
 
Consciousness whose arising depends on the eye and forms, is called "eye consciousness."
 
Consciousness whose arising depends on the ear and sound, is called "ear-consciousness."
 
Consciousness whose arising depends on the olfactory organ and odors, is called "nose-consciousness."
 
Consciousness whose arising depends on the tongue and taste, is called "tongue-consciousness."
 
Consciousness whose arising depends on the body and bodily contacts, is called "body-consciousness."
 
Consciousness whose arising depends on the mind and ideas, is called "mind consciousness."
 
Whatsoever there is of "corporeality" in the consciousness thus arisen, that belongs to the Group of Corporeality. Whatsoever there is of "feeling"- bodily ease, pain, joy, sadness, or indifferent feeling- belongs to the Group of Feeling. Whatsoever there is of  "perception"- visual objects, sounds, odors, tastes, bodily impressions, or mind-objects- belongs to the Group of Perception.
 
Whatsoever there are of mental "formations" - impression, volition, etc. - belong to the Group of mental Formations. Whatsoever there is of "consciousness" therein belongs to the Group of Consciousness.
 
And it is impossible that any one can explain the passing out of one existence, and the entering into a new existence, or the growth, increase, and development of consciousness, independent of corporeality, feeling, perception, and mental formations.
 
 
THE THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF EXISTENCE
 
 
All formations are "transient"; all formations are "subject to suffering"; all things are "without an Ego-entity." Corporeality is transient, feeling is transient, perception is transient, mental formations are transient, consciousness is transient.
 
 
And that which is transient, is subject to suffering; and of that which is transient, and subject to suffering and change, one cannot rightly say: "This belongs to me; this am I; this is my Ego."
 
Therefore, whatever there be of corporeality, of feeling, perception, mental formations, or consciousness, whether one's own or external, whether gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near, one should understand, according to reality, and true wisdom: "This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego."
 
Suppose, a man who is not blind, were to behold the many bubbles on the Ganges as they are driving along; and he should watch them, and carefully examine them. After carefully examining them, they will appear to him empty, unreal, and unsubstantial. In exactly the same way, does the monk behold all the corporeal phenomena, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and states of consciousness- whether they be of the past, or the present, or the future, far, or near. And he watches them, and examines them carefully; and, after carefully examining them, they appear to him empty, void, and without an Ego.
 
Whoso delights in corporeality, or feeling, or perception, or mental formations, or consciousness, he delights in suffering; and whoso delights in suffering, will not be freed from suffering. Thus I say:
 
          How can you find delight and mirth,
          Where there is burning without end?
          In deepest darkness you are wrapped!
          Why do you not seek for the light?
 
          Look at this puppet here, well rigged,
          A heap of many sores, piled up,
          Diseased, and full of greediness,
          Unstable, and impermanent!
 
          Devoured by old age is this frame,
          A prey of sickness, weak and frail;
          To pieces breaks this putrid body,
          All life must truly end in death.
 
 
THE THREE WARNINGS
 
 
1. Did you never see in the world a man, or a woman, eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old, frail, crooked as a gable roof, bent down, resting on crutches, with tottering steps, infirm, youth long since fled, with broken teeth, gray and scanty hair, or bald-headed, wrinkled, with blotched limbs? And did the thought never come to you that also you are subject to decay, that also you cannot escape it?
 
2, Did you never see in the world a man, or a woman, who being sick, afflicted, and grievously ill, and wallowing in his own filth, was lifted up by some people, and put to bed by others? And did the thought never come to you that also you are subject to disease, that also you cannot escape it?                                                  
 
3. Did you never see in the world the corpse of a man, or a woman, one, or two, or three days after death, swollen up, blue-black in color, and full of corruption? And did the thought never come to you that also you are subject to death, that also you cannot escape it?
 
 
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