Nidānasaṁyutta 53

Linked Discourses 12.53

6. Suffering

Fetters

1 At Sāvatthī.

“There are things that tighten the fetters. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows. Craving is a requirement for grasping. Grasping is a requirement for continued existence. Continued existence is a requirement for rebirth. Rebirth is a requirement for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be. That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

2 Suppose an oil lamp depended on oil and a wick to burn. And from time to time someone would pour oil in and adjust the wick. Fed and fuelled by that, the oil lamp would burn for a long time.

In the same way, there are things that tighten the fetters. When you concentrate on the gratification provided by these things, your craving grows. Craving is a requirement for grasping. Grasping is a requirement for continued existence. Continued existence is a requirement for rebirth. Rebirth is a requirement for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be. That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

3 There are things that tighten the fetters. When you concentrate on the drawbacks of these things, your craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases. When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease. That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.

4 Suppose an oil lamp depended on oil and a wick to burn. And no one would pour oil in and adjust the wick from time to time. As the original fuel is used up and no more is added, the oil lamp would be extinguished due to not being fed.

In the same way, there are things that tighten the fetters. When you concentrate on the drawbacks of these things, your craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. … That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”