This is what I have heard:

Once, the World-Honored One was staying in the Squirrels' Feeding Ground in the Bamboo Grove of Rajagaha. One morning, the World-Honored One dressed, took his bowl and robe, and entered Rajagaha for alms. The naked ascetic Kassapa saw the World-Honored One coming from afar. Upon seeing him, he approached the World-Honored One. After approaching, he exchanged greetings with the World-Honored One. After the exchange of courtesies, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, the naked ascetic Kassapa said to the World-Honored One, "We would like to ask the Venerable Gotama some questions, if the Venerable Gotama would allow us to ask."

The World-Honored One said, "Kassapa, now is not the time for questions. We have entered the village."

The naked ascetic Kassapa said to the World-Honored One a second time, "We would like to ask the Venerable Gotama some questions, if the Venerable Gotama would allow us to ask."

The World-Honored One said, "Kassapa, now is not the time for questions. We have entered the village."

The naked ascetic Kassapa repeated this request a third time, and the World-Honored One gave the same answer.

Hearing this answer, the naked ascetic Kassapa said to the World-Honored One, "We do not wish to ask the Venerable Gotama many questions."

The World-Honored One said, "Ask whatever you wish to ask, Kassapa."

Kassapa asked, "Venerable Gotama, is suffering self-created?"

The World-Honored One answered, "Do not say so, Kassapa."

Kassapa then asked, "Then, Venerable Gotama, is suffering created by others?"

The World-Honored One answered, "Do not say so, Kassapa."

Kassapa continued, "Venerable Gotama, is suffering both self-created and created by others?"

The World-Honored One answered, "Do not say so, Kassapa."

Kassapa asked again, "Then, Venerable Gotama, is suffering neither self-created nor created by others, arising without a cause?"

The World-Honored One answered, "Do not say so, Kassapa."

Kassapa asked, "Venerable Gotama, is there no suffering?"

The World-Honored One answered, "It is not that there is no suffering. There is indeed suffering."

Kassapa said, "Then, does the Venerable Gotama not know or see suffering?"

The World-Honored One answered, "Kassapa, it is not that I do not know or see suffering. I know suffering, I see suffering."

Kassapa said, "Venerable Gotama, when I asked 'Is suffering self-created?', you said 'Do not say so.' When I asked 'Is suffering created by others?', you said 'Do not say so.' When I asked 'Is suffering both self-created and created by others?', you said 'Do not say so.' When I asked 'Is suffering neither self-created nor created by others, arising without a cause?', you said 'Do not say so.' When I asked 'Is there no suffering?', you said 'It is not that there is no suffering. There is indeed suffering.' When I said 'Then, does the Venerable Gotama not know or see suffering?', you said 'It is not that I do not know or see suffering. I know suffering, I see suffering.' Venerable One, please explain suffering to me. Please teach me about suffering."

The World-Honored One said, "Kassapa, if one thinks 'The one who acts and the one who experiences are the same,' one would conclude from the beginning that 'Suffering is self-created,' which leads to eternalism. If one is afflicted by feeling and thinks 'The one who acts and the one who experiences are different,' one would conclude that 'Suffering is created by others,' which leads to annihilationism. Kassapa, the Tathagata avoids these two extremes and teaches the Dharma by the middle way: 'With ignorance as condition, volitional formations arise; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness arises... Thus this whole mass of suffering arises. But with the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, volitional formations cease; with the cessation of volitional formations, consciousness ceases... Thus this whole mass of suffering ceases.'"

Hearing these words, the naked ascetic Kassapa said to the World-Honored One, "Wonderful, Venerable One! Wonderful, Venerable One! It is as if someone has set upright what was overturned, revealed what was hidden, shown the way to one who was lost, or held up a lamp in the dark for those with eyes to see forms. In the same way, the World-Honored One has explained the Dharma in various ways. Venerable One, I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha. I wish to receive the going forth under the World-Honored One, I wish to receive the full ordination."

The World-Honored One said, "Kassapa, if someone from another sect wishes to go forth in this Dharma and Vinaya, to receive the full ordination, he must undergo a four-month probationary period. After four months, if the bhikkhus are satisfied, they will give him the going forth and ordain him as a bhikkhu. However, I recognize individual differences in this matter."

Kassapa said, "Venerable One, if someone from another sect who wishes to go forth in this Dharma and Vinaya, to receive the full ordination, needs to undergo a four-month probationary period, and after four months, if the bhikkhus are satisfied, they will give him the going forth and ordain him as a bhikkhu, then I am willing to accept a four-year probationary period. After four years, if the bhikkhus are satisfied, let them give me the going forth, let them ordain me as a bhikkhu."

The naked ascetic Kassapa received the going forth under the World-Honored One, he received the full ordination. Not long after his full ordination, the Venerable Kassapa, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, and resolute, soon realized - for the sake of which sons of good families rightly go forth from home to homelessness - the unsurpassed consummation of the holy life, attaining and abiding in it here and now through his own direct knowledge. He understood: "Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being." The Venerable Kassapa became one of the arahants.

End of the Seventh Sutra.

This sutra contains profound philosophical reflections and wisdom of practice. Let's analyze it layer by layer:

1. Causality and Timing:

The World-Honored One encounters Kassapa while on alms round but doesn't immediately answer his questions. This demonstrates the Buddha's emphasis on appropriate timing. It reminds us that in daily life, we should understand the importance of choosing the right moment to discuss profound issues.

2. The Nature of Suffering:

Kassapa's series of questions about the nature and origin of suffering shows that suffering is complex and cannot be understood through simple binary oppositions.

3. The Middle Way:

The World-Honored One points out that viewing suffering as self-created leads to eternalism, while viewing it as created by others leads to annihilationism. The Buddha advocates the Middle Way, avoiding these two extremes. This teaches us to avoid extremes in life and maintain a balanced perspective.

4. Dependent Origination:

The World-Honored One explains the arising and cessation of suffering using the law of dependent origination. This reflects the core Buddhist idea that all phenomena are interdependent and mutually influential. This perspective can be applied to our understanding of various issues in life.

Dependent Origination is one of the core teachings of Buddhism, also known as the "Twelve Nidanas" or "Twelve Links of Dependent Origination." This principle explains how all phenomena arise and cease in mutual dependence and influence. Here's a detailed explanation of Dependent Origination:

1. Basic Concept:

The core idea of Dependent Origination is: When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases.

2. The Twelve Links:

Dependent Origination is usually described in twelve links:

Ignorance: Lack of understanding or misunderstanding of the Four Noble Truths.

The Four Noble Truths are one of the core teachings of Buddhism, believed to be the first teaching given by the Buddha after his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. The Four Noble Truths provide a framework for understanding and solving the suffering in human life. Here's a detailed explanation of the Four Noble Truths:

1. The Truth of Suffering (Dukkha):

   Basic meaning: Life is inherently suffering.

   Specific contents:

      - Birth, aging, illness, and death are suffering

      - Separation from loved ones, association with the unpleasant, not getting what one wants are suffering

      - The five aggregates of clinging are suffering (attachment to form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness)

   Deeper understanding:

      - Not only refers to obvious pain, but also to the underlying sense of dissatisfaction

      - Emphasizes the impermanence and unsatisfactoriness of life

   Modern interpretation:

      - Recognizing the inherent challenges and dissatisfactions in life

      - Accepting reality, rather than avoiding or denying it

The Five Aggregates (Skandhas) are a Buddhist analysis and description of the essence of human existence. "Aggregate" means "heap" or "pile," indicating that these elements collectively constitute what we consider as "self." Here's a detailed explanation of the Five Aggregates:

1. Form:

   Definition: Matter or physical form

   Includes:

      - Four great elements: earth (solidity), water (fluidity), fire (temperature), wind (motion)

      - Five sense organs: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body

      - Five sense objects: visible form, sound, odor, taste, tangible objects

   Characteristics: Visible, resistive, changeable

   Significance: Represents our material existence and the basis for contact with the external world

2. Feeling:

   Definition: Sensations or emotions

   Includes:

      - Unpleasant feelings

      - Pleasant feelings

      - Neutral feelings

   Characteristics: Arises from contact between the six sense bases (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) and external objects

   Significance: Represents how we experience and react to external stimuli

3. Perception:

   Definition: Recognition, cognition, or conceptualization

   Includes:

      - Identifying and categorizing external objects

      - Forming concepts and impressions

      - Memory and association

   Characteristics: Based on past experiences and learning to form cognition of things

   Significance: Represents how we understand and interpret the world

4. Mental Formations:

   Definition: Volitional activities or mental formulations

   Includes:

      - Thought patterns

      - Willpower

      - Habits and tendencies

      - Emotional reactions

   Characteristics: Shapes our behaviors and karma

   Significance: Represents how our will influences our actions and future

5. Consciousness:

   Definition: Awareness or cognitive ability

   Includes:

      - Six types of consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness

   Characteristics: Ability to discern and know objects

   Significance: Represents our basic cognitive ability and stream of consciousness

Importance and Deeper Meaning of the Five Aggregates:

1. Non-self Nature: Buddhism teaches that when we deeply analyze these five components, we find no permanent, unchanging "self."

2. Interdependence: The five aggregates interact and influence each other, collectively constituting our experiential world.

3. Impermanence: All aggregates are constantly changing, with no permanent entity.

4. Root of Suffering: Attachment to the five aggregates as "self" or "mine" is the root of suffering.

5. Tool for Observation: By observing the workings of the five aggregates, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world.

6. Basis for Practice: Many Buddhist practices are based on observing and understanding the five aggregates.

Understanding the Five Aggregates has the following implications for our daily life and practice:

1. Self-awareness: Helps us understand our composition more comprehensively.

2. Reduced Attachment: Recognizing the impermanence of "self" helps reduce attachment to self.

3. Emotional Management: Understanding the workings of feeling and mental formations helps better manage emotions.

4. Cultivating Mindfulness: Observing the changes in the five aggregates helps cultivate present-moment awareness.

5. Path to Liberation: Deep understanding of the nature of the five aggregates is an important step towards liberation.

6. Interpersonal Relationships: Understanding that others are also composed of the five aggregates helps increase empathy and reduce conflicts.

7. Life Wisdom: Understanding the five aggregates can help us make wiser life choices.

Through deep understanding and observation of the five aggregates, we can gain more profound insights into ourselves and the world. This not only aids personal growth and spiritual practice but also brings more peace and wisdom to daily life. The concept of the five aggregates reminds us that our existence is complex, multi-layered, and constantly changing. This realization can help us face life's various challenges with a more open and flexible attitude.

Now, let's continue explaining the Four Noble Truths:

2. The Truth of the Origin of Suffering:

   Basic meaning: The cause of suffering.

   Core concept: Craving is the main cause of suffering

   Three types of craving:

      - Craving for sensual pleasures

      - Craving for existence

      - Craving for non-existence

   Deeper understanding:

      - The root of suffering is in our minds, not in external circumstances

      - Attachment and unrealistic expectations lead to suffering

   Modern application:

      - Understanding how our desires and attachments affect our happiness

      - Reflecting on our motivations and behavior patterns

3. The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering:

   Basic meaning: Suffering can be ended.

   Core concept: Nirvana - the complete extinction of greed, hatred, and delusion

   Characteristics:

      - Not a negative disappearance, but a positive state of liberation

      - Transcends the cycle of birth and death

   Deeper understanding:

      - Gives hope, indicating that liberation is possible

      - Emphasizes a complete inner transformation

   Modern interpretation:

      - Pursuing inner peace and contentment

      - Cultivating a life attitude of non-attachment

4. The Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering:

   Basic meaning: The method to achieve the cessation of suffering.

   Core content: The Noble Eightfold Path

      1. Right View: Correct understanding of the Four Noble Truths

      2. Right Intention: Thoughts free from harm and hatred

      3. Right Speech: Honest, beneficial speech

      4. Right Action: Moral, beneficial actions

      5. Right Livelihood: Proper way of living

      6. Right Effort: Continuous, unwavering effort

      7. Right Mindfulness: Awareness of the present moment

      8. Right Concentration: Deep meditation

   Characteristics:

      - Provides a comprehensive system of practice

      - Covers wisdom, morality, and meditation

   Modern application:

      - Provides practical guidance for daily life

      - Can be applied to personal development and mental health

Importance and Far-reaching Impact of the Four Noble Truths:

1. Systematic: Provides a complete diagnosis-treatment model, similar to medical methods.

2. Practicality: Not only points out problems but also provides solutions.

3. Universality: Applicable to all people, regardless of race, culture, or religious background.

4. Introspective: Encourages self-observation and inner exploration.

5. Liberating: Points out that liberation is possible, giving hope and direction.

6. Non-religious nature: Although originating from Buddhism, its principles can be applied in non-religious contexts.

7. Scientific nature: Encourages verification through observation and practice, rather than blind faith.

Understanding and practicing the Four Noble Truths can help us:

- Recognize the nature of life more clearly

- Find the root cause of inner suffering

- Cultivate healthier psychological states

- Develop a more meaningful and satisfying lifestyle

- Ultimately achieve inner peace and liberation

The Four Noble Truths are not just a philosophical thought but a guide to life practice. They invite us to deeply observe our inner selves, understand our thought patterns and behavioral motivations, and thus make wiser choices in daily life, gradually moving towards greater freedom and happiness.

Now, let's continue explaining Dependent Origination:

Volitional formations: Mental activities, karmic actions.

Consciousness: Cognition, awareness.

Name-and-form: Mental and physical phenomena.

Six sense bases: Six senses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind).

Contact: The meeting of sense organs and objects.

Feeling: Sensations.

Craving: Desire, attachment.

Clinging: Grasping, intense attachment.

Becoming: State of existence.

Birth: Birth, beginning of a new life.

Aging-and-death: Aging and death.

3. Cyclical Nature:

These twelve links form a cycle, where each link is the condition for the next, and the last link becomes the condition for the first, forming an endless cycle of rebirth.

4. Breaking the Cycle:

Buddhism teaches that through enlightenment and practice, this cycle can be broken. Especially by eliminating ignorance, the entire chain can be broken.

5. Three Lives, Two Rounds of Cause and Effect:

Dependent Origination can also be understood from the perspective of three lives (past, present, future):

- Past life: Ignorance, volitional formations

- Present life: Consciousness, name-and-form, six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming

- Future life: Birth, aging-and-death

6. Application and Significance:

Explains the origin of suffering: Dependent Origination explains why there is suffering and how it arises.

Theoretical basis for non-self: By showing that all phenomena are interdependent, Dependent Origination supports the Buddhist theory of non-self.

Explanation of karma: Dependent Origination explains how karma operates between different lives.

Practical guidance: Understanding Dependent Origination can help practitioners identify and break patterns that lead to suffering.

Middle Way thought: Dependent Origination avoids the extremes of eternalism and nihilism, embodying the Middle Way thought.

7. Modern Applications:

The idea of Dependent Origination has applications in modern psychology, ecology, and other fields. For example, it has similarities with systems thinking and the concept of interdependence in ecosystems.

Understanding Dependent Origination is not just about recognizing Buddhist doctrine, but a way of viewing the world. It encourages us to think about the interconnections between things, recognizing how our actions affect ourselves and the world around us. This way of thinking can help us better understand complex problems, cultivate empathy, and make wiser decisions in daily life.

Now, let's continue explaining the profound philosophical reflections and wisdom of practice contained in this sutra:

5. Openness and Inclusiveness:

The Buddha allowed people from other sects to join the Sangha but set a probationary period. This shows the openness and cautiousness of Buddhism. The lesson for us is: when accepting new things, we should maintain an open attitude while also having an appropriate evaluation process.

6. The Importance of Personal Effort:

Kassapa eventually became an arahant, emphasizing the importance of personal effort in practice. Regardless of background, everyone has the potential to reach enlightenment through correct practice.

Profound Reflections:

1. The Complexity of Suffering: We often try to explain the suffering in life with simple cause-and-effect relationships, but reality may be far more complex than we imagine. How can we find ways to resolve suffering while acknowledging this complexity?

2. The Wisdom of the Middle Way: In life, we often face dilemmas. How can the Buddha's Middle Way thought help us find balance between various extremes?

3. A Worldview of Interdependence: If we truly understand that all phenomena are interdependent, how would this change our views and behaviors towards ourselves, others, and the environment?

4. Balance between Openness and Caution: In an age of information explosion, how can we maintain an open attitude towards new ideas while not losing the ability to think critically?

5. The Possibility of Personal Transformation: What lessons can we draw from Kassapa's transformation from a questioner to an enlightened one? How can we achieve such profound personal transformation in our daily lives?

This sutra is not just an ancient teaching, but a mirror reflecting our understanding of life, suffering, and practice. It invites us to deeply reflect on our way of life, re-examine our cognition of the world, and encourages us to move towards deeper wisdom and enlightenment through continuous practice and reflection.