Chapter 89: Life and death are like the rise and fall of sea level
At one time, the Buddha lived in the Garden of Solitude in the Gion Grove of the Acropolis. One day, the Buddha said to his monks, "Disciples, if you are now using a parable to explain to you the method of dependent origin (see chapters 48 and 49 for the explanation of the method of dependent origin), when the sea tide rises and the sea level rises, the level of the great river connected to and circulating with the sea will also rise; When the level of the great river rises, the level of the small river that connects and flows with the great river also rises; When the level of the small river rises, the level of the large lake connected to the small river and circulating also rises; When the level of a large lake rises, so does the level of the small pool connected to and circulating with the large lake. In the same way, disciples, when "confusion" rises, it will make "walking" rise; When "doing" rises, it will make "knowledge" also rise; When "knowledge" rises, it will make "fame" also rise; When the "famous color" rises, it will make the "six places" also rise; When the "six places" rise, the "touch" will also rise; When the "touch" rises, it will make the "receive" also rise; When "acceptance" rises, it will make "love" also rise; When "love" rises, it will make "taking" also rise; When "taking" rises, it will make "have" also rise; When "there is" rises, it will make "birth" also rise; When "life" rises, it will make "old death" also rise.
Disciples, when the sea recedes and the sea level falls, the level of the great river connected and circulating with the sea will also fall; When the level of the great river falls, the level of the small river that connects and flows with the great river also falls; When the level of the small river falls, the level of the large lake connected to and circulating with the small river also decreases; When the level of a large lake falls, so does the level of the small pool connected to and circulating with the large lake. In the same way, disciples, when "confusion" subsides and disappears, it will let "action" also subside and disappear; When "action" subsides and disappears, it will make "knowledge" also fade and disappear; When "knowledge" fades and disappears, it will make "fame" also fade and disappear; When the "name" fades and disappears, the "six places" will also fade and disappear; When the "six places" subside and disappear, the "touch" will also subside and disappear; When the "touch" subsides and disappears, it will make the "receive" also subside and disappear; When the "suffering" subsides and disappears, it will make the "love" also fade and disappear; When "love" fades and disappears, it will let "take" also fade and disappear; When the "take" subsides and disappears, it will make the "have" also subside and disappear; When "being" subsides and disappears, it will make "life" also subside and perish; When "life" subsides and dies, it will make "old death" also subside and die; ”
After the Buddha's teachings, the monks who listened to the teachings all paid homage to the Buddha again, praising the immeasurable merits of the Buddha's teachings, and they all practiced according to the Buddha's teachings.
Pali original scripture
SN.12.69/(9). Upayantisuttaṃ
69. Evaṃ me sutaṃ– ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho …pe… “mahāsamuddo, bhikkhave, upayanto mahānadiyo upayāpeti, mahānadiyo upayantiyo kunnadiyo upayāpenti, kunnadiyo upayantiyo mahāsobbhe upayāpenti, mahāsobbhā upayantā kusobbhe upayāpenti. Evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjā upayantī saṅkhāre upayāpeti, saṅkhārā upayantā viññāṇaṃ upayāpenti, viññāṇaṃ upayantaṃ nāmarūpaṃ upayāpeti, nāmarūpaṃ upayantaṃ saḷāyatanaṃ upayāpeti, saḷāyatanaṃ upayantaṃ phassaṃ upayāpeti, phasso upayanto vedanaṃ upayāpeti, vedanā upayantī taṇhaṃ upayāpeti, taṇhā upayantī upādānaṃ upayāpeti, upādānaṃ upayantaṃ bhavaṃ upayāpeti, bhavo upayanto jātiṃ upayāpeti, jāti upayantī jarāmaraṇaṃ upayāpeti.
“Mahāsamuddo, bhikkhave, apayanto mahānadiyo apayāpeti, mahānadiyo apayantiyo kunnadiyo apayāpenti, kunnadiyo apayantiyo mahāsobbhe apayāpenti, mahāsobbhā apayantā kusobbhe apayāpenti. Evameva kho, bhikkhave, avijjā apayantī saṅkhāre apayāpeti, saṅkhārā apayantā viññāṇaṃ apayāpenti, viññāṇaṃ apayantaṃ nāmarūpaṃ apayāpeti, nāmarūpaṃ apayantaṃ saḷāyatanaṃ apayāpeti, saḷāyatanaṃ apayantaṃ phassaṃ apayāpeti, phasso apayanto vedanaṃ apayāpeti, vedanā apayantī taṇhaṃ apayāpeti, taṇhā apayantī upādānaṃ apayāpeti, upādānaṃ apayantaṃ bhavaṃ apayāpeti, bhavo apayanto jātiṃ apayāpeti, jāti apayantī jarāmaraṇaṃ apayāpetī”ti. Navamaṃ.