ud.1.3 Udana
Upon Awakening (3rd)
So I have heard.At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying near Uruvelā at the root of the tree of awakening on the bank of the Nerañjarā River.
There the Buddha sat cross-legged for seven days without moving, experiencing the bliss of freedom.
When seven days had passed, the Buddha emerged from that state of immersion. In the last part of the night, he reflected on dependent origination in forward and reverse order:
“When this exists, that is; due to the arising of this, that arises.
When this doesn’t exist, that is not; due to the cessation of this, that ceases. That is:
Ignorance is a condition for choices.
Choices are a condition for consciousness.
Consciousness is a condition for name and form.
Name and form are conditions for the six sense fields.
The six sense fields are conditions for contact.
Contact is a condition for feeling.
Feeling is a condition for craving.
Craving is a condition for grasping.
Grasping is a condition for continued existence.
Continued existence is a condition for rebirth.
Rebirth is a condition for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be.
That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.
When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices cease.
When choices cease, consciousness ceases.
When consciousness ceases, name and form cease.
When name and form cease, the six sense fields cease.
When the six sense fields cease, contact ceases.
When contact ceases, feeling ceases.
When feeling ceases, 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.”
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“When things become clear
to the keen, meditating brahmin,
he remains, scattering Māra’s army,
as the sun lights up the sky.”