[59] "Thus it is, Ānanda, that dependent on feeling (vedanā) there is craving (taṇhā); dependent on craving there is seeking (pariyesanā); dependent on seeking there is gain (lābha); dependent on gain there is decision (vinicchaya); dependent on decision there is desire and lust (chandarāga); dependent on desire and lust there is holding on (ajjhosāna); dependent on holding on there is possession (pariggaha); dependent on possession there is stinginess (macchariya); dependent on stinginess there is safeguarding (ārakkha); and dependent on safeguarding, on account of safeguarding, many evil, unwholesome things come to be—the taking up of rods and the taking up of weapons, quarrels, contention, disputes, insolent talk of 'You! You!', malicious speech, and false speech—thus indeed this has been said. And this, Ānanda, should be understood by this method too, as to how, on account of safeguarding, many evil, unwholesome things come to be—the taking up of rods and the taking up of weapons, quarrels, contention, disputes, insolent talk of 'You! You!', malicious speech, and false speech. If, Ānanda, there were no safeguarding at all, in any way whatsoever, for anyone, in regard to anything—when safeguarding is entirely absent, with the cessation of safeguarding, would the many evil, unwholesome things—the taking up of rods and the taking up of weapons, quarrels, contention, disputes, insolent talk of 'You! You!', malicious speech, and false speech—come to be?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition for the coming to be of the many evil, unwholesome things—the taking up of rods and the taking up of weapons, quarrels, contention, disputes, insolent talk of 'You! You!', malicious speech, and false speech—namely, safeguarding.
"'Dependent on stinginess there is safeguarding'—thus indeed this has been said. And this, Ānanda, should be understood by this method too, as to how dependent on stinginess there is safeguarding. If, Ānanda, there were no stinginess at all, in any way whatsoever, for anyone, in regard to anything—when stinginess is entirely absent, with the cessation of stinginess, would safeguarding be discerned?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition for safeguarding, namely, stinginess.
"'Dependent on possession there is stinginess'—thus indeed this has been said. And this, Ānanda, should be understood by this method too, as to how dependent on possession there is stinginess. If, Ānanda, there were no possession at all, in any way whatsoever, for anyone, in regard to anything—when possession is entirely absent, with the cessation of possession, would stinginess be discerned?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition for stinginess, namely, possession.
"'Dependent on holding on there is possession'—thus indeed this has been said. And this, Ānanda, should be understood by this method too, as to how dependent on holding on there is possession. If, Ānanda, there were no holding on at all, in any way whatsoever, for anyone, in regard to anything—when holding on is entirely absent, with the cessation of holding on, would possession be discerned?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition for possession, namely, holding on.
"'Dependent on desire and lust there is holding on'—thus indeed this has been said. And this, Ānanda, should be understood by this method too, as to how dependent on desire and lust there is holding on. If, Ānanda, there were no desire and lust at all, in any way whatsoever, for anyone, in regard to anything—when desire and lust are entirely absent, with the cessation of desire and lust, would holding on be discerned?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition for holding on, namely, desire and lust.
"'Dependent on decision there is desire and lust'—thus indeed this has been said. And this, Ānanda, should be understood by this method too, as to how dependent on decision there is desire and lust. If, Ānanda, there were no decision at all, in any way whatsoever, for anyone, in regard to anything—when decision is entirely absent, with the cessation of decision, would desire and lust be discerned?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition for desire and lust, namely, decision.
"'Dependent on gain there is decision'—thus indeed this has been said. And this, Ānanda, should be understood by this method too, as to how dependent on gain there is decision. If, Ānanda, there were no gain at all, in any way whatsoever, for anyone, in regard to anything—when gain is entirely absent, with the cessation of gain, would decision be discerned?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition for decision, namely, gain.
"'Dependent on seeking there is gain'—thus indeed this has been said. And this, Ānanda, should be understood by this method too, as to how dependent on seeking there is gain. If, Ānanda, there were no seeking at all, in any way whatsoever, for anyone, in regard to anything—when seeking is entirely absent, with the cessation of seeking, would gain be discerned?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition for gain, namely, seeking.
"'Dependent on craving there is seeking'—thus indeed this has been said. And this, Ānanda, should be understood by this method too, as to how dependent on craving there is seeking. If, Ānanda, there were no craving at all, in any way whatsoever, for anyone, in regard to anything—that is to say, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for non-existence—when craving is entirely absent, with the cessation of craving, would seeking be discerned?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition for seeking, namely, craving."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.