[60] "Thus, Ānanda, these two things, being a duality, converge in feeling (vedanā) as their single meeting-point.
"'With contact (phassa) as condition there is feeling'—so it was said. Now, Ānanda, this is a way in which it should be understood how it is that with contact as condition there is feeling. If, Ānanda, there were no contact at all—altogether, in every way, of anything, for anyone, anywhere—that is to say, eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, mind-contact—then, contact being wholly absent, with the cessation of contact, would feeling be discerned?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin (samudaya), this the condition of feeling, namely contact.
"'With name-and-form (nāmarūpa) as condition there is contact'—so it was said. Now, Ānanda, this is a way in which it should be understood how it is that with name-and-form as condition there is contact. If, Ānanda, those features, attributes, signs, and indications by which there is a designation of the mental body (nāmakāya) were absent, then, those features, attributes, signs, and indications being absent, would designation-contact (adhivacanasamphassa) be discerned in the material body (rūpakāya)?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"If, Ānanda, those features, attributes, signs, and indications by which there is a designation of the material body were absent, then, those features, attributes, signs, and indications being absent, would impingement-contact (paṭighasamphassa) be discerned in the mental body?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"If, Ānanda, those features, attributes, signs, and indications by which there is a designation of both the mental body and the material body were absent, then, those features, attributes, signs, and indications being absent, would either designation-contact or impingement-contact be discerned?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"If, Ānanda, those features, attributes, signs, and indications by which there is a designation of name-and-form were absent, then, those features, attributes, signs, and indications being absent, would contact be discerned?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition of contact, namely name-and-form.
"'With consciousness (viññāṇa) as condition there is name-and-form'—so it was said. Now, Ānanda, this is a way in which it should be understood how it is that with consciousness as condition there is name-and-form. If, Ānanda, consciousness were not to descend into the mother's womb, would name-and-form take shape in the mother's womb?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"If, Ānanda, consciousness, having descended into the mother's womb, were then to depart, would name-and-form come to birth for this state of existence?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"If, Ānanda, the consciousness of one still young—of a boy or of a girl—were to be cut off, would name-and-form attain growth, increase, and maturity?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition of name-and-form, namely consciousness.
"'With name-and-form as condition there is consciousness'—so it was said. Now, Ānanda, this is a way in which it should be understood how it is that with name-and-form as condition there is consciousness. If, Ānanda, consciousness were to gain no footing in name-and-form, would the coming-to-be of the origin of birth, aging, death (jāti, jarā, maraṇa), and suffering (dukkha) in the future be discerned?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"Therefore, Ānanda, just this is the cause, this the source, this the origin, this the condition of consciousness, namely name-and-form.
"It is to this extent, Ānanda, that one may be born, or age, or die, or pass away, or reappear; to this extent is the pathway of designation, to this extent the pathway of language, to this extent the pathway of description (paññatti); to this extent is the sphere of wisdom; to this extent does the round turn for the making known of this state of existence—namely, name-and-form together with consciousness."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.