[446] Bhikkhus, there are these four nutriments (āhāra) for the maintenance of beings that have come to be, and for the assistance of beings seeking birth (sambhavesī). What four? Edible food (kabaḷiṅkāra āhāra), gross or subtle; contact (phassa) is the second; mental volition (manosañcetanā) the third; consciousness the fourth.
And these four nutriments, bhikkhus — what is their source, what their origin, from what are they born, from what are they produced? These four nutriments have craving (taṇhā) as their source, craving as their origin; they are born from craving, produced from craving. And this craving, bhikkhus — what is its source, what its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Craving has feeling (vedanā) as its source, feeling as its origin; it is born from feeling, produced from feeling. And this feeling, bhikkhus — what is its source, what its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Feeling has contact as its source, contact as its origin; it is born from contact, produced from contact. And this contact, bhikkhus — what is its source, what its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Contact has the six sense bases (saḷāyatana) as its source, the six sense bases as its origin; it is born from the six sense bases, produced from the six sense bases. And these six sense bases, bhikkhus — what is their source, what their origin, from what are they born, from what are they produced? The six sense bases have name-and-form (nāmarūpa) as their source, name-and-form as their origin; they are born from name-and-form, produced from name-and-form. And this name-and-form, bhikkhus — what is its source, what its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Name-and-form has consciousness (viññāṇa) as its source, consciousness as its origin; it is born from consciousness, produced from consciousness. And this consciousness, bhikkhus — what is its source, what its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Consciousness has volitional formations (saṅkhārā) as its source, volitional formations as its origin; it is born from volitional formations, produced from volitional formations. And these volitional formations, bhikkhus — what is their source, what their origin, from what are they born, from what are they produced? Volitional formations have ignorance (avijjā) as their source, ignorance as their origin; they are born from ignorance, produced from ignorance.
Thus, bhikkhus, with ignorance as condition, volitional formations come to be; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving; with craving as condition, clinging (upādāna); with clinging as condition, existence (bhava); with existence as condition, birth; with birth as condition, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair come to be. Such is the origin of this entire mass of suffering (dukkha).
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.