[191] Then, further, investigating thoroughly, he investigates: "This existence (bhava)—what is its source? …" "This clinging (upādāna)—what is its source? … This craving (taṇhā)—what is its source? … This feeling (vedanā)—what is its source? … This contact (phassa)—what is its source? … These six sense bases (saḷāyatana)—what is their source? … This name-and-form (nāmarūpa)—what is its source? … This consciousness—what is its source? … These volitional formations—what is their source, what is their origin, from what are they born, from what are they produced? When what exists do volitional formations come to be? When what does not exist do volitional formations not come to be?"
Investigating thoroughly, he understands thus: "Volitional formations have ignorance as their source, ignorance as their origin; they are born from ignorance, produced from ignorance. When ignorance exists, volitional formations come to be; when ignorance does not exist, volitional formations do not come to be."
He understands volitional formations, he understands the origin of volitional formations, he understands the cessation of volitional formations, and he understands the way of practice that is fitting for leading to the cessation of volitional formations; and he practices accordingly, conducting himself in conformity with the Dhamma. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who is practicing for the utterly complete destruction of suffering (dukkha), for the cessation of volitional formations.
Bhikkhus, if a person immersed in ignorance generates a meritorious volitional formation, consciousness fares on to merit; if he generates a demeritorious volitional formation, consciousness fares on to demerit; if he generates an imperturbable volitional formation, consciousness fares on to the imperturbable.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.