[199] "Bhikkhus, I will teach you craving (taṇhā) — the ensnarer, the streaming, the widespread, the sticky — by which this world is smothered and enveloped, become like a tangled skein of thread, become like a knotted ball of string, become like matted muñja grass and pabbaja reeds, and does not pass beyond the plane of misery (apāya), the bad destination, the lower world, and saṃsāra. Listen to it and attend carefully; I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"And what, bhikkhus, is that craving — the ensnarer, the streaming, the widespread, the sticky — by which this world is smothered and enveloped, become like a tangled skein of thread, become like a knotted ball of string, become like matted muñja grass and pabbaja reeds, and does not pass beyond the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, and saṃsāra? There are, bhikkhus, these eighteen currents of craving (taṇhāvicarita) dependent on the internal, and eighteen currents of craving dependent on the external.
"Which are the eighteen currents of craving dependent on the internal? Bhikkhus, when there is [the notion] 'I am,' there come to be [the notions]: 'I am thus,' 'I am just so,' 'I am otherwise,' 'I am evanescent,' 'I am lasting,' 'I may be,' 'I may be thus,' 'I may be just so,' 'I may be otherwise,' 'May I indeed be,' 'May I indeed be thus,' 'May I indeed be just so,' 'May I indeed be otherwise,' 'I shall be,' 'I shall be thus,' 'I shall be just so,' 'I shall be otherwise.' These are the eighteen currents of craving dependent on the internal.
"Which are the eighteen currents of craving dependent on the external? Bhikkhus, when there is [the notion] 'By this I am,' there come to be [the notions]: 'By this I am thus,' 'By this I am just so,' 'By this I am otherwise,' 'By this I am evanescent,' 'By this I am lasting,' 'By this I may be,' 'By this I may be thus,' 'By this I may be just so,' 'By this I may be otherwise,' 'By this may I indeed be,' 'By this may I indeed be thus,' 'By this may I indeed be just so,' 'By this may I indeed be otherwise,' 'By this I shall be,' 'By this I shall be thus,' 'By this I shall be just so,' 'By this I shall be otherwise.' These are the eighteen currents of craving dependent on the external.
"Thus there are eighteen currents of craving dependent on the internal and eighteen currents of craving dependent on the external. These, bhikkhus, are called the thirty-six currents of craving. Thus there are thirty-six such currents of craving in the past, thirty-six currents of craving in the future, and thirty-six currents of craving in the present; so there come to be one hundred and eight currents of craving.
"This, bhikkhus, is that craving — the ensnarer, the streaming, the widespread, the sticky — by which this world is smothered and enveloped, become like a tangled skein of thread, become like a knotted ball of string, become like matted muñja grass and pabbaja reeds, and does not pass beyond the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, and saṃsāra."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.