Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta Grove in Śrāvastī.

It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “I recall a past life before I had achieved perfect awakening. I was alone in a quiet place, focused in meditative reflection, when this thought occurred to me: [‘The world is in a difficult situation. That is, whether they are born, grow old, become ill, die, transmigrate, or receive birth, sentient beings still do not truly understand what supports that birth, old age, and death.’”]

[“I had this thought, ‘The existence of what causes birth to exist? The condition of what causes birth to exist?’ When I properly considered it, this true understanding occurred to me immediately: ‘Birth exists because existence exists. Birth exists because of the condition of existence.’]

[“Again, I considered this, ‘The existence of what causes existence to exist? The condition of what causes existence to exist?’ When I properly considered it, this true understanding occurred to me immediately: ‘Existence exists because grasping exists. Existence exists because of the condition of grasping.’]

[“I also had this thought, ‘Again, what’s the condition for grasping? The existence of what causes grasping to exist? The condition of what causes grasping to exist?’ When I properly considered it, this true understanding occurred to me immediately: ‘When things that are grasped are savored, thought about, and fetter the mind, craving grows. Grasping exists because craving exists. It’s craving that conditions grasping. Grasping conditions existence, existence conditions birth, and birth conditions old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. Such is the way the whole mass of suffering forms.’]

“It’s like someone who carries ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, or a hundred thousand bundles of firewood, stacks them into a pile, and ignites to make a large bonfire. Suppose they add hay and firewood to it. Monks, what do you think? Would this fire burn continuously for a long night?”

The monks said to the Buddha, “Yes, Bhagavān.”

“So it is, monks, when grasping form is savored, thought about it, and fetters the mind, it increases craving, which is the condition for grasping. Grasping conditions existence, [existence conditions birth, and birth conditions old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. Such is the way] the whole mass of suffering forms.

“Monks, suppose that bonfire is burning and firewood and hay aren’t added to it. Monks, what do you think? Wouldn’t that fire go out?”

They answered, “Yes, Bhagavān.”

“So it is, monks, when one observes that things that are grasped are impermanent, arising and ceasing. Parting with desire for, completely ceasing, and getting rid of them, one’s mind doesn’t think about and isn’t fettered by them. Craving then ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases … and so on up to … the whole mass of suffering ceases.”

After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.