At Sāvatthi.
“One |who is attached::who is engaged [upaya]|, bhikkhus, is not liberated; one who is unattached is |liberated::freed [vimutta]|.
Consciousness, bhikkhus, while |persisting::remaining [tiṭṭhamāna]|, might persist |attached to form::attracted to form, engaged with materiality [rūpupaya]|, based on [the field of] form, with form as a support—and there, with a sprinkling of |delight::pleasure, enjoyment, relish [nandi]|—it comes to growth, increase, and full maturation.
Consciousness, bhikkhus, while persisting, might persist attached to |feeling::pleasant, neutral or painful sensation, the felt experience, second of the five aggregates [vedanā]|, based on [the field of] feeling, with feeling as a support—and there, with a sprinkling of delight—it comes to growth, increase, and full maturation.
Consciousness, bhikkhus, while persisting, might persist attached to |perception::interpretation and recognition of oneself, of things. It can involve concepts, labels, and judgments; third of the five aggregates [sañña]|, based on [the field of] perception, with perception as a support—and there, with a sprinkling of delight—it comes to growth, increase, and full maturation.
Consciousness, bhikkhus, while persisting, might persist attached to |intentional constructions::intentions, volitions, choices; mental and bodily volitional activities; constructed experiences (including proliferative tendencies); kamma-producing processes [saṅkhāra]|, based on [the field of] intentional constructions, with intentional constructions as a support—and there, with a sprinkling of delight—it comes to growth, increase, and full maturation.
If anyone, bhikkhus, were to speak thus: ‘Apart from form, apart from feeling, apart from perception, apart from intentional constructions, I will point out the |coming::descent, incoming trajectory [āgati]|, the |trajectory::going, passing on, path, course, destination [gati]|, the |passing away::falling away, death [cuti]|, the |rebirth::re-arising, reappearance [upapatti]|, the growth, the increase, or the full maturation of consciousness’ — that is not possible.
When for a bhikkhu, |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]| for the |form element::objects of vision, materials, including the realm and objects of subtle materiality [rūpadhātu]| is abandoned, with the abandoning of passion, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off.
When for a bhikkhu, passion for the |feeling element::field of sensations, including pleasant, painful, and neutral feeling-tones [vedanādhātu]| is abandoned, with the abandoning of passion, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off.
When for a bhikkhu, passion for the |perception element::field of recognition, labeling, and perception of features [saññādhātu]| is abandoned, with the abandoning of passion, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off.
When for a bhikkhu, passion for the |element of intentional constructions::field of intentions, decisions, choices, volitional activities, and other intentional constructions which produces kamma [saṅkhāradhātu]| is abandoned, with the abandoning of passion, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off.
Bhikkhus, when for a bhikkhu, passion for the |consciousness element::field of awareness, basic cognition, domain of knowing [viññāṇadhātu]| is abandoned, with the abandoning of passion, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off. That consciousness, being unestablished, does not grow, and by |not intentionally constructing::not producing unwholesome kamma [anabhisaṅkhacca]|, is liberated.
By being liberated, there is stability; being stable, there is contentment; being content, there is |no perturbation::no agitation, no mental uneasiness [aparitassa]|. Unperturbed, one personally attains final Nibbāna.
One understands: ‘Birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.’”