SN 12.15. With One From the Kaccana Clan

Once a venerable one from the Kaccana clan went to the Buddha. He bowed to him, sat down to a side, and asked: “Venerable sir, you mentioned right view, but what constitutes right view?”

“Kaccana, most of the world relies on a duality: the notion of survival and the notion of nonsurvival. But if you see the origin of the ‘world’ by understanding it in line with reality, you won’t have the notion of nonsurvival with respect to it, and if you see the cessation of the ‘world’ by understanding it in line with reality, you won’t have the notion of survival with respect to it. Most of the world is stuck because it is attracted to things, takes them up, and adheres to them. But if—when it comes to this attraction, taking up, and adherence, this tendency and fixation—you are not attracted to anything, do not take it up, and don’t assume it to be your self, then you know without question or doubt that it is only suffering which arises and only suffering which ceases. Your knowledge of this will not depend on others. That is what constitutes right view.

Thinking ‘all’ survives, that is one extreme. Thinking ‘all’ does not survive, that is the other extreme. Avoiding both these extremes, I, the Truthfinder, teach the Teaching in the middle:

Dependent on ignorance, there are willful actions. Dependent on willful actions, consciousness. Dependent on consciousness, the individual’s body and immaterial aspects. Dependent on the individual’s body and immaterial aspects, the six senses. Dependent on the six senses, sense impressions. Dependent on sense impressions, sensations. Dependent on sensations, craving. Dependent on craving, fuel/taking up. Dependent on fuel/taking up, existence. Dependent on existence, birth. And dependent on birth, old age and death, and sorrow, grief, pain, sadness, and distress come to be. That is how this whole mass of suffering originates.

But if ignorance completely fades away and ceases, willful actions will cease. If willful actions cease, consciousness will cease. If consciousness ceases, the individual’s body and immaterial aspects will cease. If the individual’s body and immaterial aspects cease, the six senses will cease. If the six senses cease, sense impressions will cease. If sense impressions cease, sensations will cease. If sensations cease, craving will cease. If craving ceases, fuel/taking up will cease. If fuel/taking up ceases, existence will cease. If existence ceases, birth will cease. And if birth ceases, old age and death, and sorrow, grief, pain, sadness, and distress, will cease. That is how this whole mass of suffering ceases.”