The Brightening of the World

Dwelling at Savatthi. There the Blessed One addressed the friends: "I will teach you the origination of the world and the brightening of the world. Listen and pay close attention. I will speak."

"As you say, Bhagavan," the friends responded to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said: "And what is the origination of the world? Dependent on the eye and material form there arises eye-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes difference. From difference as a requisite condition comes fear. From fear as a requisite condition comes seeking. From seeking as a requisite condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play. This is the origination of the world.

Dependent on the ear and sounds there arises ear-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes difference. From difference as a requisite condition comes fear. From fear as a requisite condition comes seeking. From seeking as a requisite condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play. This is the origination of the world.

Dependent on the nose and aromas there arises nose-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes difference. From difference as a requisite condition comes fear. From fear as a requisite condition comes seeking. From seeking as a requisite condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play. This is the origination of the world.

Dependent on the tongue and flavors there arises tongue-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes difference. From difference as a requisite condition comes fear. From fear as a requisite condition comes seeking. From seeking as a requisite condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play. This is the origination of the world.

Dependent on the body and tactile sensations there arises body-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes difference. From difference as a requisite condition comes fear. From fear as a requisite condition comes seeking. From seeking as a requisite condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play. This is the origination of the world.

Dependent on the intellect and mental qualities there arises intellect-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes difference. From difference as a requisite condition comes fear. From fear as a requisite condition comes seeking. From seeking as a requisite condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play. This is the origination of the world.

And what is the brightening of the world? Dependent on the eye and forms there arises eye-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes non-difference. From non-difference as a requisite condition comes the end of fear. From the end of fear as a requisite condition comes the end of seeking. From the end of seeking as a requisite condition, then the recognition of the luminous heart even within aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair comes into play. This is the brightening of the world.

Dependent on the ear and sounds there arises ear-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes non-difference. From non-difference as a requisite condition comes the end of fear. From the end of fear as a requisite condition comes the end of seeking. From the end of seeking as a requisite condition, then the recognition of the luminous heart even within aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair comes into play. This is the brightening of the world.

Dependent on the nose and aromas there arises nose-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes non-difference. From non-difference as a requisite condition comes the end of fear. From the end of fear as a requisite condition comes the end of seeking. From the end of seeking as a requisite condition, then the recognition of the luminous heart even within aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair comes into play. This is the brightening of the world.

Dependent on the tongue and flavors there arises tongue-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes non-difference. From non-difference as a requisite condition comes the end of fear. From the end of fear as a requisite condition comes the end of seeking. From the end of seeking as a requisite condition, then the recognition of the luminous heart even within aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair comes into play. This is the brightening of the world.

Dependent on the body and tactile sensations there arises body-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes non-difference. From non-difference as a requisite condition comes the end of fear. From the end of fear as a requisite condition comes the end of seeking. From the end of seeking as a requisite condition, then the recognition of the luminous heart even within aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair comes into play. This is the brightening of the world.

Dependent on the intellect and mental qualities there arises intellect-consciousness. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes perception. From perception as a requisite condition comes non-difference. From non-difference as a requisite condition comes the end of fear. From the end of fear as a requisite condition comes the end of seeking. From the end of seeking as a requisite condition, then the recognition of the luminous heart even within aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair comes into play. This is the brightening of the world."

[Inspired by the Loka Sutta]