SN22.54 — Seeds
At Sāvatthī.
Disciples, there are these five kinds of seeds.
What five?
Root-seeds, trunk-seeds, joint-seeds, cutting-seeds, and seed-seeds as the fifth.
If these five kinds of seeds were unbroken, unspoiled, undamaged by wind and sun, fertile, and securely planted, but there was no earth and no water, would these five kinds of seeds come to growth, increase, and abundance?
No, venerable sir.
If these five kinds of seeds were unbroken, unspoiled, undamaged by wind and sun, fertile, and securely planted, and there was earth and there was water, would these five kinds of seeds come to growth, increase, and abundance?
Yes, venerable sir.
Just as the earth element, disciples, so should the four dwellings of consciousness be seen.
Just as the water element, disciples, so should desire and craving be seen.
Just as the five kinds of seeds, disciples, so should consciousness with its nutriment be seen.
When consciousness dwells, disciples, it dwells engaged with form, with form as its object, with form as its basis; sprinkled with delight, it comes to growth, increase, and abundance.
When consciousness dwells, disciples, it dwells engaged with feeling…
When consciousness dwells, disciples, it dwells engaged with perception…
When consciousness dwells, disciples, it dwells engaged with formations, with formations as its object, with formations as its basis; sprinkled with delight, it comes to growth, increase, and abundance.
If anyone, disciples, were to say: Apart from form, apart from feeling, apart from perception, apart from formations, I will point out the coming or going, the passing away or reappearing, the growth, increase, or abundance of consciousness, such a case does not exist.
If, disciples, a disciple has abandoned craving for the form element, with the abandoning of craving, the object is cut off and there is no basis for consciousness.
If he has abandoned craving for the feeling element…
If he has abandoned craving for the perception element…
If he has abandoned craving for the formations element…
If, disciples, a disciple has abandoned craving for the consciousness element, with the abandoning of craving, the object is cut off and there is no basis for consciousness.
That unestablished consciousness does not grow; without generative activity, it is liberated. Being liberated, it is steady. Being steady, it is content. Being content, it is not agitated. Being unagitated, he personally attains extinguishment.
He underdwells: Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.