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III, 14.
O-WEI-SAN-POU-TI.
Covetous, lustful, ignorant, darkly-fettered, with no way known for final rescue. Rightly considering, inwardly he reflected from what source birth and death proceed; 1148
He was assured that age and death must come from birth as from a source. For since a man has born with him a body, that body must inherit pain (disease). 1149
Then looking further whence comes birth, he saw it came from life-deeds done elsewhere; then with his Deva-eyes scanning these deeds, he saw they were not framed by Isvara; 1150
They were not self-caused, they were not personal existences, nor were they either uncaused; then, as one who breaks the first bamboo joint finds all the rest easy to separate, 1151
Having discerned the cause of birth and death, he gradually came to see the truth; deeds come from upâdâna (cleaving), like as fire which catches hold of grass; 1152
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161
Upâdâna (tsu) comes from trishnâ ('ngai), just as a little fire enflames the mountains; trishnâ comes from vedanâ (shau), (the perception of pain and pleasure, the desire for rest); 1153
As the starving or the thirsty man seeks food and drink, so 'sensation' (perception) brings 'desire' for life; then contact (sparsa) is the cause of all sensation, producing the three kinds of pain or pleasure, 1154
Even as by art of man the rubbing wood produces fire for any use or purpose; sparsa (contact) is born from the six entrances (âyatanas)',
1 The six organs of sense.
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