Thus have I heard. At one time the Lord was staying at Uruvela... for seven days experiencing the bliss of liberation. Then, at the end of those seven days, the Lord... gave well-reasoned attention during the last watch of the night to dependent arising in both forward and reverse order, thus:
This being, that is;
from the arising of this, that arises;
this not being, that is not;
from the cessation of this, that ceases.
That is: with ignorance as condition, volitional activities come to be; ... with birth as condition, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair come to be. This is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.
But from the complete disappearance and cessation of ignorance, volitional activities cease; ... from the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair cease. This is the ceasing of this whole mass of suffering.
Then, on realizing its significance, the Lord uttered on that occasion this inspired utterance: