A frequent statement in the suttas:
“Mendicants, I say that the ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know or see. For one who knows and sees what? ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form.
-SN 12.23
Does this simply refer to dependent origination? In which case the origin of form is explained in the sutta below? Does anyone know of any other suttas that may answer this question without directly referencing dependent origination?
‘Consciousness is a condition for name and form’—that’s what I said. And this is a way to understand how this is so. If consciousness were not conceived in the mother’s womb, would name and form coagulate there?”
“No, sir.”
“If consciousness, after being conceived in the mother’s womb, were to be miscarried, would name and form be born into this state of existence?”
“No, sir.”
“If the consciousness of a young boy or girl were to be cut off, would name and form achieve growth, increase, and maturity?”
“No, sir.”
“That’s why this is the cause, source, origin, and condition of name and form, namely consciousness.
‘Name and form are conditions for consciousness’—that’s what I said. And this is a way to understand how this is so. If consciousness were not to become established in name and form, would the coming to be of the origin of suffering—of rebirth, old age, and death in the future—be found?”
“No, sir.”
“That’s why this is the cause, source, origin, and condition of consciousness, namely name and form. This is the extent to which one may be reborn, grow old, die, pass away, or reappear. This is how far the scope of language, terminology, and description extends; how far the sphere of wisdom extends; how far the cycle of rebirths continues so that this state of existence is to be found; namely, name and form together with consciousness.
-DN 15
So basically, past kamma causes consciousness to enter a mother's womb, after which name and form may grow. If consciousness left the form of a person, they would die, leaving behind form only as a corpse without consciousness (see below), which, of course, cannot grow. Hence, the origin of form, and required for it's maintenance and continuation as anything but a corpse, is consciousness.
But at the time of death, kamma born material phenomena no longer arise starting with the stage of presence of the seventeenth consciousness preceding the death consciousness. Kamma born material phenomena that arose earlier occur till the death moment and then cease. Following that, the consciousnesss born and nutriment born material phenomena come to cessation. Thereafter, a continuity of material qualities produced by temperature persist in the form of a corpse.
-Abhidhammattha Sangaha, Bhikkhu Bodhi translation
Assume all of my words on dhamma could be incorrect. Seek an arahant for truth.
"If we base ourselves on the Pali Nikayas, then we should be compelled to conclude that Buddhism is realistic. There is no explicit denial anywhere of the external world. Nor is there any positive evidence to show that the world is mind-made or simply a projection of subjective thoughts. That Buddhism recognizes the extra-mental existence of matter and the external world is clearly suggested by the texts. Throughout the discourses it is the language of realism that one encounters.
-Y. Karunadasa
