The Buddhist Religion: A Historical Introduction

THE BUDDHA'S AWAKENING 27

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The Wheel of Life

the forces that form the mind. Without these forces, sensory conscious-

ness would have no basis for growth.

2. Formations come into play only because there is ignorance if the Four Noble
   Truths. The Four Noble Truths are suffering, its origination (craving), its
   cessation, and the path of practice leading to its cessation. The knowledge
   that does away with this ignorance not only knows what the four truths
   are, but also knows the duty appropriate to each, along with the fact that
   one has completed that duty (see Section 2.3.1). Without this knowledge,
   it would be impossible to disband any force or formation that would lead
   to suffering.


3. Ignorance.