The Buddha explains on the appearance of the world and its dissolution through sense contact and dependent origination.

At Sāvatthi.

“I will teach you, bhikkhus, both the appearance and the dissolution of the world. Listen to this and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Indeed, venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said:

"And what, bhikkhus, is the appearance of the world?

Depending on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a condition, comes feeling; from feeling as a condition, comes craving; from craving as a condition, comes clinging (grasping/holding on); from clinging as a condition, comes continued existence; from continued existence as a condition, comes birth; from birth as a condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and despair come to be. This, bhikkhus, is the appearance of the world.

Depending on the ear and sounds, ear-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a condition, comes feeling; from feeling as a condition, comes craving; from craving as a condition, comes clinging; from clinging as a condition, comes continued existence; from continued existence as a condition, comes birth; from birth as a condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, discontentment, displeasure, and despair come to be. This, bhikkhus, is the appearance of the world.

Depending on the nose and odors, nose-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a condition, comes feeling; from feeling as a condition, comes craving; from craving as a condition, comes clinging; from clinging as a condition, comes continued existence; from continued existence as a condition, comes birth; from birth as a condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, discontentment, displeasure, and despair come to be. This, bhikkhus, is the appearance of the world.

** **, tongue-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a condition, comes feeling; from feeling as a condition, comes craving; from craving as a condition, comes clinging; from clinging as a condition, comes continued existence; from continued existence as a condition, comes birth; from birth as a condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, discontentment, displeasure, and despair come to be. This, bhikkhus, is the appearance of the world.

Depending on the body and tactile sensations, body-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a condition, comes feeling; from feeling as a condition, comes craving; from craving as a condition, comes clinging; from clinging as a condition, comes continued existence; from continued existence as a condition, comes birth; from birth as a condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, discontentment, displeasure, and despair come to be. This, bhikkhus, is the appearance of the world.

Depending on the mind and mental experiences, mind-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a condition, comes feeling; from feeling as a condition, comes craving; from craving as a condition, comes clinging; from clinging as a condition, comes continued existence; from continued existence as a condition, comes birth; from birth as a condition, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, discontentment, displeasure, and despair come to be. This, bhikkhus, is the appearance of the world.

And what, bhikkhus, is the dissolution of the world?

Depending on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a condition, comes feeling; from feeling as a condition, comes craving. Through the complete fading away and ending of that very craving comes the dissolution of clinging; through the dissolution of clinging comes the dissolution of continued existence; through the dissolution of continued existence comes the dissolution of birth; through the dissolution of birth comes the dissolution of aging and death; thus the entire mass of discontentment ceases. This, bhikkhus, is the dissolution of the world.

Depending on the ear and sounds … on the nose and odors … on the tongue and flavors … on the body and tactile sensations … on the mind and mental experiences, mind-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. From contact as a condition, comes feeling; from feeling as a condition, comes craving. Through the complete fading away and dissolution of that very craving comes the dissolution of clinging; through the dissolution of clinging comes the dissolution of continued existence; through the dissolution of continued existence comes the dissolution of birth; through the dissolution of birth comes the dissolution of aging and death; thus the entire mass of discontentment ceases. This, bhikkhus, is the dissolution of the world."

As one is gradually practicing per the gradual training guidelines, one is developing in moral conduct, mental discipline and wisdom. The dissolution of the world here is a vivid imagery the Buddha is using to show the gradual nature of how craving fades and dissolves, correlated with growth in mindfulness and wisdom, and also leading to the dissolution of clinging (holding on/grasping), dissolution of further continued existence, further birth, aging, and death.

This teaching also applies at gradual levels: so a person who is experiencing themselves to be firmly embedded into the world or is interacting with the world assuming it to have a substantial reality, such a person is operating based on craving/desire/attachment and are uninstructed in the teachings of the noble ones.

With gradual practice, one sees gradual progress in being able to let go of the frame of reference of being embedded in this world (or another world) by following the precepts, applying sense restraint, practicing meditation, and then being mindful of the body in and of itself, feelings in and of itself, mind in and of itself, and mental qualities in and of itself as one is engaging in varied activities.

Related Teachings:

Full Understanding Of the Six Sense Bases (SN 35.26) - Without understanding the “all” consisting of the six interior and exterior sense bases and becoming dispassionate towards it, it is impossible to be free of suffering.

Understanding each thing and its cause (Ud 1.1) - The Buddha, soon after awakening, contemplates specific conditionality and dependent co-arising.

Knowledge of Aging and Death | 44 bases for knowledge (SN 12.33) - In this teaching, the Buddha shares on the four basis of knowledge for each link of dependent origination.

  • Knowledge of the link (e.g. what are volitional formations),

  • related to the origin of volitional formations,

  • related to the cessation of volitional formations, and

  • knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of volitional formations.