How can consciousness arise without the fuel?
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This question that I had asked is relevant to this question.
According to MN9:
From the origination of fermentation comes the origination of ignorance. From the cessation of fermentation comes the cessation of ignorance. .....
From the origination of ignorance comes the origination of fermentation. From the cessation of ignorance comes the cessation of fermentation.
To answer your question, ignorance is the cause. But to break the cycle, craving must be uprooted through the Noble Eightfold Path.
Also see Andrei's answer on the vicious cycle.
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The sutta describes several things and uses more than one simile. The sentences you quote come from different parts of the sutta, and aren't directly related.
The first quote i.e.
It’s like fire, which is reckoned according to the specific conditions dependent upon which it burns. A fire that burns dependent on logs is reckoned as a log fire.
... is describing what consciousness is.
I think this simile is saying that ...
"A fire that burns dependent on logs is reckoned as a log fire"
... similarly consciousness depends on the six senses (e.g. "eyes", "touch", etc.) and so is called "Eye consciousness" and "touch consciousness" etc.).
The bits of Pali which say that, for example ...
Cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati viññāṇaṃ, cakkhuviññāṇantveva saṅkhyaṃ gacchati
... is immediately after the bit you quoted, and isn't translated.
See also Ayatana on Wikipedia, and/or another translation of MN 38 like this one:
Just as fire is classified simply by whatever requisite condition in dependence on which it burns — a fire that burns in dependence on wood is classified simply as a wood-fire, a fire that burns in dependence on wood-chips is classified simply as a wood-chip-fire; a fire that burns in dependence on grass is classified simply as a grass-fire; a fire that burns in dependence on cow-dung is classified simply as a cow-dung-fire; a fire that burns in dependence on chaff is classified simply as a chaff-fire; a fire that burns in dependence on rubbish is classified simply as a rubbish-fire — in the same way, consciousness is classified simply by the requisite condition in dependence on which it arises. Consciousness that arises in dependence on the eye & forms is classified simply as eye-consciousness. Consciousness that arises in dependence on the ear & sounds is classified simply as ear-consciousness. Consciousness that arises in dependence on the nose & aromas is classified simply as nose-consciousness. Consciousness that arises in dependence on the tongue & flavors is classified simply as tongue-consciousness. Consciousness that arises in dependence on the body & tactile sensations is classified simply as body-consciousness. Consciousness that arises in dependence on the intellect & ideas is classified simply as intellect-consciousness.
The Dharmafarer site has more-detailed translations of many suttas -- which include an introduction and footnotes.
The URLs are a bit fragile but currently MN 38 is here.
The author has also tried to format his translations for easier reading -- for example using section titles for different parts of the suttas.
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