user471: EDIT: I've changed this question from SN 22.56 to SN 22.57, but the sutta content related to my question is very similar. And I've added a new question.
The term "form" in SN 22.57 below, seems to refer to the physical body. Cessation of form is "rūpanirodha". And the "seven bases" from the Thanissaro translation is a bit different from the Sujato and Bodhi translations which call it the "seven cases".
Question 1:
What does cessation of form through the noble eightfold path mean? Does it mean that physical rebirth is ended through the practice of the noble eightfold path? What else could it mean?
Question 2:
I guess it can be argued that the "cessation of form" (through noble eightfold path) and "escape from form" (through abandonment of passion and desire for form) are the same thing. But are these two the same or different? If they are the same, then why are they two different bases of the seven bases?
From SN 22.57 (trans. Thanissaro):

"And how is a monk skilled in seven bases? There is the case where a
  monk discerns form, the origination of form, the cessation of form,
  the path of practice leading to the cessation of form. He discerns the
  allure of form, the drawback of form, and the escape from form.
"And what is form? The four great existents [the earth property, the
  liquid property, the fire property, & the wind property] and the form
  derived from them: this is called form. From the origination of
  nutriment comes the origination of form.
From the cessation of nutriment comes the cessation of form. And just
  this noble eightfold path is the path of practice leading to the
  cessation of form, i.e., right view, right resolve, right speech,
  right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right
  concentration.
The fact that pleasure & happiness arises in dependence on form: that
  is the allure of form. The fact that form is inconstant, stressful,
  subject to change: that is the drawback of form. The subduing of
  desire & passion for form, the abandoning of desire & passion for
  form: that is the escape from form.
"For any brahmans or contemplatives who by directly knowing form in
  this way, directly knowing the origination of form in this way,
  directly knowing the cessation of form in this way, directly knowing
  the path of practice leading to the cessation of form in this way,
  directly knowing the allure of form in this way, directly knowing the
  drawback of form in this way, directly knowing the escape from form in
  this way, are practicing for disenchantment — dispassion — cessation
  with regard to form, they are practicing rightly. Those who are
  practicing rightly are firmly based in this doctrine & discipline.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato here:

And how is a mendicant skilled in seven cases? It’s when a mendicant
  understands form, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that
  leads to its cessation. They understand form’s gratification,
  drawback, and escape. They understand feeling … perception … choices …
  consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads
  to its cessation. They understand consciousness’s gratification,
  drawback, and escape.
And what is form? The four primary elements, and form derived from the
  four primary elements. This is called form. Form originates from food.
  When food ceases, form ceases. The practice that leads to the
  cessation of form is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right
  view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood,
  right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.
The pleasure and happiness that arise from form: this is its
  gratification. That form is impermanent, suffering, and perishable:
  this is its drawback. Removing and giving up desire and greed for
  form: this is its escape.
Those ascetics and brahmins who have directly known form in this
  way—and its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its
  cessation; its gratification, drawback, and escape—and are practicing
  for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding form: they
  are practicing well. Those who practice well have a firm footing in
  this teaching and training.


user13709: Q1: What does cessation of form through the noble eightfold path mean?
Form is one of the grasping aggregates. With relishing, it grows (see SN12.64). For example, first we like cake, then we like chocolate cake better, then we like dark chocolate cake even better. The forms grow elaborately. With cessation of form, we only see nutriment for the physical body.
Our senses are designed to recognize what we crave. That recognition is experienced as "contact". A smell or sight or taste announces itself through that contact as the object of craving and demands our attention to repeat a pleasant experience (i.e., rebirth of the eating of chocolate cake). That identification of the object of craving is a "form". It is the biased lens of craving through which we observe the world.
With the cessation of craving, the forms dissolve because they no longer serve any function. One looks at chocolate cake and sees sugar, fat, flour and spices. One understands their nutritional value and acts according to that understanding.
The example of chocolate cake is a simple example for practice. The principles can be applied to many things that cause suffering: fear of heights, anger, infatuation with one's own health and youth, etc. 
In terms of the physical body, when one attends to the physical body, it becomes apparent that we do strange things like wonder if "my hair looks nice" or "should I wear this shirt?". These are all just forms based on craving. With the cessation of craving, all those silly suffering thoughts evaporate.
Forms include more than mental models (i.e., thoughts). Forms come into being to serve recognition and craving. When craving ceases, forms appear and disappear on their own as needed, they don't linger and hinder us through craving. The chocolate cake is still there but it does not have a form for craving.
Q2: I guess it can be argued that the "cessation of form" (through noble eightfold path) and "escape from form" (through abandonment of passion and desire for form) are the same thing. But are these two the same or different?
They are different. One can escape from the trap of a particular form (e.g., dark chocolate cake) but still be trapped by delight in another form (e.g., young redheads with a certain shape). Cessation is much deeper and requires relinquishing the craving the gives rise to forms. 
It is very difficult to give up delight. We keep running around craving delight and trying to escape the suffering caused by that craving. We can't just turn off "Forms Switch" and arrive at the cessation of form immediately, because the cravings (i.e., forms) that define our identities are easiest to deal with one-by-one. And this is why we practice daily and diligently tossing out those delights and cravings and forms. At some point, we realize that forms have ceased for us. That would be with Right Wisdom. And then we achieve Right Freedom. (SN12.23)

user14872: Yes, rebirth can ONLY be ended through the practice of the Noble Eight Fold Path. No other way. 
Nutriment is four fold: Physical nutriment (kabaḷīkārāhāro) - the edible food as well as a person or object we take as "beauty", Contact as nutriment (phasso āhāro), Mental Volition as nutriment (manosañcetanāhāro) and Consciousness as nutriment (viññāṇāhāro). 
When these four nutriments ceases, Form ceases. The practice (i.e. development, aka. meditation) that leads to the cessation is the Noble Eight Fold Path.
If you want to learn more about this, listen to this meditation on Suffering due to Four Nutriments. You can learn about these four nutriments and how we end up with four bad ways (agati) because of them. 

471: <p>EDIT: I've changed this question from SN 22.56 to SN 22.57, but the sutta content related to my question is very similar. And I've added a new question.</p>

<p>The term "form" in SN 22.57 below, seems to refer to the physical body. Cessation of form is "<em>rūpanirodha</em>". And the "seven bases" from the Thanissaro translation is a bit different from the Sujato and Bodhi translations which call it the "seven cases".</p>

<p>Question 1:<br>
What does cessation of form through the noble eightfold path mean? Does it mean that physical rebirth is ended through the practice of the noble eightfold path? What else could it mean?</p>

<p>Question 2:<br>
I guess it can be argued that the "cessation of form" (through noble eightfold path) and "escape from form" (through abandonment of passion and desire for form) are the same thing. But are these two the same or different? If they are the same, then why are they two different bases of the seven bases?</p>

<p>From <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.057.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 22.57</a> (trans. Thanissaro):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"And how is a monk skilled in seven bases? There is the case where a
  monk discerns form, the origination of form, the cessation of form,
  the path of practice leading to the cessation of form. He discerns the
  allure of form, the drawback of form, and the escape from form.</p>
  
  <p>"And what is form? The four great existents [the earth property, the
  liquid property, the fire property, &amp; the wind property] and the form
  derived from them: this is called form. From the origination of
  nutriment comes the origination of form.</p>
  
  <p>From the cessation of nutriment comes the cessation of form. And just
  this <strong>noble eightfold path is the path of practice leading to the
  cessation of form</strong>, i.e., right view, right resolve, right speech,
  right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right
  concentration.</p>
  
  <p>The fact that pleasure &amp; happiness arises in dependence on form: that
  is the allure of form. The fact that form is inconstant, stressful,
  subject to change: that is the drawback of form. The subduing of
  desire &amp; passion for form, <strong>the abandoning of desire &amp; passion for
  form: that is the escape from form.</strong></p>
  
  <p>"For any brahmans or contemplatives who by directly knowing form in
  this way, directly knowing the origination of form in this way,
  directly knowing the cessation of form in this way, directly knowing
  the path of practice leading to the cessation of form in this way,
  directly knowing the allure of form in this way, directly knowing the
  drawback of form in this way, directly knowing the escape from form in
  this way, are practicing for disenchantment — dispassion — cessation
  with regard to form, they are practicing rightly. Those who are
  practicing rightly are firmly based in this doctrine &amp; discipline.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn22.57/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>And how is a mendicant skilled in seven cases? It’s when a mendicant
  understands form, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that
  leads to its cessation. They understand form’s gratification,
  drawback, and escape. They understand feeling … perception … choices …
  consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads
  to its cessation. They understand consciousness’s gratification,
  drawback, and escape.</p>
  
  <p>And what is form? The four primary elements, and form derived from the
  four primary elements. This is called form. Form originates from food.
  When food ceases, form ceases. <strong>The practice that leads to the
  cessation of form is simply this noble eightfold path</strong>, that is: right
  view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood,
  right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.</p>
  
  <p>The pleasure and happiness that arise from form: this is its
  gratification. That form is impermanent, suffering, and perishable:
  this is its drawback. <strong>Removing and giving up desire and greed for
  form: this is its escape.</strong></p>
  
  <p>Those ascetics and brahmins who have directly known form in this
  way—and its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its
  cessation; its gratification, drawback, and escape—and are practicing
  for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding form: they
  are practicing well. Those who practice well have a firm footing in
  this teaching and training.</p>
</blockquote>
 13709: <p><strong>Q1: What does cessation of form through the noble eightfold path mean?</strong></p>

<p>Form is one of the grasping aggregates. With relishing, it grows (see <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn12.64/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN12.64</a>). For example, first we like <em>cake</em>, then we like <em>chocolate cake</em> better, then we like <em>dark chocolate cake</em> even better. The forms grow elaborately. With cessation of form, we only see nutriment for the physical body.</p>

<p>Our senses are designed to recognize what we crave. That recognition is experienced as "contact". A smell or sight or taste announces itself through that contact as the object of craving and demands our attention to repeat a pleasant experience (i.e., rebirth of the eating of chocolate cake). That identification of the object of craving is a "form". It is the biased lens of craving through which we observe the world.</p>

<p>With the cessation of craving, the forms dissolve because they no longer serve any function. One looks at chocolate cake and sees sugar, fat, flour and spices. One understands their nutritional value and acts according to that understanding.</p>

<p>The example of chocolate cake is a simple example for practice. The principles can be applied to many things that cause suffering: fear of heights, anger, infatuation with one's own health and youth, etc. </p>

<p>In terms of the physical body, when one attends to the physical body, it becomes apparent that we do strange things like wonder if "my hair looks nice" or "should I wear this shirt?". These are all just forms based on craving. With the cessation of craving, all those silly suffering thoughts evaporate.</p>

<p>Forms include more than mental models (i.e., thoughts). Forms come into being to serve recognition and craving. When craving ceases, forms appear and disappear on their own as needed, they don't linger and hinder us through craving. The chocolate cake is still there but it does not have a form for craving.</p>

<p><strong>Q2: I guess it can be argued that the "cessation of form" (through noble eightfold path) and "escape from form" (through abandonment of passion and desire for form) are the same thing. But are these two the same or different?</strong></p>

<p>They are different. One can escape from the trap of a particular form (e.g., <em>dark chocolate cake</em>) but still be trapped by delight in another form (e.g., <em>young redheads with a certain shape</em>). Cessation is much deeper and requires relinquishing the craving the gives rise to forms. </p>

<p>It is very difficult to give up delight. We keep running around craving delight and trying to escape the suffering caused by that craving. We can't just turn off "Forms Switch" and arrive at the cessation of form immediately, because the cravings (i.e., forms) that define our identities are easiest to deal with one-by-one. And this is why we practice daily and diligently tossing out those delights and cravings and forms. At some point, we realize that forms have ceased for us. That would be with Right Wisdom. And then we achieve Right Freedom. (SN12.23)</p>
 14872: <p>Yes, rebirth can ONLY be ended through the practice of the Noble Eight Fold Path. No other way. </p>

<p>Nutriment is four fold: Physical nutriment (kabaḷīkārāhāro) - the edible food as well as a person or object we take as "beauty", Contact as nutriment (phasso āhāro), Mental Volition as nutriment (manosañcetanāhāro) and Consciousness as nutriment (viññāṇāhāro). </p>

<p>When these four nutriments ceases, Form ceases. The practice (i.e. development, aka. meditation) that leads to the cessation is the Noble Eight Fold Path.</p>

<p>If you want to learn more about this, listen to this meditation on <a href="https://visuddhimagga.info/download.php?file=https://anaalaya.blob.core.windows.net/dhamma2018/M_E_FourNutrimenSuffering_31_03_2018.mp3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Suffering due to Four Nutriments</a>. You can learn about <a href="https://visuddhimagga.info/Agati.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">these four nutriments and how we end up with four bad ways (agati)</a> because of them. </p>
