An Explanation of the Twelve Nidānas in the Āgama Sutras
Chapter One Saṃyuktāgama, Volume Twelve
Section One The Cause of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination
(283) The Twelve Links Arising from Phenomena Bound by Fetters
Original Text: Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “If, regarding phenomena bound by fetters, one follows the arising of relishing and attachment, with the mind bound by longing and clinging, then craving arises. Conditioned by craving, clinging arises. Conditioned by clinging, existence arises. Conditioned by existence, birth arises. Conditioned by birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair arise. Thus indeed is the arising of this whole mass of suffering.
Explanation: While expounding the Dharma of dependent origination at a Dharma assembly in Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park, the Blessed One told the bhikkhus: If you, regarding the phenomena (such as the six dust realms: wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep) bound by the fetters of afflictions in your own minds, follow the bound phenomena and give rise to fondness, greed, and attachment, constantly thinking of and dwelling on those phenomena bound by afflictions, immersing yourselves in the six dust realms, the mind becomes firmly bound by the phenomena of these realms and cannot be freed.
Relishing, becoming attached to, and indulging in the phenomena bound by afflictive fetters, constantly thinking of them, craving arises. Due to craving for the phenomena bound by afflictive fetters, the mind gives rise to grasping, thus seizing and refusing to let go. Due to seizing and refusing to relinquish, the mind inevitably remains attached to these phenomena, and the karmic seeds for future lives are stored. Thus, there will inevitably be a future world of the five aggregates. When the karmic seeds for future lives mature, the body of the five aggregates will be born again, inseparable from these phenomena. Due to birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair will accompany the body of the five aggregates. Thus, the immense suffering of endless birth and death once again gathers.
Fetters (saṃyojana) refer to bonds, afflictions, ties, and shackles confining the mind. There are nine kinds of fetters: the fetter of craving, the fetter of aversion, the fetter of delusion, the fetter of envy, the fetter of self-view, the fetter of clinging, the fetter of doubt, the fetter of stinginess, and the fetter of conceit. Where do these fetters bind oneself? They bind one within the cycle of rebirth in the three realms and six destinies. What are the phenomena bound by fetters? They are the phenomena of the six dust realms—human affairs, objects, principles—the worldly phenomena of the three realms. What does “follow the arising of relishing” mean? It means considering worldly secular phenomena to have flavor and interest, capable of satisfying one’s greed and other afflictions. Thus, the mind yearns for them and gives rise to longing. What is longing? It means the mind constantly thinks of, remembers, anticipates, desires to obtain and possess, and thus persistently grasps.
What is “the mind bound” (cetaso vinibandha)? The mind is entangled and bound by these phenomena. Once bound, it gives rise to craving and other afflictions. What manifestation arises after craving is produced? There will be seizing, grasping, cherishing, and greedy attachment without relinquishment. Who seizes whom? Who binds whom? Apparently, it is one’s own mind that seizes and grasps the phenomena of the six dusts, but in reality, the mind is seized and bound by the phenomena of the six dusts. Therefore, the most severe consequence of the mind being bound is grasping, which then stores karmic seeds, giving rise to future existence in the three realms.
If a bhikkhu or any practitioner, regarding the fetters of birth and death that can bind their mind, follows those fetters and gives rise to craving, considering the phenomena bound by those fetters to be very flavorful, enjoyable, comfortable, and constantly thinks of these phenomena, the mind will be bound by those fetters. In this way, craving arises. After craving arises, the mind gives rise to a grasping mentality and then seizes these fetters. As long as sentient beings have grasping in their minds, the conditions for future birth—or the causes and conditions, or seeds—are formed. Once the seeds for future birth are formed, when the causes and conditions ripen or the seeds mature, a living being will be born. After the living being is born, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair will accompany that living being. What are the causes and conditions for the birth of a future living being? They are the existence of the three realms: the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm, as well as the means of sustenance in the desire realm.
After craving arises, there are bodily, verbal, and mental actions of seizing and possessing. The karmic seeds remain in the ālaya-vijñāna (storehouse consciousness). In the future, phenomena of the three realms will arise, the conditions for the existence of the five-aggregate body in future lives will be complete, phenomena of the three realms will arise, life will be born within the phenomena of the three realms. After birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair will follow, and the whole mass of great suffering arises. If craving and other afflictions are eradicated, the mental fetters are untied, there are no bonds, and one is no longer bound by the five desires and six dusts of the three realms. Thus, the mind is liberated.
Original Text: It is like a person planting a tree. Initially small and weak, he protects it to make it secure, enriches it with manure, waters it from time to time, and regulates it suitably for warmth and coolness. Due to such causes and conditions, that tree then grows large. Similarly, bhikkhus, if phenomena bound by fetters are relished, nurtured, and fostered, affection arises. Conditioned by affection, clinging arises. Conditioned by clinging, existence arises. Conditioned by existence, birth arises. Conditioned by birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair arise. Thus indeed is the arising of this whole mass of suffering.
Explanation: It is like people planting a tree. After a small tree is planted, it is still weak and may die if not carefully tended. It requires constant human care and protection: soil cultivation, watering, fertilization, and timely temperature regulation to ensure healthy and normal growth. When all the conditions for normal growth are complete, the small tree gradually grows large. Bhikkhus, similar to the principle of a tree’s growth, if phenomena bound by afflictive fetters, when they first appear, are greedily cherished, protected, nurtured, and fostered by you, affection and craving will arise in the mind. With craving, a grasping mentality arises. Continuous grasping gives rise to the world of the three realms. When the conditions of the three realms are complete, the body of the five aggregates is born. After the birth of the body of the five aggregates, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, despair, and the whole mass of great suffering gather.
The Buddha used the small tree to metaphorically represent the afflictive fetters of sentient beings. When afflictive fetters first arise, sentient beings not only fail to subdue and eliminate them but instead cultivate them, making the afflictions increasingly firm, causing them to sink deeper into the cycle of birth and death. Practice should involve constantly introspecting one’s mind. Upon discovering afflictions, one should subdue and eliminate them, not nurture, cultivate, or cherish them. Unenlightened people, those with insufficient awareness, and those accustomed to afflictions find it difficult to detect their own afflictive fetters and often act according to their afflictions. If one always follows one’s afflictions, the afflictions will become increasingly severe, and sinking in birth and death will deepen. When afflictions first arise, if one neither awakens to them nor restrains them, causing the afflictions to become increasingly heavy, once deep-rooted habitual afflictions are formed, they become very difficult to eradicate in the end.
Original Text: If, regarding phenomena bound by fetters, one follows the contemplation of impermanence, abides in the contemplation of arising and cessation, the contemplation of non-desire, the contemplation of cessation, and the contemplation of relinquishment, without giving rise to longing and clinging, the mind is not bound. Then craving ceases. With the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging. With the cessation of clinging comes the cessation of existence. With the cessation of existence comes the cessation of birth. With the cessation of birth comes the cessation of aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. Thus indeed is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.
Explanation: If, regarding the phenomena bound by one’s own afflictive fetters (the six dust realms), one contemplates the impermanent and ceasing nature of these phenomena, and the mind follows the impermanent and ceasing nature of phenomena, one will become desireless and without seeking towards phenomena, knowing that phenomena can be ceased and relinquished. One will no longer have a longing mind towards phenomena and will want to cease and relinquish phenomena. Thus, the mind is not bound by phenomena, and craving ceases. After craving ceases, the grasping mind ceases, and with it, clinging ceases. When the grasping mind ceases, the existence of the three realms will no longer arise; existence ceases. When the three realms cease to exist, life will no longer be born; birth ceases. With the cessation of birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair will not appear; aging and death cease. Thus, the gathering of the great suffering of the six destinies ceases.
Original Text: It is like planting a tree. Initially small and weak, it is not protected, not made secure, not enriched with manure, not watered from time to time, not suitably regulated for warmth and coolness, and thus cannot grow. Moreover, if its roots are severed, its branches cut off, chopped into pieces section by section, split apart part by part, blown by the wind, scorched by the sun, burned by fire, incinerated into ash, or scattered by a strong wind, or cast into flowing water. Bhikkhus, what do you think? Is it not that the tree, with its roots severed, and so on up to being incinerated, is caused to be utterly destroyed, so that in the future it becomes a non-arising phenomenon? They answered: “Yes, Blessed One.”
Explanation: (Eradicating afflictive fetters) is like planting a tree. When the small tree is initially small and weak, do not cherish or nurture it, do not provide it with a stable environment for growth, do not cultivate manure for it, do not water it from time to time, and make it too hot or too cold. The small tree will be unable to grow and will gradually wither and die. If one further severs the roots of this small tree, cuts off its branches, breaks the small tree apart piece by piece, then exposes it to wind and sun, and finally burns it with fire, reducing it to ashes, which are then scattered by the wind or poured into flowing water to be carried away. Bhikkhus, what do you think? In this way, is the small tree severed from its roots? Is it incinerated, causing the small tree to be ground into nothingness, so that in future lives it can no longer arise? The bhikkhus answered: Yes, Blessed One.
Afflictive fetters should also be dealt with in this way. When we discover our afflictions manifesting, we must not follow and nurture them but should find ways to eliminate the afflictions, preventing them from continuing to grow and spread. Gradually, the afflictions will wither and cease. Once craving ceases, afflictions disappear, and the suffering of future birth, aging, sickness, and death will not arise.
Original Text: Similarly, bhikkhus, regarding phenomena bound by fetters, if one follows the contemplation of impermanence, abides in the contemplation of arising and cessation, the contemplation of non-desire, the contemplation of cessation, and the contemplation of relinquishment, without giving rise to longing and clinging, the mind is not bound. Then craving ceases. With the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging. With the cessation of clinging comes the cessation of existence. With the cessation of existence comes the cessation of birth. With the cessation of birth comes the cessation of aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. Thus indeed is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering. After the Buddha spoke this sutta, the bhikkhus, having heard the Buddha’s words, rejoiced and undertook to practice accordingly.
Explanation: It is so, bhikkhus. Regarding the phenomena bound by afflictive fetters, such as the phenomena of the six dust realms—form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas—contemplate the impermanent and ceasing nature of these phenomena, confirm this impermanent nature, and let the mind follow the impermanent and ceasing nature. Give rise to the thought that all these phenomena are arising and ceasing. The mind will become desireless and without seeking, and one will want to cease and relinquish these impermanent phenomena, no longer longing for, thinking of, remembering, seizing, or grasping these phenomena. Thus, the mind will not be bound, and craving will be severed. After craving ceases, the grasping mind ceases. When the grasping mind ceases, the existence of the three realms ceases. When the three realms cease to exist, birth ceases. With the cessation of birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair cease. Thus, the gathering of the great suffering within the six destinies ceases.
All phenomena are constantly arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing; all are impermanent. Therefore, we should relinquish all phenomena according to conditions. After relinquishing, there is no suffering. The more you grasp, the more you suffer. Relinquish the conditioned phenomena of the three realms, live according to conditions, and the mind will not be bound, attaining liberation and freedom. Craving and cherishing a phenomenon binds one to that phenomenon. When craving ceases, one no longer desires to grasp, no longer clings to any phenomenon. Then the future existence of the three realms and birth will not arise, and the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death will all disappear.
(284) The Twelve Links Arising from Grasped Phenomena
Original Text: Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “If, regarding grasped phenomena, one follows the arising of relishing and attachment, with the mind bound by longing and clinging, the mind races, pursuing name-and-form. Conditioned by name-and-form, the six sense bases arise. Conditioned by the six sense bases, contact arises. Conditioned by contact, feeling arises. Conditioned by feeling, craving arises. Conditioned by craving, clinging arises. Conditioned by clinging, existence arises. Conditioned by existence, birth arises. Conditioned by birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair arise. Thus indeed is the arising of this whole mass of suffering.
Explanation: The Blessed One told the bhikkhus: If you, regarding the phenomena you grasp, give rise to craving in your minds, considering those phenomena good, indulging in them and unable to extricate yourselves, constantly remembering, longing for, and expecting them, thereby binding your minds, then you rush towards them, pursuing name-and-form (the five aggregates). After name-and-form arises, the six sense bases (six faculties) arise. With the six sense bases, contact (the contact of the six faculties with the six dusts) arises. The six faculties contacting the six dusts give rise to sensation. With sensation, craving arises. With craving, grasping arises. After grasping, the existence of the three realms in future lives arises. With the existence of the three realms, the body of the five aggregates arises. After the body of the five aggregates is born, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair accompany it. Thus, all the suffering of birth and death in the three realms gathers.
What are grasped phenomena? The eye grasps forms, the ear grasps sounds, the nose grasps smells, the tongue grasps tastes, the body grasps tactile objects, and the mental faculty grasps mental objects (dharmas). The six faculties grasp the six dusts. Regarding these grasped phenomena, if one finds them very flavorful and appealing, craving arises, and one becomes immersed in them, unable to extricate oneself. Regarding the phenomena one grasps, if one craves them and cannot extricate oneself, the mind will yearn for them, and thoughts will constantly be of the craved phenomena. The mind is tightly bound, unable to attain liberation and freedom, inevitably trapped in birth and death, suffering immensely.
A liberated and free mind does not grasp or cling, has nothing in mind, nothing to remember or long for. Seeing forms, it does not grasp the appearance of forms; hearing sounds, it does not grasp the appearance of sounds; smelling scents, it does not grasp the appearance of scents; tasting flavors, it does not grasp the appearance of flavors; feeling touches, it does not grasp the appearance of touches; cognizing dharmas, it does not grasp the appearance of dharmas. All phenomena are relinquished after use, not entangled or remembered in the mind. “Racing” (驅馳) also means grasping, seizing. Thoughts are constantly remembering, wanting to obtain. Craving as a condition gives rise to grasping. Having grasping is the karma of birth and death; the birth of future lives is unavoidable, and great suffering gathers. Karmic suffering is all created by oneself and endured by oneself. If one does not wish to suffer the karmic results, one should not create the karmic suffering. Without gathering suffering, there will be no karmic suffering.
Sentient beings, life after life, blindly pursue the five aggregates of name-and-form, blindly pursue worldly dust realms, never pausing to deeply reflect on what benefit the pursuit ultimately has, what real substance it possesses, what direction it leads to, or what results it causes. They also do not contemplate the origin of the birth and death of the five aggregates, what meaning there is in being born and dying time and again, how to avoid the suffering of the birth and death of the five aggregates, and what beyond the five-aggregate world is worth exploring.
When sentient beings pursue and attain name-and-form, the six sense bases will arise upon name-and-form. The external six sense bases are the six dusts about to enter the internal six faculties. The internal six sense bases are the six faculties within the brain’s subtle root. The external six sense bases contacting the six faculties give rise to the six consciousnesses to discriminate the six dusts. After the six consciousnesses know what the six dust realms are, sensation arises. After feeling the six dust realms, afflictions of craving arise. Once craving arises, one will inevitably grasp persistently, wanting to possess them forever. After grasping, one becomes inseparable from the six dust realms, and life after life will be spent together with them. Then the life of future lives will inevitably appear continuously within the three realms, accompanied by aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. Great suffering gathers. Thus, the cycle of birth and death continues endlessly, truly unbearably painful. This chain of birth and death is called the Dharma of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination.
Original Text: It is like a great tree, with roots, trunk, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Its lower roots are deep and firm, enriched with manure, irrigated with water. That tree becomes solid and endures for ages without decaying. Similarly, bhikkhus, regarding grasped phenomena, if one follows the arising of relishing and attachment, with the mind bound by longing and clinging, the mind races, pursuing name-and-form. Conditioned by name-and-form, the six sense bases arise. Conditioned by the six sense bases, contact arises. Conditioned by contact, feeling arises. Conditioned by feeling, craving arises. Conditioned by craving, clinging arises. Conditioned by clinging, existence arises. Conditioned by existence, birth arises. Conditioned by birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair arise. Thus indeed is the arising of this whole mass of suffering.
Explanation: It is like a great tree, with roots, a trunk, branches, leaves, and flowers. Plant the roots deep into the ground, cover and fix them well, enrich them with manure, and water them. The tree will grow solidly and endure forever without decaying or being destroyed. Bhikkhus, similar to the principle of planting a tree, if you, regarding the grasped phenomena such as the five aggregates, six faculties, six dusts, and six consciousnesses, indulge in them as they appear, constantly remembering them without forgetting, binding your minds. The mind is driven by the phenomena, pursuing the five aggregates of name-and-form. Conditioned by name-and-form, the six sense bases arise. Conditioned by the six sense bases, contact arises. Conditioned by contact, sensation arises. Conditioned by sensation, craving arises. Conditioned by craving, grasping arises. Conditioned by grasping, existence arises. Conditioned by existence, life in future lives arises. Conditioned by life, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair arise. In this way, the pure mass of great suffering gathers.
Original Text: If, regarding grasped phenomena, one follows the contemplation of impermanence, abides in the contemplation of arising and cessation, the contemplation of non-desire, the contemplation of cessation, and the contemplation of disenchantment, without longing and clinging in the mind, without any bondage, then consciousness does not race, pursuing name-and-form. Then name-and-form ceases. With the cessation of name-and-form, the six sense bases cease. With the cessation of the six sense bases, contact ceases. With the cessation of contact, feeling ceases. With the cessation of feeling, craving ceases. With the cessation of craving, clinging ceases. With the cessation of clinging, existence ceases. With the cessation of existence, birth ceases. With the cessation of birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair cease. Thus indeed is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.
Explanation: Thus, bhikkhus, if regarding the phenomena one grasps, one constantly contemplates their impermanent nature, is able to verify and follow the impermanent nature of phenomena, the mind will abide in the thought that all phenomena are arising and ceasing. Towards the originally grasped phenomena, one will no longer have desire or seeking. The mind will want to cease these phenomena, become disenchanted with them, and will never again remember, long for, or cherish these phenomena. The mind is not bound by these phenomena.
The seven consciousnesses not being bound by phenomena will no longer pursue the phenomena of the five aggregates and eighteen elements of name-and-form. Future name-and-form will cease and not arise. After name-and-form ceases, the six sense bases will cease. After the six sense bases cease, contact will cease. After contact ceases, sensation will cease. After sensation ceases, craving will cease. After craving ceases, grasping will cease. After grasping ceases, the existence of the three realms will cease. With the cessation of existence, life will cease. After living beings no longer arise, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair will cease. Thus, the greatest and most fundamental suffering of sentient beings will no longer gather, and the suffering of birth and death will disappear.
Original Text: It is like planting a tree. Not protected from time to time to make it secure, not enriched with manure, not watered from time to time, not suitably regulated for warmth and coolness, it cannot grow. Moreover, if its roots are severed, its branches cut off, chopped into pieces section by section, split apart part by part, blown by the wind, scorched by the sun, burned by fire, incinerated into ash, or scattered by a strong wind, or cast into flowing water. Bhikkhus, what do you think? Is it not that the tree, with its roots severed, and so on up to being incinerated, is caused to be utterly destroyed, so that in the future it becomes a non-arising phenomenon? They answered: “Yes, Blessed One.”
Explanation: (Eradicating craving and other afflictions) is like planting a tree. After the tree is just planted, do not constantly cherish it to make it grow stably, do not cultivate manure for it, do not water it from time to time, make it too hot or too cold. In this way, the small tree cannot grow. If one further cuts off the roots of the small tree, cuts off its branches, chops the entire tree into pieces section by section, cuts it into fragments bit by bit, exposes it to wind and sun, and then burns it with fire, reducing it to ashes, which are then scattered by the wind or cast into flowing water. Bhikkhus, what do you think? If the small tree’s roots are not severed and it is finally burned, causing the small tree to be completely annihilated, how could the small tree not arise in future lives? The bhikkhus said: Yes, Blessed One.
Regarding afflictions, regarding the phenomena that bind the mind, one should also treat them like the small tree: do not provide them with suitable conditions and environment for growth, and skillfully and expediently destroy the afflictive fetters from the root, finally severing all fetters, causing them to vanish without a trace.
Original Text: Similarly, bhikkhus, regarding grasped phenomena, if one follows the contemplation of impermanence, abides in the contemplation of arising and cessation, the contemplation of non-desire, the contemplation of cessation, and the contemplation of relinquishment, without giving rise to longing and clinging, the mind is not bound. Then consciousness does not race, pursuing name-and-form. Then name-and-form ceases. With the cessation of name-and-form, the six sense bases cease. With the cessation of the six sense bases, contact ceases. With the cessation of contact, feeling ceases. With the cessation of feeling, craving ceases. With the cessation of craving, clinging ceases. With the cessation of clinging, existence ceases. With the cessation of existence, birth ceases. With the cessation of birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair cease. Thus indeed is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.
Explanation: The Buddha said: Thus, bhikkhus, if regarding the phenomena one grasps, one contemplates their impermanent nature, verifies and follows this impermanent nature, the mind will abide in the thought that all phenomena are arising and ceasing. Towards the originally grasped phenomena, one will no longer have desire or seeking. The mind will have the thought to cease these phenomena and become disenchanted with them, and will never again remember or cherish these phenomena constantly. The mind will not be bound by these phenomena.
If the seven consciousnesses no longer pursue the phenomena of the five aggregates and eighteen elements of name-and-form, name-and-form will cease and not arise. After name-and-form ceases, the six sense bases will cease. After the six sense bases cease, contact will cease. After contact ceases, sensation will cease. After sensation ceases, craving will cease. After craving ceases, grasping will cease. After grasping ceases, the existence of the three realms will cease. With the cessation of existence, life will cease. After living beings no longer arise, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair will cease. Thus, the greatest and most fundamental suffering of sentient beings will no longer gather, and the suffering of birth and death will disappear.
