An Explanation of the Twelve Nidānas in the Āgama Sutras
Section Five The Arising and Cessation of the World
(293) The Buddha Explains Dependent Origination to a Certain Bhikṣu
Original text:尔时世尊告异比丘。我已度疑。离于犹豫。拔邪见刺。不复退转。心无所著故。何处有我。为彼比丘说法。为彼比丘。说贤圣出世。空相应缘起随顺法。所谓有是事故是事有。是事有故是事起。
Explanation: The World-Honored One told a bhikṣu who had come from elsewhere: "I have already crossed over all doubts, departed from hesitation and uncertainty, pulled out the poisonous thorn of wrong view (mithyā-dṛṣṭi), and will never regress again. Because the mind has nothing to which it attaches, where could there be an 'I'?" He spoke the Dharma for that bhikṣu, and for that bhikṣu he taught the dependent-origination-accompanying dharma that accords with the emptiness realized by the noble ones who transcend the world, namely: when this exists, that exists; because this exists, that arises.
Original text:所谓缘无明行。缘行识。缘识名色。缘名色六入处。缘六入处触。缘触受。缘受爱。缘爱取。缘取有。缘有生。缘生老死忧悲恼苦，如是如是。纯大苦聚集。乃至如是。纯大苦聚灭。
Explanation: This is the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination: because there is ignorance (avidyā), bodily, verbal, and mental actions arise; because there are bodily, verbal, and mental actions, the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses arise; because there are the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses, the nāma-rūpa (name-and-form) of future lives arises; because there is nāma-rūpa, the six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana) arise; because there are the six sense bases, contact arises; because there is contact, feeling arises; because there is feeling, craving arises; because there is craving, grasping (upādāna) arises; because there is grasping, existence arises; because there is existence, birth arises; with birth there are aging, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress (śoka-parideva-duḥkha-daurmanasyopāyāsa). In this way, the great mass of suffering alone is assembled; and likewise, in this way, the great mass of suffering alone ceases.
"Crossing over doubt" means that the Buddha has completely severed ignorance, has no doubts whatsoever, is thoroughly and definitively certain in knowing all dharmas, knows the principles underlying all worldly and world-transcending dharmas, and knows what the ultimate reality of these dharmas is. Sentient beings, however, have not yet crossed over doubt; their doubts are too many and the dharmas they do not understand are too many, and thus they remain confused and stubborn about phenomenal matters—all of this stems from ignorance. The scope of ignorance is very broad; the ignorance and doubts of sentient beings are simply countless. If counted by number, the ignorance of sentient beings would be as numerous as the dust motes of the worlds in the ten directions.
Ignorance is of three kinds: ignorance of a single thought-moment, beginningless ignorance, and ignorance as numerous as dust and sand. Even after enlightenment, there are still many dharmas on the path to buddhahood that one does not understand, as numerous as dust and sand. Even bodhisattvas of the eleventh stage (equally awakened bodhisattvas) still have one portion of ignorance not yet broken; only when it is completely broken can one become a Buddha. To dwell long in ignorance is to dwell long in darkness. The most fundamental wrong view is the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), because with an "I" existing, all afflictions appear; all wrong views arise from the "I." Once the view of self is severed, the other wrong views will be severed one by one along with it. The World-Honored One pulled out the thorn of wrong view, completely severed all incorrect views, and completely severed all ignorance. Where there is ignorance there is wrong view; even after enlightenment there is still wrong view; only upon becoming a Buddha is there no wrong view.
Original text:如是说法。而彼比丘犹有疑惑犹豫。先不得得想。不获获想。不证证想。今闻法已。心生忧苦悔恨。蒙没障碍。所以者何。此甚深处。所谓缘起。倍复甚深难见。所谓一切取离。爱尽无欲。寂灭涅槃。
Explanation: The World-Honored One taught the Dharma in this way, yet that bhikṣu still had some doubts and hesitation and could not resolve them. He had previously held the notion that he had attained what he had not attained, obtained what he had not obtained, and realized what he had not realized. Now, upon hearing the Dharma, his mind gave rise to anguish and regret, and he was submerged in obstruction. Why was this so? Because this is a very deep place—namely, dependent origination—which is doubly profound and difficult to see: namely, the relinquishment of all grasping, the exhaustion of craving and freedom from desire, and the peaceful cessation of nirvāṇa.
Original text:如此二法。谓有为无为。有为者若生若住。若异若灭。无为者不生不住。不异不灭。是名比丘诸行苦。寂灭涅槃。因集故苦集。因灭故苦灭。断诸径路。灭于相续。相续灭灭。是名苦边。比丘。彼何所灭。谓有余苦。彼若灭止。清凉息没。所谓一切取灭。爱尽无欲。寂灭涅槃。
Explanation: These two dharmas—conditioned (saṃskṛta) and unconditioned (asaṃskṛta)—reveal the two states in which the bhikṣu dwells: the suffering of all formations and the peaceful cessation of nirvāṇa. Conditioned dharmas have the phenomena of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing; unconditioned dharmas have no phenomena of arising, abiding, changing, or ceasing. Before a bhikṣu attains nirvāṇa, he is conditioned; after the suffering of the formations of all five aggregates (pañca-skandha) has ceased, he enters the unconditioned of nirvāṇa. When the causes of the suffering of formations assemble, suffering assembles; when the causes of the suffering of formations cease, suffering ceases. In this way the paths leading to birth-and-death are cut off, the continuity of birth-and-death is extinguished; when the continuity is extinguished and ceases, this is called the far shore of suffering.
Bhikṣu, what dharma do the arhats and pratyekabuddhas extinguish? They extinguish the suffering that remains after ignorance and afflictions have been severed. If this residual suffering is extinguished and stilled, all formations cease, and the mind attains coolness, tranquilization, and cessation. This is what is meant by extinguishing all mental activities of grasping, the eternal exhaustion of craving, freedom from desire, and the peaceful cessation of nirvāṇa. After the Buddha finished teaching this sūtra, the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha said, joyfully put it into practice.
When arhats and pratyekabuddhas cultivate to the very end, there is the relinquishment of all grasping, the exhaustion of craving, freedom from desire, peaceful cessation, and nirvāṇa: the mind does not grasp at any dharma, does not cling to any dharma, and does not wish to possess more dharmas—this is the cessation of grasping. After grasping ceases there is no craving; when craving is exhausted there is no desire; toward this world of the three realms there are no longer any notions or pursuits. If there were still notions and intentions, the manas's grasping would not be severed, and there would be another future life; if craving is not exhausted and desire not relinquished, one cannot attain the peaceful cessation of nirvāṇa. Therefore, after there is no desire there is peaceful cessation; with peaceful cessation there is nirvāṇa. In this way the five aggregates are all extinguished, leaving only the nirvāṇa mind, the eighth consciousness, which has no arising, abiding, changing, or ceasing—this is the state of nirvāṇa.
The dharma of the Four Noble Truths and the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination are the conditioned dharmas of the Small Vehicle, yet the conditioned dharmas of the Small Vehicle cannot be separated from the unconditioned dharma, the Ālayavijñāna. The Buddha taught that the arising of all dharmas is conditioned, abiding is conditioned, change is conditioned, and ceasing is also conditioned. The great chiliocosm of the universe all has arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing—all are conditioned dharmas. The unconditioned means neither arising nor abiding, neither changing nor ceasing. What dharma is like this? Only the eighth consciousness is like this. Therefore, after arhats and pratyekabuddhas enter nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), they are unconditioned, because there are no longer the conditioned seven consciousnesses and their activities. Within these conditioned dharmas of bodily, verbal, and mental actions, the unconditioned dharma is contained; otherwise, the conditioned dharmas could not manifest. The conditioned and the unconditioned operate simultaneously; when the conditioned ceases, what remains is the unconditioned—this is the peaceful cessation of nirvāṇa.
Where there is the conditioned there is suffering; all suffering is a result. Where there is a result there is a cause; bodily, verbal, and mental actions are the cause. Once the cause is created, the result may appear in a future life or may appear right now; as long as the conditions are complete, the result appears; if the conditions are not complete, it remains stored as a cause, as a seed, to bear fruit in the future. Cultivation is precisely the planting of causes. When will the result appear? Whenever the conditions become complete, that is when the result is obtained. What are the conditions for enlightenment? They are the six pāramitās of the bodhisattva. When the six pāramitās of the bodhisattva are brought to perfection, the fruit of seeing the mind will appear. If one wishes to obtain the fruit quickly, one should quickly fulfill the conditions of the six pāramitās of the bodhisattva; if one does not value the cultivation of the six pāramitās, the conditions for seeing the mind will not be complete, and in which life and at what time one will see the mind becomes uncertain.
Some people arrange for the fruit of their cultivation to be obtained at the time of death, seeking rebirth in the land of bliss (sukhāvatī) in the West at the time of death. But the conditions for rebirth in the land of bliss at the time of death may not necessarily be complete; no one can guarantee that the conditions for rebirth will certainly be complete at the time of death. If the Buddha has not given a guarantee, no one else's guarantee is of any use. Unless one can guarantee that while still alive in this life one can fulfill the conditions for rebirth—that while alive, the land of bliss can appear within one's meditative absorption (samādhi), or Amitābha Buddha appears within one's samādhi—only by means of this power of samādhi and the Buddha's blessing power can rebirth at the time of death be guaranteed.
(294) The Difference Between Liberation and Bondage at the Six Contact-Sense Bases
Original text:尔时。世尊告诸比丘。愚痴无闻凡夫。无明覆。爱缘系。得此识身。内有此识身。外有名色。此二因缘生触。此六触入所触。愚痴无闻凡夫。苦乐受觉。因起种种。云何为六。眼触入处。耳鼻舌身。意触入处。
Explanation: The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: "Foolish, unlearned ordinary people, covered by ignorance and bound by the conditions of craving, obtain this body of consciousness. Within there is this body of consciousness, and outside there is nāma-rūpa. From the conjunction of these two conditions, contact arises. Through what is contacted by these six contact-sense bases, foolish, unlearned ordinary people give rise to various feelings of suffering and bliss. What are the six? The eye contact-sense base, the ear, nose, tongue, and body contact-sense bases, and the mind contact-sense base."
The minds of sentient beings are all obscured by ignorance. If ignorance is removed and the mind-ground radiates light, all matters and principles will become clear. The Buddha's mind has no covering; His mind radiates light illuminating heaven and earth, and the dharma-realms of the ten directions are all brightly clear. Every ordinary person's mind has the conditioning bondage of craving, and thus there are the eye consciousness body, ear consciousness body, nose consciousness body, tongue consciousness body, and mind consciousness body—these six consciousness bodies are called the "body of consciousness"; without craving there would be no such consciousness bodies. With the six consciousness bodies, there is contact with the eleven kinds of material form as well as mental dharmas, and feelings of suffering, pleasure, and neutral feeling (upekṣā-vedanā) arise.
Sentient beings have this six-consciousness body due to craving from beginningless kalpas. Why are the six consciousnesses the consciousnesses within the body? Because they are produced within the supreme faculties (indriya). Why does nāma-rūpa belong to the outer body? Because nāma-rūpa is the external entry: outside the supreme faculties it enters into them and makes contact with the six consciousnesses, and then feelings arise, after which bodily, verbal, and mental actions continue unceasingly and the six consciousnesses continue unceasingly. When the six faculties do not contact the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses cease; when the six consciousnesses cease, there are no various feelings—there is nothing at all. Having explained this far, we are now clear about this chain of the twelve links of dependent origination and clear about all the activities of the five-aggregate body. If the ignorance of the manas is not extinguished, bodily, verbal, and mental actions will always manifest, karmic seeds will continuously accumulate, and the nāma-rūpa of future lives will continuously arise—this is the cause for the birth of nāma-rūpa in the next life.
Original text:若黠慧者无明覆。爱缘系得此识身。如是内有识身。外有名色。此二缘生六触入处。六触所触故。智者生苦乐受觉。因起种种。何等为六。眼触入处。耳鼻舌身意触入处。
愚夫黠慧彼于我所。修诸梵行者。有何差别。比丘白佛言。世尊是法根。法眼法依。善哉。世尊。惟愿演说。诸比丘闻已，当受奉行。
Explanation: If a clever and wise person is covered by ignorance and, bound by the conditions of craving, obtains this body of consciousness—in this way, within there is the consciousness body and outside there is the nāma-rūpa of the five aggregates; from the conjunction of these two, the six contact-sense bases arise, and because of contact at these six bases, the wise person gives rise to various feelings of suffering and bliss. What are the six contact-sense bases? The eye contact-sense base, the ear contact-sense base, the nose contact-sense base, the tongue contact-sense base, the body contact-sense base, and the mind contact-sense base.
Both foolish ordinary people and clever, wise people have various feelings such as suffering and bliss at the six contact-sense bases. If they all cultivate the pure spiritual life (brahmacarya) within my Dharma, what difference is there between them? The bhikṣus said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, You are the root of the Dharma, the eye of the Dharma, the reliance of the Dharma. Excellent, World-Honored One! We only wish that You would expound this meaning. Having heard it, the bhikṣus shall accept and practice it."
Original text:尔时。世尊告诸比丘。谛听善思。当为汝说。诸比丘。彼愚痴无闻凡夫。无明所覆。爱缘所系。得此识身。彼无明不断。爱缘不尽。身坏命终。还复受身。还受身故。不得解脱生老病死。忧悲恼苦。所以者何。此愚痴凡夫。本不修梵行。向正尽苦。究竟苦边故。是故身坏命终。还复受身。还受身故。不得解脱生老病死。忧悲恼苦。
Explanation: At that time the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: "Listen carefully and think attentively; I shall now explain for you. Bhikṣus, those foolish, unlearned ordinary people, because they are covered by ignorance and bound by the conditions of craving, obtain this body of consciousness. Because their ignorance is not severed and the conditions of craving are not exhausted, when the body breaks up and life ends, they will again receive a body. Because they again receive a body, they cannot be liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress. Why is this? Because these foolish ordinary people fundamentally do not cultivate the pure spiritual life, do not turn toward the proper exhaustion of suffering and the ultimate far shore of suffering. Therefore, when the body breaks up and life ends, they again receive a body; because they again receive a body, they cannot be liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress."
Original text: 若黠慧者。无明所覆。爱缘所系。得此识身。彼无明断。爱缘尽。无明断爱缘尽故。身坏命终。更不复受。不更受故。得解脱生老病死。忧悲恼苦。
Explanation: If a clever and wise person is covered by ignorance and, because of being bound by the conditions of craving, also gives rise to the body of consciousness—but this wise person is able, through cultivating the pure spiritual life, to sever ignorance, whereupon the conditions of craving are exhausted and there is no more craving. Because ignorance is severed and the conditions of craving are exhausted, after the wise person's body breaks up and life ends, he will never again receive a body of consciousness and will not enter the womb again. Because there is no more rebirth, he is liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress.
Original text:所以者何。彼先修梵行。正向尽苦。究竟苦边故。是故彼身坏命终。更不复受。更不受故。得解脱生老病死。忧悲恼苦。是名凡夫及黠慧者。彼于我所。修诸梵行。种种差别。
Explanation: Why can this be so? Because the wise person diligently cultivates the pure spiritual life, turns toward the proper exhaustion of suffering, and reaches the ultimate far shore of suffering; therefore, when his body breaks up and life ends, he will not continue to be reborn. Because there is no more rebirth, he is liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress. This is the various difference between foolish, unlearned ordinary people and wise people who cultivate the pure spiritual life within my Dharma.
Whoever is wise is not wise without cause; he has a foundation from past lives, having previously cultivated the pure spiritual life, and therefore in this life he can turn directly toward the proper exhaustion of suffering, walk to the edge of the cessation of suffering, and finally reach the ultimate far shore of suffering and attain liberation. Those who did not cultivate the pure spiritual life in past lives and only hear the Dharma in this life, if they do not cultivate diligently, cannot sever ignorance and will still have a next life. Sentient beings study and cultivate the Buddha's Dharma at different speeds, which has a certain relationship with their foundation from past lives. Studying the same Buddhist Dharma, some people accept it quickly and some slowly; the difference lies in the different foundations from past lives, but in the end all will attain great liberation. Even sentient beings in the three evil destinies who hear the Buddha's Dharma, although they do not understand it, still plant seeds; when they are reborn as humans again, they will have sharper faculties than others.
(295) The Conditions for the Arising and Cessation of the World
Original text:尔时。世尊告诸比丘。此身非汝所有。亦非余人所有。谓六触入处。本修行愿。受得此身。云何为六。眼触入处。耳鼻舌身。意触入处。
Explanation: The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: "This body does not belong to you, nor does it belong to anyone else. It is because the six contact-sense bases operate ceaselessly, fulfilling one's own various vows and practices, that this body was received and obtained. What are the six? The eye contact-sense base, the ear, nose, tongue, and body contact-sense bases, and the mind contact-sense base."
Original text:彼多闻圣弟子于诸缘起。善正思惟观察。有此六识身。六触身六受身。六想身六思身。所谓此有故。有当来生老病死。忧悲恼苦。如是如是。纯大苦聚集。是名有因有缘世间集。
Explanation: Those learned noble disciples, with regard to all dependent origination, are able to skillfully, correctly, and reasonably deliberate and observe. Because there is this six-consciousness body, there are the six-contact body, six-feeling body, six-perception body, and six-volition body. What is meant by "when this exists, that exists" is that because there is the six-consciousness body, there will be future birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress. In this way, the great mass of suffering alone is assembled. This is called "with cause and condition, the world assembles."
The Buddha said that sentient beings have the six-consciousness body, six-contact body, six-feeling body, six-perception body, and six-volition body. The six-consciousness body is the eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, body consciousness, and mind consciousness; the six-feeling body is eye-contact-born feeling, ear-contact-born feeling, nose-contact-born feeling, tongue-contact-born feeling, body-contact-born feeling, and mind-contact-born feeling; the six-contact body is eye contact, ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact, and mind contact; the six-perception body is eye-contact-born perception, ear-contact-born perception, nose-contact-born perception, tongue-contact-born perception, body-contact-born perception, and mind-contact-born perception; the six-volition body is eye-contact-born volition, ear-contact-born volition, nose-contact-born volition, tongue-contact-born volition, body-contact-born volition, and mind-contact-born volition. Volition (cetanā) is decision-making and behavioral activity. For example, when the eye faculty contacts form dust, volition arises; the eye consciousness gives rise to decision-making and engages in some behavioral activity, which then continues to operate—this belongs to the aggregate of volitional formations.
When the eye sees form, the eye consciousness has volition and activity—decision-making and behavioral activity; when the ear hears sound, the ear consciousness has decision-making and behavioral activity; having discrimination is behavioral activity—this is called the six-volition body, also called the six activities, also called the aggregate of volitional formations. Therefore volition includes activity. Volition and perception differ: perception is the activity of discerning and grasping, or the mental activities such as the delusions, discriminations, and plans of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. This volition mainly concerns decision-making and the behavioral activity after decision-making; the behavioral activities of the six consciousnesses are bodily, verbal, and mental actions, but after the decision, there may be stillness and tranquility, with no creation of bodily, verbal, or mental actions.
"When this exists, that exists" is speaking of the twelve links of dependent origination: the preceding link is the cause, and the following link is the result. From the second link onward, each link is both the result of the preceding link and the cause of the following link. The final great mass of suffering is only a result, not a cause; the first link, ignorance, is only a cause, not a result—without a preceding cause, it has existed from the beginningless past. The twelve links of dependent origination are the dharma of dependent origination; all dharmas in the world are dharmas of dependent origination. Without cause and condition, no dharma would appear—this is called "with cause and condition, the world assembles"; the world is assembled by causes and conditions. "With cause and condition, the world ceases"—cessation also has causes and conditions; it does not cease without cause or reason.
But there is one dharma that is not within causes and conditions, not produced by causes and conditions: He is the cause of all dharmas; all dharmas appear because of Him. He is the Ālayavijñāna, the eighth consciousness. He does not exist because of any condition; no dharma can produce Him; He simply exists as such by nature (dharmatā). Only the existence of this dharma has no "why," no reason; the existence of all other dharmas has a "why," has causes and conditions. Because of the eighth consciousness, all the illusions of the world are established—the universe, empty space, the great chiliocosm, and the five-aggregate bodies of sentient beings. He is the cause of all dharmas, also the root and the condition of all dharmas, while He Himself has neither root nor condition.
Original text:谓此无故。六识身无。六触身。六受身。六想身。六思身无。谓此无故。无有当来。生老病死。忧悲恼苦。如是如是。纯大苦聚灭。
Explanation: The meaning of "with cause and condition, the world assembles" is that when these causes and conditions do not exist, the six-consciousness body does not exist, and then the six-contact body, six-feeling body, six-perception body, and six-volition body also disappear accordingly. Because these causes and conditions have vanished, there is no future birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress. In this way, the great mass of suffering alone also ceases.
Original text:若多闻圣弟子。于世间集世间灭。如实正知。善见善觉善入。是名圣弟子招此善。得此善法。知此善法。入此善法。觉知觉见世间生灭。成就贤圣出离。实寂正尽苦。究竟苦边。所以者何。谓多闻圣弟子世间集灭如实知。善见善觉善入故。
Explanation: If learned noble disciples, with regard to the arising of the world and the cessation of the world, truly and correctly know it, skillfully see it, skillfully awaken to it, and skillfully enter it, then the noble disciples have summoned this goodness, obtained this good dharma, known this good dharma, and entered this good dharma; they can awaken to and realize the arising and cessation of the world, accomplish the noble transcendence, truly realize the peaceful cessation through the proper exhaustion of suffering, and reach the ultimate far shore of suffering. Why is this said? Because learned noble disciples truly know the arising and cessation of the world and can skillfully observe, skillfully awaken to, and skillfully enter this dharma.
The principle of "when this does not exist, that does not exist"—for example, when ignorance no longer exists, bodily, verbal, and mental actions no longer exist; when actions no longer exist, the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses no longer exist; when the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses no longer exist, nāma-rūpa no longer exists; when nāma-rūpa no longer exists, the six sense bases no longer exist; when the six sense bases no longer exist, contact no longer exists; when contact no longer exists, feeling no longer exists; when feeling no longer exists, craving no longer exists; when craving no longer exists, grasping no longer exists; when grasping no longer exists, existence no longer exists; when existence no longer exists, birth no longer exists; when birth no longer exists, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress no longer exist. When ignorance is gone, birth, aging, sickness, and death are gone; no matter which link in the middle is broken, the entire cycle of birth-and-death of the twelve links of dependent origination is broken.
The key to the suffering and happiness of birth-and-death lies in whether one grasps. When your grasping is unceasing, your afflictions are unceasing, because whatever you grasp, you are grasping suffering; whatever you grasp, you are grasping a thorn; whatever you grasp, you are grasping poison. Grasping and craving are grasping suffering; craving is suffering; the assembly of craving is the assembly of suffering; the assembly of grasping is the assembly of suffering. We must remember: as long as we grasp, we are grasping suffering, grasping poison, and in the end we harm only ourselves.
Knowing the principles of the assembly of suffering and the cessation of suffering in the world and accomplishing the noble fruit of transcendence—this knowing cannot merely be the theoretical knowing of the mind consciousness; mainly the manas must also know, because the manas is the consciousness that governs and makes decisions. Only when the manas knows can it decide not to create karmic actions of suffering, can it extinguish suffering and sever the assembly of suffering, and can it liberate itself from birth-and-death. If the mind consciousness knows suffering but the manas does not, it will still govern as before and create causes of suffering, because it is the manas that decides all bodily, verbal, and mental actions; the mind consciousness does not play the decisive role, and even knowing suffering is of no avail. Therefore, in studying the Dharma one must train the manas, learning it into the manas's mind. Although the mind consciousness is also crucial, the manas is even more crucial.
