Exposition on the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination in the Yogācārabhūmi
Section 3: Detailed Analysis of the Twelve Links (2)
Original text:问。若爱为缘。皆是取耶。设是取者。皆爱为缘耶。答。当知此中。是顺后句。谓所有取。皆爱为缘。或爱为缘。而非是取。谓除取所余有支。及缘善爱。勤精进等。诸善法生。
Explanation: Question: If dharmas arise with craving as their condition, do all of these dharmas belong to the link of grasping? If these dharmas are all grasping, are they all born with craving as their condition? Answer: This question follows the pattern of the "confirming the latter" (śeṣa) formulation, answering in accordance with the latter sentence (设是取者。皆爱为缘耶。). That is to say, all grasping appears only with craving as its condition; or, dharmas that arise with craving as their condition are not all grasping—there are also the remaining links apart from grasping, as well as wholesome dharmas such as diligent effort and the like that arise conditioned upon wholesome craving.
All grasping arises with craving as its condition, but dharmas born with craving as their condition are not all grasping; there are also dharmas other than grasping that are born with craving as their condition, such as the links of existence, birth, aging-and-death, and so forth. If there is no craving, and craving is completely eradicated, these links will no longer appear—they all cease. Craving is the direct condition for grasping and the indirect condition for the other links; all of them appear because of craving.
Original text:问。若取为缘。皆是有耶。设是有者。皆取为缘耶。答。亦应作顺后句。谓所有有。皆取为缘。或取为缘。而非是有。谓除有所余有支。
Explanation: Question: If dharmas are born with grasping as their condition, are all of these dharmas the threefold existence? If these dharmas are all existence, are they all born with grasping as their condition? Answer: Here too one should apply the "confirming the latter" formulation, answering in accordance with the latter sentence. All the link of existence is born with grasping as its condition, but dharmas born with grasping as their condition do not all belong to existence; there are also dharmas apart from the link of existence, such as the other links among the twelve apart from existence—birth, aging-and-death, volitional formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, and so forth. Grasping is the direct condition for the link of existence and the indirect condition for the other links; all of them appear because of grasping.
Original text:问。若有为缘。皆是生耶。设是生者。皆有为缘耶。答。诸所有生。皆有为缘。或有为缘。而非是生。谓除生所余老死。最后有支。
Explanation: Question: If some dharmas appear with existence as their condition, do all of these dharmas belong to the link of birth? If these dharmas all belong to the link of birth, do they all appear with existence as their condition? Answer: All birth appears with existence as its condition, but some dharmas that appear with existence as their condition do not all belong to the link of birth; for example, the final link of aging-and-death apart from the link of birth also can only appear with existence as its condition. Without the existence of the five-aggregate world, there would be no phenomenon of aging-and-death.
Original text:问。若生为缘。皆老死耶。设是老死。皆生为缘耶。答。所有老死。皆生为缘。或生为缘。而非老死。所谓疾病。怨憎合会。亲爱别离。所求不遂。及彼所起愁叹忧苦。种种热恼。
Explanation: Question: If dharmas appear with birth as their condition, do all of these dharmas belong to the link of aging-and-death? If these dharmas are all subsumed under aging-and-death, do they all appear with birth as their condition? Answer: All phenomena of aging-and-death appear with birth as their condition, but some dharmas appear with birth as their condition yet do not belong to the phenomena of aging-and-death, such as illness, association with the hateful and detestable, separation from loved ones, failure to obtain what one seeks, as well as the sorrow, lamentation, worry, and suffering arising from these, and various kinds of distress and vexation.
Original text:问。是诸有支。几与道支所摄正见。为胜障碍。答。无明及彼所起意行。若有一分。能为胜障。如于正见。如是于正思惟。及正精进亦尔。若正语正业正命。以身行语行。及有一分。为胜障碍。若正命正定。以余有支。为胜障碍应知。
Explanation: Question: Among the twelve links of existence, how many links constitute the primary and most direct obstruction to right view, which is subsumed under the links of the Path? Answer: Ignorance and the mental formations of manas arising from it—even if only a portion of them—can become the primary obstruction to right view, and if a greater portion, even more so an obstruction. Ignorance and volitional formations not only obstruct right view; likewise they also obstruct right thought and right effort. As long as there is a portion of the bodily formations and verbal formations of the link of volitional formations, they become the primary obstruction to right speech, right action, and right livelihood. As for right livelihood and right concentration, one should know that the remaining links of existence constitute their primary obstruction.
The twelve links of existence are an obstruction to the correct practice of the Noble Eightfold Path, an obstruction to the practice of the other factors of the Path, and equally an obstruction to the practice of the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. Therefore, no matter what dharma one cultivates, ignorance is an obstruction; the common goal of cultivating all dharmas is to break through the obstruction of ignorance.
Original text:问。是诸有支。几唯杂染品。几通杂染清净品。答。四唯杂染品。余通杂染清净品。问。云何生支通二品耶。答。若生恶趣及有难处。唯是杂染品。若生人天诸无难处。此通染净品。当知余支。随其所应。皆通二品。
Explanation: Question: Among these links of existence, how many links pertain only to the defiled category? How many links pertain to both the defiled and the pure categories? Answer: Four links pertain only to the defiled category: ignorance, volitional formations, craving, and grasping; the rest pertain to both the defiled and the pure categories. Question: Why does the link of birth pertain to both the defiled and pure categories? Answer: If one is born into the three evil destinies or into places of calamity, the link of birth pertains only to the defiled category; if one is born among humans and devas in places without calamity, the link of birth pertains to both the defiled and pure categories. From this one should know that the remaining links, in accordance with their corresponding dharmas, all pertain to both categories.
Original text:问。何等无明不有。故行不有。何等无明灭。故行灭耶。答。有三种发起缠随眠无明。由此无明灭故。彼无明灭。由彼灭故。行亦随灭。
Explanation: Question: What kind of ignorance, by not existing, results in volitional formations not existing? What kind of ignorance, by ceasing, results in the cessation of volitional formations? Answer: There are three kinds of ignorance that give rise to the entanglement of afflictions, the latent tendencies of afflictions, and ignorance. When these three kinds of ignorance cease, the ignorance among the twelve links ceases; because ignorance ceases, volitional formations cease accordingly. Apart from the twelve links there is also subtle ignorance, which must be gradually eradicated in the course of cultivating the bodhisattva path.
Original text:问。何等行不有。故识不有。何等行灭。故识灭耶。答。诸行于自相续中。已作已灭。及未起对治。又由意行有故。起身语行。由此有故彼有。彼无故彼缘识亦无。此若全灭。当知识亦随灭。
Explanation: Question: What kind of volitional formations, by not existing, result in consciousness not existing? What kind of volitional formations, by ceasing, result in the cessation of consciousness? Answer: All the formations of manas, in the continuous flow of its own continuum, cease as soon as they operate; and when no dharma has yet arisen to counteract the formations of manas, because the formations of manas exist, the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses arise. Because the formations of manas exist, the six consciousnesses exist; because the formations of manas do not exist, the six consciousnesses also do not exist. If the formations of manas cease entirely, one should know that the six consciousnesses also cease accordingly.
Original text:问。何等识不有。故名色不有。何等识灭。故名色灭耶。答。种子识不有故。果识不有。此俱灭故。俱名色灭。如识望名色道理。如是余支乃至受。随其所应。当知亦尔。
Explanation: Question: What kind of consciousness, by not existing, results in name-and-form not existing? What kind of consciousness, by ceasing, results in the cessation of name-and-form? Answer: Because the seed-consciousness that creates karma and leaves behind seeds does not exist, the retributive consciousness does not exist. Because both of these consciousnesses cease together, name-and-form also ceases accordingly. Just as in the principle of consciousness conditioning name-and-form, so it is with the remaining links up through feeling, each in accordance with its corresponding dharma.
The birth of name-and-form requires karmic seeds. Karmic seeds are produced through the choices of the formations of manas, which give rise to the six consciousnesses that create karmic seeds. When the six consciousnesses create karmic actions, karmic seeds are left behind; when those karmic seeds ripen in later lives, name-and-form will be born, and new six consciousnesses will also arise to receive the retribution. If the six consciousnesses no longer create karmic actions, the retributive consciousness will not be born, and name-and-form will inevitably no longer be born. The root of this lies in manas no longer having formations; for manas to no longer have formations, the prerequisite is that the ignorance of manas must be eradicated—only then will there be no more formations.
Original text:如无明缘行道理。如是爱缘取。取缘有道理。当知亦尔。如行缘识道理。如是有缘生。当知亦尔。如识缘名色道理。生缘老死。当知亦尔。
Explanation: Just as with the principle of ignorance conditioning volitional formations, so too is the principle of craving conditioning grasping and grasping conditioning existence. Just as with the principle of volitional formations conditioning consciousness, so too is existence conditioning birth. Just as with the principle of consciousness conditioning name-and-form, so too is birth conditioning aging-and-death.
By the same principle, one should contemplate the following links in this way: What kind of name-and-form, by not existing, results in the six sense bases not existing? What kind of name-and-form, by ceasing, results in the cessation of the six sense bases? What kind of six sense bases, by not existing, results in contact not existing? What kind of six sense bases, by ceasing, results in the cessation of contact? What kind of contact, by not existing, results in feeling not existing? What kind of contact, by ceasing, results in the cessation of feeling? What kind of craving, by not existing, results in grasping not existing? What kind of craving, by ceasing, results in the cessation of grasping? What kind of grasping, by not existing, results in existence not existing? What kind of grasping, by ceasing, results in the cessation of existence? What kind of existence, by not existing, results in birth not existing? What kind of existence, by ceasing, results in the cessation of birth? What kind of birth, by not existing, results in aging-and-death not existing? What kind of birth, by ceasing, results in the cessation of aging-and-death? All of these questions must be contemplated one by one in detail through contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) within meditative concentration.
Original text:问。何等受不有。故爱不有。何等受灭。故爱灭耶。答。如行缘识道理。当知亦尔。
Explanation: Question: What kind of feeling, by not existing, results in craving not existing? What kind of feeling, by ceasing, results in the cessation of craving? Answer: It should be known to be just like the principle of volitional formations conditioning consciousness. Because the three kinds of feeling operate, and cease once their operation is complete, if there is no counteractive method applied to feeling, feeling will continue to operate without end. Because feeling exists, craving arises accordingly. If feeling ceases and no longer experiences any dharma, craving for dharmas will no longer be born; if all feeling ceases, craving ceases entirely.
Original text:如前所说。八缘起门。几门是十二支缘起所显。几门非耶。答。三门是彼所显。谓二一分所显。一全分所显。余门非。何等为二一分所显。谓内识生门。自业所作门。何等为一全分所显。谓有情世间转门。
Explanation: As stated above, among the eight gateways of dependent origination, how many gateways are manifested by the twelve links of dependent origination, and how many are not? Answer: Three gateways are manifested by them; the rest are not manifested by the twelve links of dependent origination. Among these, two gateways are manifested by a portion of the twelve links, and one gateway is manifested by the entirety of the twelve links. Which two gateways are manifested by a portion of the twelve links? The gateway of the arising of inner consciousness and the gateway of one's own karmic activity are manifested by a portion of the twelve links. Which gateway is manifested by the entirety of the twelve links? The gateway of the revolving of the world of sentient beings is manifested by the twelve links of dependent origination.
Original text:问。不如实知缘起道理者。有几种过患耶。答。有五。谓起我见。及能发起。前际俱行见。如前际俱行见。如是后际俱行见。前后际俱行见亦尔。又于彼见。猛利坚执。有取有怖。于现法中。不般涅槃。是名第五过患。问。如实知者。有几种胜利耶。答。翻前五过应知。胜利亦有五种。
Explanation: Question: How many kinds of faults does a person who does not truly understand the principle of dependent origination have? Answer: There are five kinds of faults: first, the arising of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi); second, the ability to give rise to views conjoined with all formations of the past; third, just as with views conjoined with all formations of the past, so too views conjoined with all formations of the future, and views conjoined with all formations of both past and future, can also arise; fourth, one further develops fierce and firm grasping onto those views without letting go; fifth, toward the view of self, there is both grasping and fear, and in the present life one does not attain parinirvāṇa. This is called the fifth fault. Question: How many kinds of great and evident benefits does a person who truly understands have? Answer: Based on the five faults above, one should know that there are correspondingly five great and evident benefits.
Original text:复次。是十二支缘起。几支是实有。谓九。几支非实有。谓余。几一事为自性。谓五。几非一事为自性。谓余。
Explanation: Furthermore, among the twelve links of dependent origination, how many links truly exist? Nine links truly exist: the links of volitional formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, and existence. How many links do not truly exist? The remaining three links do not truly exist: the links of ignorance, birth, and aging-and-death. "Truly existing" means having actual functions and effects; "not truly existing" means having no actual functions and effects, being merely a name. How many links can individually display a principal nature? Five links: consciousness, name-and-form, feeling, craving, and grasping. How many links cannot individually display a principal nature? The remaining links cannot individually display a principal nature.
Original text:几是所知障因。谓一。几能生苦。谓五。几苦胎藏。谓五。几唯是苦。谓二。
Explanation: How many links are the cause of the obstruction of the knowable (jñeya-āvaraṇa)? One link\: the link of ignorance. How many links can give rise to suffering? Five links can give rise to suffering: volitional formations, consciousness, feeling, birth, and aging-and-death. How many links are the womb-encasement of suffering? Five links are the womb-encasement of suffering: consciousness, name-and-form, feeling, craving, and grasping. "Womb-encasement" means containing, sheltering, nurturing, upholding, and giving birth. How many links are only suffering? Two links are only suffering: birth and aging-and-death.
Original text:几说为因分。谓前六。无明乃至触。及爱取有三说为因分。几说为果分。谓后二说为果分。
Explanation: How many links are said to be the causal portion of the other links? The first six links are the causal portion that induces the other links: ignorance, volitional formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, and contact. The three links of craving, grasping, and existence are also said to be the causal portion—the cause of birth and aging-and-death. How many links are said to be the resultant portion? The last two links are said to be the resultant portion: birth and aging-and-death.
The causal portion refers to the links that can induce the subsequent birth of other dharmas; they have the function of inducing and can also store seeds. Without this cause, the subsequent other dharmas could not be born. Among them, the greatest cause and root cause is the link of ignorance; next is the link of volitional formations; then the link of consciousness; then the retributive body appears, and thereafter continued activity upon the retributive body again serves as the cause for the birth of future retribution. The resultant portion refers to the links in which the preceding links serve as the inducing cause and condition, culminating in the final fruit. Birth-and-death is the greatest fruit and retribution; the five-aggregate body is nothing more than this.
Original text:几说为杂因果分。谓所余支说为杂分。所以者何。有二种受。名为杂分。一谓后法。以触为缘因受。二谓现法。与爱为缘果受。此二杂说。为触缘受。
Explanation: How many links are said to be a mixture of the causal and resultant portions? Apart from the first six links, the middle three links, and the last two links, the rest are links that mix cause and effect—that is, the link of feeling. Why is this said? Because there are two kinds of feeling, called the mixed portion: one is a dharma that appears later, feeling arising with contact as its condition, and this feeling is the cause of craving; the second is a dharma existing in the present, the retributive feeling (vipāka-vedanā) arising with craving as its condition—because there is craving, there is feeling. These two kinds of feeling together are spoken of as "contact conditioning feeling." Feeling is both the cause of the subsequent arising of craving and the effect born with craving as its condition; being both cause and effect is called the mixed portion.
Original text:复次。几支能生。爱非爱境界果。几支能生自体果。谓前六支能生前果。后三支能生后边的自体果。一支俱生二果。
Explanation: Furthermore, how many links can give rise to the retribution of desirable and undesirable realms/objects? How many links can give rise to the retribution of one's own body? The first six links can give rise to the former retribution of desirable and undesirable realms/objects; the last three links—existence, birth, and aging-and-death—can give rise to the retribution of the self-body of the five aggregates; one link can give rise to both retributions simultaneously: the link of grasping.
The first five links—ignorance, volitional formations, consciousness, name-and-form, and the six sense bases—can give rise to the link of contact; the link of contact can give rise to the three kinds of feeling, which are the retribution of desirable and undesirable realms/objects, receiving the retribution of desirable and undesirable realms/objects. Without contact, the three kinds of feeling would not appear. Without the six sense bases there would be no contact; without name-and-form there would be no six sense bases; without the six consciousnesses of past lives there would be no name-and-form; without the formations of manas there would be no six consciousnesses and no seeds; without ignorance there would be no formations of manas.
The last three links—existence, birth, and aging-and-death—can give rise to the retribution of the self-body, because with the existence of existence in the three realms, there will be the retribution of birth, and with birth there will be the retribution of aging-and-death. As for the link of grasping, because of grasping onto dharmas, it can give rise to the retribution of desirable and undesirable realms/objects, and even more can cause the five aggregates to continuously appear in the world, giving rise to the self-body retribution of the five aggregates. If there is no grasping, then no realms/objects appear, no future existence appears, and all retribution is absent.
Original text:复次。几支乐受俱行。谓除二所余支。几支苦受俱行。谓即彼及所除中一。几支不苦不乐受俱行。谓如乐受道理应知。几支不与受俱行。谓所除中一。
Explanation: Furthermore, how many links operate together with pleasant feeling? Apart from those two, the remaining links—feeling, craving, and grasping—are the links that operate together with pleasant feeling. Because there is pleasant feeling, there is craving; because there is craving, there is the decision to grasp. If it is painful feeling, there is no craving; without craving there is no grasping. Therefore feeling, craving, and grasping are accompanied by pleasant feeling.
How many links operate together with painful feeling? Feeling itself, and one of the links excluded above—aging-and-death; the link of aging-and-death also operates together with painful feeling. How many links operate together with neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling (upekṣā-vedanā)? Just as with the principle of operating together with pleasant feeling, feeling, craving, and grasping are also accompanied by neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, operating together with it. How many links do not operate together with feeling? It is one of the links excluded above—the link of existence; the link of existence does not operate together with feeling.
Original text:复次。几支坏苦摄。谓乐受俱行支。及非受俱行支一分。几支苦苦摄。谓苦受俱行支。及非受俱行支一分。
Explanation: How many links are subsumed under the suffering of change? The links subsumed under the suffering of change are feeling, craving, and grasping, which operate together with pleasant feeling, as well as a portion of the link of existence, which does not operate together with feeling. How many links are subsumed under the suffering of suffering? The links that operate together with painful feeling—feeling and the link of aging-and-death—as well as a portion of the link of existence that does not operate together with feeling.
The meaning of the suffering of change is the painful feeling produced when dharmas one already has are destroyed and lost. When pleasant feeling cannot be maintained and disappears, the mind is displeased and there is painful feeling; when craving cannot be maintained and disappears, there is painful feeling; when existence in the three realms cannot be held onto and disappears, there is painful feeling—all of these are called the suffering of change. Feeling and the link of aging-and-death operate together with painful feeling and are subsumed under the suffering of suffering, because the painful feeling within feeling is itself suffering, and aging-and-death is also itself suffering; suffering that is itself suffering is called the suffering of suffering. Of the link of existence that does not operate together with feeling, a portion involves suffering, and therefore it is subsumed under the suffering of suffering.
Original text:几支行苦摄。谓所有坏苦苦苦支。亦是行苦支。或有行苦所摄。非余二苦。谓不苦不乐受俱行支。及非受俱行支一分。
Explanation: How many links are subsumed under the suffering of formation? All the links of the suffering of change and the suffering of suffering are also links of the suffering of formation. There are also links subsumed under the suffering of formation that do not belong to the other two kinds of suffering: the links that operate together with neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, and a portion of the links that do not operate together with feeling.
The scope of the suffering of formation is extremely broad: any dharma that flows and shifts moment by moment without abiding is suffering, all subsumed under the suffering of formation. Because it flows without abiding, without staying, it cannot be grasped or maintained; it arises, ceases, and changes impermanently—therefore it is suffering.
Original text:问。于一切生处。及三摩钵底中。皆有一切支现行可得耶。答。不可得。谓无想天中。及灭尽定。无想定中。有色支可得。非无色支。若生无色界。无色支可得。非有色支。
Explanation: Question: In all places of birth within the three realms, and within meditative absorption (samāpatti), can all twelve links be found in manifest activity, presently observable? Answer: They cannot all be found. For example, in the heaven of non-perception (asaṃjñika) and in the cessation attainment (nirodha-samāpatti), the link of consciousness cannot be found; contact, feeling, perception, craving, and grasping cannot be found. In the attainment of non-perception, there is no link of consciousness, but the links of form—the physical body—can be found; it is not that the links of form are absent. If one is born into the formless realm, the links of form cannot be found, but the non-form links such as consciousness still remain; there is only the contact of manas with mental objects, without the contact of form faculties.
Original text:问。颇有依支。得离支耶。答。有。谓依上地支。离下地支。此但一分非全。唯暂时非究竟。
Explanation: Question: Is there indeed a case where, by relying on one link, one can depart from another link? Answer: Yes—namely, by relying on the links of a higher realm, one departs from the links of a lower realm, such as relying on the links of the formless realm to depart from the links of the form realm, or relying on the links of the form realm to depart from the links of the desire realm; or relying on the higher links of the form realm to depart from the lower links of the form realm, or relying on the higher links of the desire-realm heavens to depart from the lower links of the desire realm. This reliance is only partial, not complete; and it is a temporary departure, not a final one.
Original text:问。几支染污。几支不染污。答。三染。余通二种。若不染污。善及无覆无记别故。分为二种应知。问。几支欲界系。答。一切支。和合等起故。问。几支色界系。答。一切一分。
Explanation: Question: Among the twelve links, how many links are defiled, and how many are undefiled? Answer: Three links are defiled—ignorance, craving, and grasping; the rest pertain to both defiled and undefiled. As for the undefiled links, they should be known to be divided into two kinds because of the distinction between wholesome and neutral (avyākṛta) without obscuration. Question: How many links are bound to the desire realm? Answer: All twelve links are bound to the desire realm, all arising in combination within the desire realm. Question: How many links are bound to the form realm? Answer: A portion of each of the twelve links.
Original text:问。云何应知。彼有老耶。答。彼诸行有朽坏腐败性故。如色界系。当知无色界系亦尔。问。几支是学。答。无。问。几支是无学。答。亦无。问。几支是非学非无学。答。一切。
Explanation: How should one know that among the twelve links there is the link of aging? Answer: Because all these formations have the nature of decay, deterioration, and destruction, therefore the existence of the link of aging is spoken of. Just as with dharmas bound to the form realm, so too should it be known for dharmas bound to the formless realm—they have the attribute of deterioration and destruction. Question: How many links belong to the stage of training (śaikṣa)? Answer: None. Question: How many links belong to the stage beyond training (aśaikṣa)? Answer: Also none. Question: How many links belong to neither training nor beyond training? Answer: All of them.
Original text:问。所有善有漏支。彼何故非学耶。答。堕流转故。若学所有。善有漏法。彼与流转相违故。及用明为缘故非支。
Explanation: Question: All the links that are wholesome and contaminated (with outflows)—why are they not the stage of training? Answer: Because even wholesome contaminated dharmas can cause one to fall into birth-and-death and saṃsāric transmigration. If all wholesome contaminated dharmas were the stage of training, they would contradict saṃsāric transmigration, and would also break through ignorance and give rise to illumination. Once there is illumination, they no longer belong to the links of the twelve links of dependent origination. Therefore it is said that among the twelve links there is no stage of training.
Original text:问。预流果当言几支已断耶。答。一切一分。无全断者。如预流果。如是一来果亦尔。问。不还果当言几支已断耶。答。欲界一切。色无色界不定。问。阿罗汉当言几支已断耶。答。三界一切。
Explanation: Question: Of the twelve links, how many links should be said to have been eradicated by the srotāpanna (stream-enterer, the first fruit)? Answer: A portion of every one of the twelve links; none is eradicated completely. Like the srotāpanna, so too the sakṛdāgāmin (once-returner, the second fruit): a portion of every one of the twelve links is eradicated, none completely. Question: How many links should be said to have been eradicated by the anāgāmin (non-returner, the third fruit)? Answer: All the links belonging to the desire realm; as for the links belonging to the form realm and formless realm, some are eradicated and some are not. Question: How many links should be said to have been eradicated by the arhat? Answer: All the links of the three realms.
All twelve links operate within the three realms and all belong to the links of the three realms. Only when the arhat has eradicated all dharmas of the three realms can he enter nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa); then the twelve links are all eradicated without remainder. The anāgāmin possesses meditative concentration from the first dhyāna upward—that is, the form-realm and formless-realm concentrations; his mind does not correspond to the desire realm, having eradicated the greed of the desire realm as well as ill will, and no longer engaging in desire-realm dharmas. However, the dharmas of the form realm and formless realm have not been completely eradicated—a portion still remains. As for how much of that portion remains, it varies from person to person; therefore the extent of eradication of the links of the form realm and formless realm is not fixed.
