Saṃyukta Āgama, Volume 12: The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (Part One)

(283) Original text: 如是我闻。一时。佛住舍卫国。祇树给孤独园。尔时世尊。告诸比丘。若于结所系法。随生味着。顾念心缚。则爱生。爱缘取。取缘有。有缘生。生缘老病死忧悲恼苦。如是如是纯大苦聚集。

Explanation: When the World-Honored One was at Jetavana Anāthapiṇḍika's Park in Śrāvastī, during a Dharma assembly while teaching the law of dependent arising, He told the bhikṣus: If, with regard to the dharmas to which fetters are bound, you give rise to relishing attachment in accordance with them, and your mind is bound by constant mindfulness, then craving arises. Craving conditions grasping; grasping conditions existence; existence conditions birth; birth conditions old age, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress. Thus, thus, the great mass of suffering entirely comes together.

A fetter (saṃyojana) means a bond, an affliction, a tie, something that imprisons the mind. There are nine kinds of fetters: the fetter of craving, the fetter of aversion, the fetter of delusion, the fetter of jealousy, the fetter of self-view, the fetter of grasping, 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 paths. Then what are the dharmas to which fetters are bound? They are the six sense objects, the worldly dharmas of the three realms. What does "giving rise to relishing attachment in accordance with them" mean? It means believing that worldly, mundane dharmas have flavor and interest, that they can satisfy one's own greed and other afflictions; the mind yearns for them, and then the mind gives rise to constant mindfulness. What does constant mindfulness mean? The mind is always thinking of them, dwelling on them, longing for them, wanting to obtain them, and thus one keeps grasping at them.

What is the bondage of mind? It is the mind being entangled and tied up by these dharmas. Once bound, the mind gives rise to afflictions such as craving. When craving arises, what manifestations follow? Grasping, seizing, cherishing, clinging without letting go. Who is it that grasps and who is it that binds? On the surface it is one's own mind that grasps and seizes the six sense objects, but in reality the mind has been seized and bound by the six sense objects. Therefore the most serious consequence of the bondage of mind is grasping—storing up karmic seeds and producing future existence within the three realms.

If a bhikṣu, or any other practitioner, with regard to the fetters of birth-and-death that can bind his own mind, gives rise to craving attachment in accordance with those fetters—believing that the dharmas bound by these fetters are very flavorful, very enjoyable, very comfortable—and if his mind is constantly thinking of these dharmas, then his mind will be bound by these fetters, and in this way craving will arise. Once craving arises, a mind of grasping attachment will arise within, and then one will grasp at these fetters. As long as sentient beings have any grasping attachment in their minds, the conditions for future birth—or in other words, the causes and conditions, or the seeds—are formed. Once the seeds for future birth are formed, when the causes and conditions ripen, or when the seeds ripen, a living being will come into birth. After a living being is born, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress will appear along with that living being. What are the causes and conditions for future birth? They are the dharmas of the three realms: the dharmas of the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm.

Once craving arises, one grasps and seeks possession; after grasping, the three realms' existence is produced, the conditions for future survival are complete, and the dharmas of the three realms will arise; with the dharmas of the three realms, life will come forth within them. After life is born, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress will follow along with it, and the great mass of suffering entirely comes forth. If afflictions such as craving are extinguished, the knots of the mind are untied; with no more bondage, one is no longer bound by the three realms, the five desires, and the six sense objects, and thus the mind is liberated.