Samyuktagama Sutra (296), Part One

(1) Original text: 尔时。世尊告诸比丘。我今当说因缘法。及缘生法。云何为因缘法。谓此有故彼有。谓缘无明行。缘行识。乃至如是如是纯大苦聚集。云何缘生法。谓无明行。若佛出世。若未出世。此法常住。法住法界。彼如来自所觉知。成等正觉。为人演说。开示显发。谓缘无明有行。乃至缘生有老死。若佛出世。若未出世。此法常住。法住法界。

Explanation: The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "I will now explain the dharma of causes and conditions and the dharma of conditioned arising. What is the dharma of causes and conditions? It is that when this exists, that exists—that is, ignorance conditions the formations of the manas, formations condition the six consciousnesses, and so on, until in this way the great mass of suffering alone comes to be assembled. What is the dharma of conditioned arising? It is that whether a Buddha appears in the world or not, this dharma abides permanently; the dharma abides in the dharmadhātu. The Tathāgatas themselves awakened to it and realized it, accomplishing perfect and equal enlightenment, and expounded it for others, revealing and making it manifest: that is, ignorance conditions the formations, up to conditioned arising leading to old age and death. Whether a Buddha appears in the world or not, this dharma abides permanently; the dharma abides in the dharmadhātu."

What is the dharma of conditioned arising? It is what is said: with ignorance as condition there are the formations of the manas; with the formations as condition there are the six consciousnesses; with the six consciousnesses as condition there is nāma-rūpa; with nāma-rūpa as condition there are the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition there is contact; with contact as condition there is feeling; with feeling as condition there is craving; with craving as condition there is grasping; with grasping as condition there is existence; with existence as condition there is birth; with birth as condition there are old age, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress (śoka-parideva-duḥkha-daurmanasyopāyāsa). Whether a Buddha appears in the world or not, these principles of dharma abide permanently in the world; this dharma abides in the original dharmadhātu. Those Tathāgatas who cultivated in accordance with this dharma and accomplished realization all awakened to it themselves and personally realized it, becoming perfectly and equally enlightened; thereafter, everywhere they expounded it for others, revealing and making manifest the dharma of causes and conditions and the dharma of conditioned arising—that is, ignorance conditions the formations, formations condition the six consciousnesses, up to birth conditioning old age, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress, as well as such a great mass of suffering alone. Whether a Buddha appears in the world or not, this principle of dharma abides permanently in the world; the dharma of causes and conditions abides permanently in the dharmadhātu.

The dharma of causes and conditions is not the dharma of true reality; it is a false dharma of arising and ceasing, arising from the ālayavijñāna. Without the ālayavijñāna there would be no dharma of causes and conditions, there would be no birth and death, and there would be no great mass of suffering alone. The truth revealed by the twelve links of dependent origination is only a worldly truth, not the ultimate truth transcending the world. Such truth is a kind of illusion; only the principle of the ālayavijñāna is the most truly existent. All dharmas exist in dependence upon the ālayavijñāna, and all dharmas possessing worldly characteristics are false. The Four Noble Truths spoken by the Buddha are also truth, but such truth is a truth of superficial appearance; the ultimate truth is the ālayavijñāna. Without the ālayavijñāna there would be no Four Noble Truths and no twelve links of dependent origination. Although these two are also called truths, they are only truths on the level of worldly dharmas.