Saṃyukta Āgama (298), Part One

(1) Original text: 如是我闻。一时佛住拘留搜调牛聚落。尔时。世尊告诸比丘。我今当说缘起法。法说义说。谛听。善思。当为汝说。云何缘起法法说。谓此有故彼有。此起故彼起。谓缘无明行。乃至纯大苦聚集。是名缘起法法说。

Explanation: The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: "I will now explain the dharma of dependent origination, which has two kinds of exposition: the exposition of the dharma itself and the exposition of its meaning. Listen carefully and contemplate well, and I shall explain it to you. What is the exposition of the dharma of dependent origination? It is this: when this exists, that exists; when this arises, that arises. That is, ignorance conditions volitional formations (avidyā-pratyayāḥ saṃskārāḥ), up to the complete gathering of the great mass of suffering. This is called the exposition of the dharma of dependent origination."

Original text: 云何义说。谓缘无明行者。彼云何无明。若不知前际。不知后际。不知前后际。不知于内。不知于外。不知内外。不知业。不知报。不知业报。不知佛。不知法。不知僧。不知苦。不知集。不知灭。不知道。不知因。不知因所起法。不知善不善。有罪无罪。习不习。若劣若胜。染污清净。分别缘起。皆悉不知。于六触入处。不如实觉知。于彼彼不知不见。无无间等。痴闇无明大冥。是名无明。

Explanation: What is the exposition of the meaning of dependent origination? It is that volitional formations arise conditioned on ignorance. What is ignorance? It is when sentient beings do not know there is a past life, do not know there is a future life, and do not know the past and future lives; do not know inner dharmas, do not know outer dharmas, do not know inner and outer dharmas; do not know karmic actions, do not know retribution, do not know karmic retribution; do not know the Buddha, do not know the Dharma, do not know the Saṅgha; do not know the suffering of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), do not know the arising of the suffering of the five aggregates, do not know how to extinguish the suffering of the five aggregates, and do not know the path of practice for extinguishing suffering; do not know the causes of dharmas, do not know the dharmas that arise from causes; do not know wholesome and unwholesome dharmas, do not know what is blameworthy and what is blameless, do not know habituation and non-habituation; do not know what is inferior and what is superior, what is defiled and what is pure, what is discriminated and what is dependently arisen—all of these they do not know at all. They cannot truly awaken to and know the six sense bases of contact (ṣaḍāyatana); regarding these dharmas, they neither know nor see them. Within the mind there is uninterrupted foolish darkness, ignorance, and great gloom—this is called ignorance (avidyā).