The Mahānidāna Sutta (Dīgha Nikāya No. 9)

(5) Original text: Ananda, name and form arises dependent on consciousness. What does this mean? If consciousness does not enter the mother's womb, would there be name and form? He replied: There would not. If consciousness enters the womb but does not emerge, would there be name and form? He replied: There would not. If consciousness emerges from the womb, but the infant's body perishes, would name and form be able to increase? He replied: It would not. Ananda, if there is no consciousness, would there be name and form? He replied: There would not. Ananda, for this reason I know that name and form arises from consciousness; name and form arises dependent on consciousness. The meaning of what I have said lies herein.

Explanation: Ananda, "name and form arises dependent on consciousness (alaya-vijnana)" — what does this mean? If the alaya-vijnana does not enter the mother's womb, could there be name and form? Ananda replied: There could not be. If the alaya-vijnana enters the womb but does not emerge, would there be name and form? Ananda said: There would not. The Buddha said: If the alaya-vijnana emerges from the womb, but the infant's physical body decays and perishes, could name and form increase? Ananda said: It could not increase. Ananda, if there is no alaya-vijnana, could there be name and form? Ananda said: There would not. Ananda, for this reason I know that name and form arises from the alaya-vijnana; name and form arises dependent on the alaya-vijnana. The meaning of what I have said lies herein.

This is the principle of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, clarifying that the most direct cause for the arising of name and form is the alaya-vijnana. The six consciousnesses are merely supporting conditions for the arising of name and form. When the six consciousnesses are purified and no longer create karmic actions, the alaya-vijnana cannot produce name and form, and birth and death cease. From entering the womb to emerging from it, the alaya-vijnana accompanies name and form at every stage of life, causing name and form to continuously increase and change. Once the conditions for name and form cease, the alaya-vijnana can no longer increase or accompany name and form.

Some mistakenly believe that the "consciousness" in the Twelve Links refers to the six consciousnesses. However, the six consciousnesses cease at the time of entering the womb and cannot enter. For a long time after entering the womb, the six consciousnesses cannot arise; indeed, visual consciousness only arises after emerging from the womb. Therefore, what enters and abides in the womb is not the six consciousnesses, but the alaya-vijnana. In the Twelve Links, the Buddha directly points out that the fundamental cause for the arising of name and form is the alaya-vijnana; the alaya-vijnana is the basis and source of name and form.

Original text: Ananda, consciousness arises dependent on name and form. What does this mean? If consciousness does not abide in name and form, then consciousness has no abode. If there is no abode, would there be birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and distress? He replied: There would not. Ananda, if there is no name and form, would there be consciousness? He replied: There would not. Ananda, for this reason I know that consciousness arises dependent on name and form; consciousness arises dependent on name and form. The meaning of what I have said lies herein.

Explanation: Ananda, "consciousness arises dependent on name and form" — what does this mean? If the alaya-vijnana does not abide in name and form, then the alaya-vijnana has no abode. If the alaya-vijnana has no abode, could there be birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and distress? Ananda said: There could not. Ananda, if there is no name and form, could there be the alaya-vijnana? Ananda said: There could not. Ananda, for this reason I know that the alaya-vijnana, dependent on name and form, has an abode; consciousness arises dependent on name and form. The meaning of what I have said lies herein.

The word "arises" (有) in "consciousness arises dependent on name and form" does not mean "is born from," but rather "manifests," because the alaya-vijnana is neither born nor perishes; it is not produced by name and form. Name and form cannot produce any dharma, much less produce the alaya-vijnana. Without name and form, the alaya-vijnana has nothing to rely upon. Only by relying on and abiding in name and form can the alaya-vijnana function, and its operations can manifest. As the Buddha later explains, if the alaya-vijnana does not abide in name and form, it has no abode. Without an abode, there is no name and form; without name and form, there is no birth, aging, sickness, or death. The principle of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination is profound and not easily understood, yet it should be correctly comprehended.