The Long Āgama Sūtra, Fascicle One — The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

(2) Original text:复作是念。生死何从。何缘而有。即以智慧。观察所由。从生有老死。生是老死缘。生从有起。有是生缘。有从取起。取是有缘。取从爱起。爱是取缘。爱从受起。受是爱缘。受从触起。触是受缘。触从六入起。六入是触缘。六入从名色起。名色是六入缘。名色从识起。识是名色缘。识从行起。行是识缘。行从痴起。痴是行缘。是为缘痴有行。缘行有识。缘识有名色。缘名色有六入。缘六入有触。缘触有受。缘受有爱。缘爱有取。缘取有有。缘有有生。缘生有老病死、忧悲苦恼。此苦盛阴。缘生而有。是为苦集。菩萨思惟。苦集阴时。生智生眼。生觉生明。生通生慧生证。 

Explanation: The prince thought again in his mind: Where does birth and death come from? By what causes and conditions does it exist? He then used wisdom to observe the origin of birth and death. Aging and death come from birth; birth is the cause and condition for the arising of aging and death. Birth arises from existence in the three realms; existence is the cause and condition for the arising of birth. Existence arises from grasping; grasping is the cause and condition for the arising of existence. Grasping comes from craving; craving is the cause and condition for the arising of grasping. Craving comes from feeling; feeling is the cause and condition for the arising of craving. Feeling comes from contact; contact is the cause and condition for the arising of feeling. Contact comes from the six sense bases; the six sense bases are the cause and condition for the arising of contact. The six sense bases arise from name-and-form; name-and-form is the cause and condition for the arising of the six sense bases. Name-and-form comes from the six consciousnesses; the six consciousnesses are the cause and condition for the arising of name-and-form. The six consciousnesses come from volitional formations; volitional formations are the cause and condition for the arising of the six consciousnesses. Volitional formations come from the ignorance of the manas; ignorance is the cause and condition for the arising of volitional formations.

Therefore it is said that because of ignorance there are volitional formations; because of volitional formations there are the six consciousnesses; because of the six consciousnesses there is name-and-form in future lives; because of name-and-form there are the six sense bases; because of the six sense bases there is contact; because of contact there is feeling; because of feeling there is craving; because of craving there is grasping; because of grasping there is existence; because of existence there is birth; because of birth there are aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress (śoka-parideva-duḥkha-daurmanasyopāyāsa). This mass of suffering arises because of birth; this is the arising of suffering. When the prince bodhisattva contemplated the arising of the aggregate of suffering, wisdom arose, the dharma eye arose, awakening arose, clarity arose, penetrative insight arose, prajñā arose, and clear realization arose.

Original text:于时菩萨。复自思惟。何等无故。老死无。何等灭故。老死灭。即以智慧。观察所由。生无故老死无。生灭故老死灭。有无故生无。有灭故生灭。取无故有无。取灭故有灭。爱无故取无。爱灭故取灭。受无故爱无。受灭故爱灭。触无故受无。触灭故受灭。六入无故触无。六入灭故触灭。名色无故六入无。名色灭故六入灭。识无故名色无。识灭故名色灭。行无故识无。行灭故识灭。痴无故行无。痴灭故行灭。是为痴灭故行灭。行灭故识灭。识灭故名色灭。名色灭故六入灭。六入灭故触灭。触灭故受灭。受灭故爱灭。爱灭故取灭。取灭故有灭。有灭故生灭。生灭故老死忧悲苦恼灭。菩萨思惟。苦阴灭时。生智生眼。生觉生明。生通生慧生证。 

Explanation: At this time the bodhisattva again contemplated by himself: with the absence of what dharma does aging and death cease to exist? With the cessation of what dharma does aging and death cease? He then used wisdom to observe the reason for the cessation of aging and death, and realized that when birth no longer exists, aging and death no longer exist; when birth ceases, aging and death cease. When existence no longer exists, birth no longer exists; when existence ceases, birth ceases. When grasping no longer exists, existence no longer exists; when grasping ceases, aging and death cease. When craving no longer exists, grasping no longer exists; when craving ceases, grasping ceases. When feeling no longer exists, craving no longer exists; when feeling ceases, craving ceases. When contact no longer exists, feeling no longer exists; when contact ceases, feeling ceases. When the six sense bases no longer exist, contact no longer exists; when the six sense bases cease, contact ceases. When name-and-form no longer exists, the six sense bases no longer exist; when name-and-form ceases, the six sense bases cease. When the six consciousnesses no longer exist, name-and-form no longer exists; when the six consciousnesses cease, name-and-form ceases. 

Because name-and-form ceases, the six sense bases cease; because the six sense bases cease, contact ceases; because contact ceases, feeling ceases; because feeling ceases, craving ceases; because craving ceases, grasping ceases; because grasping ceases, existence ceases; because existence ceases, birth ceases; because birth ceases, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress cease. When the prince bodhisattva contemplated the cessation of the aggregate of suffering, the wisdom of causes and conditions arose, the dharma eye arose, awakening arose, clarity arose, penetrative insight arose, prajñā arose, and clear realization arose.