Dīrgha Āgama, Volume One: The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

(Three) Original text: 尔时菩萨。逆顺观十二因缘。如实知。如实见已。即于座上。成阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。佛时颂曰。此言众中说。汝等当善听。过去菩萨观。本所未闻法。老死从何缘。因何等而有。如是正观已。知其本由生。生本由何缘。因何事而有。如是思惟已。知生从有起。取彼取彼已。展转更增有。是故如来说。取是有因缘。

Explanation: At that time, after the bodhisattva prince contemplated the twelve links of dependent origination in both forward and reverse order, he truly and realistically realized the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, and thus gave rise to true right view and right wisdom. After witnessing the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination as it truly is, he attained anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi right there on his seat. The Buddha then spoke this verse: "These teachings I speak amid the assembly; you all should listen well. The bodhisattvas of the past contemplated this dharma that had never been heard before: from what condition does aging-and-death arise? Because of what does it exist? After contemplating thus correctly, he knew that fundamentally it arises from birth. From what condition does birth arise? Because of what does it exist? After deliberating thus, he knew that birth arises from existence. Having grasped this and that, existence is further increased in succession. Therefore the Tathāgata said that grasping is the condition for existence."

Original text: 如众秽恶聚。风吹恶流演。如是取相因。因爱而广普。爱由于受生。起苦罗网本。以染着因缘。苦乐共相应。受本由何缘。因何而有受。以是思惟已。知受由触生。触本由何缘。因何而有触。如是思惟已。触由六入生。六入本何缘。因何有六入。如是思惟已。六入名色生。名色本何缘。因何有名色。如是思惟已。名色从识生。识本由何缘。因何而有识。如是思惟已。知识从行生。行本由何缘。因何而有行。如是思惟已。知行从痴生。

Explanation: Just as when many filthy and foul things gather together, when the wind blows, the foul filth spreads and flows about, so too the causes and conditions of grasping at the marks of dharmas, because of craving, spread far and wide. Craving is born from the condition of feeling; feeling is the root from which the net of suffering arises. Because of the causes and conditions of defiled attachment, feelings of suffering and bliss arise in association with defilement. From what condition does feeling fundamentally arise? Because of what condition does feeling exist? The bodhisattva deliberated on these causes and conditions, and then realized that feeling arises from the condition of contact. From what condition does contact fundamentally arise? Because of what condition does contact exist? After deliberating thus, he realized that contact arises from the condition of the six sense bases.

From what condition do the six sense bases fundamentally arise? Because of what condition do the six sense bases exist? After deliberating thus, he realized that the six sense bases arise from the condition of name-and-form. From what condition does name-and-form fundamentally arise? Because of what does name-and-form exist? After deliberating thus, he realized that name-and-form is born from the condition of the six consciousnesses. From what condition do the six consciousnesses fundamentally arise? Because of what do the six consciousnesses exist? After deliberating thus, he realized that the six consciousnesses arise from the condition of volitional formations. From what condition do volitional formations fundamentally arise? Because of what condition do volitional formations exist? After deliberating thus, he realized that volitional formations are born from the condition of ignorance.