Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 9: The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

(3) Original Text: If, regarding the feeling born from contact with ignorance, all craving arising in the corresponding mind is severed from bondage within that mind, then craving is permanently extinguished. In the present life, the liberation of mind is realized. If that ignorance is not permanently severed, then all formations, culminating in consciousness and so forth, would arise again in the future. Because ignorance ceases, they no longer arise; the unborn Dharma is attained. Therefore, it is said: "With the cessation of ignorance, formations cease." Sequentially, up to: "With the cessation of contact ripened by karma, feeling ripened by karma ceases." In the present life, with the cessation of ignorance, contact with ignorance ceases. With the cessation of contact with ignorance, the feeling born from contact with ignorance ceases. With the cessation of the feeling born from contact with ignorance, craving ceases. With the cessation of craving, as previously described, the unborn Dharma is attained. Therefore, it is said that clinging and so forth, culminating in affliction, cease forever.

Explanation: If, regarding the feeling that arises after contact with ignorance, all craving arising in the mind associated with such feeling is severed from bondage within that corresponding mind, then craving is permanently extinguished, and the liberation of mind is realized in the present life. If ignorance is not permanently severed, then the feeling based on consciousness (as the last link) and all preceding formations (like contact, six sense bases, name-and-form, etc.) would be reborn in future existences. Because ignorance ceases, these formations no longer arise, and the unborn Dharma is attained. Therefore, it is said: "With the cessation of ignorance, formations cease; with the cessation of formations, consciousness ceases; with the cessation of consciousness, name-and-form ripened by karma ceases; with the cessation of name-and-form ripened by karma, the six sense bases ripened by karma cease; with the cessation of the six sense bases ripened by karma, contact ripened by karma ceases; with the cessation of contact ripened by karma, feeling ripened by karma ceases." In the present life, because ignorance ceases, contact with ignorance ceases; because contact with ignorance ceases, the feeling born from contact with ignorance ceases; because the feeling born from contact with ignorance ceases, craving ceases; because craving ceases, as described previously, the unborn Dharma is attained. Therefore, it is said that clinging and other afflictions, culminating in the cycle of birth and death, cease forever when there is no grasping at dharmas.

Original Text: Thus, in the present life, formations cease to operate. Because they cease to operate, in the present life, within the realm with residue remaining, the present-life nirvāṇa is realized. At that time, only the pure consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) conditioning name-and-form, and name-and-form conditioning consciousness, remain. As long as the body endowed with consciousness exists, it constantly experiences feeling free from bondage, not bound feeling. This body endowed with consciousness persists continuously until the lifespan propelled by previous karma is exhausted. When the lifespan is exhausted, the body sustained by consciousness is relinquished. After this life faculty, all future life faculties are permanently extinguished without residue and do not ripen again. Furthermore, because this consciousness and all feelings cease spontaneously, and because the remaining causes and conditions have already ceased beforehand, they do not continue further. They are permanently extinguished without residue. This is called the nirvāṇa realm without residue remaining, the state of ultimate quiescence. It is also called the ultimate nirvāṇa attained by those who have established the holy life under the Blessed One.

Explanation: After all formations cease, they cease to operate in the present life. Because formations cease to operate, within the realm where residual suffering still remains (the saṃsāric body-mind complex), the present-life nirvāṇa, namely nirvāṇa with residue remaining, is realized. At this time, this person has only the pure ālaya-consciousness conditioning name-and-form, and name-and-form conditioning the pure ālaya-consciousness. As long as the body endowed with the six consciousnesses (ṣaḍ-vijñāna-kāya) exists, it perpetually experiences feelings free from bondage, not the feelings associated with bound phenomena. This body endowed with the six consciousnesses also has a lifespan propelled by past karma, persisting continuously for a long time without perishing. When the lifespan is exhausted, the physical body sustained by the six consciousnesses is relinquished. After this physical body, all future physical bodies are permanently extinguished and will never reappear or grow again. Because these six consciousnesses and all feelings cease spontaneously as their causes and conditions cease, and because all remaining causes and conditions (like craving, clinging, becoming, etc.) have already ceased beforehand, they do not continue to arise. They are permanently extinguished without residue. This is called the nirvāṇa realm without residue remaining (nirupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), the state of ultimate quiescence. It is also called the ultimate nirvāṇa attained by the noble ones (ārya) who seek nirvāṇa and have established the pure holy life (brahmacarya) in accordance with the Buddha's teaching.