Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, Volume 10 (Twelve Links of Dependent Origination)

(Fifteen) Original text: 复次于缘起中。云何数往义。谓生已不住义。云何和合义。谓诸缘聚集义。云何起义。谓诸缘和合。之所引摄。新新生义。云何缘起。云何缘生。谓诸行生起法性。是名缘起。即彼生已。说名缘生。

Explanation: Within dependent origination, what is the meaning of repeated arising and passing? It means that after a dharma of dependent origination arises, it does not remain still—it is ceaselessly changing, arising and ceasing without end; after ceasing it will arise again, causing the dharmas of dependent origination to repeatedly arise, cease, and change, until ignorance ceases. Among the twelve links, all except the link of ignorance are like this. What is the meaning of combination? Combination means that all the conditions upon which a dharma's arising depends have gathered together, and then, when causes and conditions are complete, the dharma is born. Among the twelve links, from consciousness through the subsequent ten links, all are like this; the formations link requires relatively fewer conditions, so the formations link is harder to sever than the other links.

What is the meaning of arising? Arising refers to the newly born dharmas that are drawn forth and received after all the conditions have combined—dharmas that come into being from non-existence. What is dependent origination? What is dependent arising? Dependent origination is the nature of being able to give rise to dharmas after all dharmas operate—the nature of producing dharmas; when a dharma arises, the conditions give birth to that dharma, which is called dependent arising. The conditions can be the predominant condition (adhipati-pratyaya) and the object condition (ālambana-pratyaya).

Original text: 问。几支苦谛摄。及现法为苦。答。二。谓生及老死。问。几支苦谛摄。当来为苦。答。识乃至受种子性。问。几支集谛摄。答。所余支。

Explanation: Question: Among the twelve links, how many links are subsumed under the truth of suffering and are suffering in the present state? Answer: There are two links—birth and aging-and-death. Question: How many links are subsumed under the truth of suffering and will produce future suffering? Answer: The seed-nature of the five links from consciousness through feeling; when the seeds for future lives ripen and manifest as dharmas, there will be suffering. Question: How many links are subsumed under the truth of the origin of suffering? Answer: All the remaining links are subsumed under the truth of the origin of suffering—there are the five links of ignorance, formations, craving, grasping, and existence.

Original text: 问。无明与行。为作俱有缘。为作无间灭缘。为作久远灭缘。答。当知具作三缘。谓由无知。于随顺诸行法中。为俱有覆障缘。为彼彼事。发起诸行。又由恶见放逸。俱行无知。为无间灭生起缘。发起诸行。又由无知。为久远灭引发缘故。建立顺彼。当生相续。

Explanation: Question: Do the two links of ignorance and formations serve as the co-existent condition for the arising of subsequent dharmas, or as the condition of immediate cessation, or as the condition for dharmas ceasing in the distant future? Ignorance and formations are three kinds of conditions for the arising of dharmas through causes and conditions. Because of unknowing, in the process of according with the operation of all dharmas, they serve as the co-existent condition that obscures and obstructs, initiating and operating various activities. Furthermore, because of wrong views and heedlessness, with unknowing accompanying the formations, they serve as the condition for the unbroken cessation and arising of all dharmas, drawing forth the operation of all dharmas. Furthermore, because of unknowing, they serve as the initiating cause for the cessation of all dharmas in the distant future; according with unknowing, this causes all dharmas to continue unbroken in this life.