Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume X (The Twelve Nidānas)

(19) Original Text:

Q: Why is it said that "when this exists, that exists"?

A: Because the condition has not been severed, thereby enabling the arising of others.

Q: Why is it said that "when this arises, that arises"?

A: Because of the condition of impermanence (arising), thereby enabling the arising of others.

Q: Why is it said that "because there is birth, there is aging-and-death"? That is, aging-and-death must depend on the condition of birth. Similarly, why is it said that because there is ignorance, there is volitional formation? Because there is volitional formation, there is consciousness; because there is consciousness, there is name-and-form; because there is name-and-form, there are the six sense bases; because there are the six sense bases, there is contact; because there is contact, there is feeling; because there is feeling, there is craving; because there is craving, there is clinging; because there is clinging, there is becoming; because there is becoming, there is birth?

A: This doctrinal principle demonstrates that from a condition lacking inherent function, other phenomena can arise. Birth is not a real entity and lacks inherent function, yet it serves as the condition for the arising of aging-and-death. The other eleven links are likewise: ignorance, though not a real entity with actual function, is the condition for the arising of volitional formations. Similarly, volitional formations are the condition for the arising of consciousness.

Explanation:

Q: Why is it said "when this exists, that exists"?

A: Because the condition for existence has not been severed, enabling other phenomena to arise; hence it is said "when this exists, that exists."

Q: Why is it said "when this arises, that arises"?

A: Because of the condition of impermanence (arising), enabling other phenomena to arise; hence it is said "when this arises, that arises."

Q: Why is it said that because there is birth, there is aging-and-death? That aging-and-death must depend on the condition of birth? Why do the other eleven links follow the same pattern—i.e., because there is ignorance, there is volitional formation; because there is volitional formation, there is consciousness; because there is consciousness, there is name-and-form; because there is name-and-form, there are the six sense bases; because there are the six sense bases, there is contact; because there is contact, there is feeling; because there is feeling, there is craving; because there is craving, there is clinging; because there is clinging, there is becoming; because there is becoming, there is birth?

A: The principle of "birth as condition for aging-and-death" demonstrates that from a condition lacking inherent function, other phenomena can arise. The link of birth is not a real entity and lacks inherent function, yet it serves as the condition for the arising of aging-and-death. The other eleven links are likewise: ignorance, though not a real entity with actual function, is the condition for the arising of volitional formations. Similarly, volitional formations are the condition for the arising of consciousness.

Original Text:

Q: Why is it said that "because there is birth, there is aging-and-death"? That is, "aging-and-death cannot exist apart from the condition of birth." Similarly, why is it said that "because there is ignorance, there is volitional formation," meaning "volitional formation cannot exist apart from ignorance"? Why is it said that "because there is volitional formation, there is consciousness," meaning "consciousness cannot exist apart from volitional formation"? And so on, up to "because there is becoming, there is birth," meaning "birth cannot exist apart from becoming"?

A: This doctrinal principle demonstrates that through the condition of continuity within its own stream—that is, the continuity of the phenomenon itself—other phenomena are enabled to arise.

Explanation:

Q: Why is it said that "because there is birth, there is aging-and-death," meaning "aging-and-death cannot exist apart from the condition of birth"? Why is it said that "because there is ignorance, there is volitional formation," meaning "volitional formation cannot exist apart from ignorance"? Why is it said that "because there is volitional formation, there is consciousness," meaning "consciousness cannot exist apart from volitional formation"? And so on, up to "because there is becoming, there is birth," meaning "birth cannot exist apart from becoming"?

A: Because the doctrinal principle of "birth as condition for aging-and-death" demonstrates that through the condition of continuity within its own stream—that is, the continuity of birth itself—other links are enabled to arise. Hence it is said that "birth conditions aging-and-death." The same applies to "ignorance conditions volitional formations," "volitional formations condition consciousness," and so forth.