The Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume X (Dvādaśāṅga-pratītyasamutpāda)

(23) Original Text:

Question: If something arises conditioned by clinging, does it all belong to existence? And if it belongs to existence, is it all conditioned by clinging?

Answer: This should also be answered by affirming the latter clause. That is: All existence is conditioned by clinging. However, not all that is conditioned by clinging belongs to existence — excepting the other factors of existence.

Explanation:

Question: If certain phenomena arise conditioned by clinging, do these phenomena all belong to "existence" (the tenth link of dependent origination)? If these phenomena all belong to "existence," are they all conditioned by clinging?

Answer: Here, the answer affirms the latter clause. All "existence" is conditioned by clinging. However, phenomena conditioned by clinging do not all belong to "existence" — there are factors other than "existence," such as the other links in the twelvefold chain apart from "existence": birth, aging-and-death, formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, and so forth. Clinging is the direct condition for the link of "existence" and an indirect condition for the other links — all arise due to clinging.

Original Text:

Question: If something arises conditioned by existence, does it all belong to birth? And if it belongs to birth, is it all conditioned by existence?

Answer: All that is birth is conditioned by existence. However, not all that is conditioned by existence is birth — excepting the other factors, namely aging-and-death, the final link of existence.

Explanation:

Question: If certain phenomena arise conditioned by "existence" (the tenth link), do these phenomena all belong to the link of "birth"? If these phenomena all belong to "birth," are they all conditioned by "existence"?

Answer: All "birth" is conditioned by "existence." However, not all phenomena conditioned by "existence" belong to "birth" — for example, the final link of "existence," aging-and-death, also arises conditioned by "existence." Without the existence of the five aggregates in a realm, the phenomena of aging-and-death cannot occur.

Original Text:

Question: If something arises conditioned by birth, is it all aging-and-death? And if it is aging-and-death, is it all conditioned by birth?

Answer: All aging-and-death is conditioned by birth. However, not all that is conditioned by birth is aging-and-death — such as illness, encounters with the disliked, separation from the beloved, failure to obtain what is sought, and the arising therefrom of grief, lamentation, sorrow, distress, and various kinds of affliction.

Explanation:

Question: If certain phenomena arise conditioned by "birth," do these phenomena all belong to the link of "aging-and-death"? If these phenomena are all subsumed under "aging-and-death," are they all conditioned by "birth"?

Answer: All phenomena of aging-and-death are conditioned by birth. However, not all phenomena arising conditioned by birth belong to aging-and-death — such as illness, encounters with adversaries, separation from loved ones, failure to attain desires, and the grief, lamentation, sorrow, distress, and various kinds of affliction arising therefrom.