Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume X: Dvādaśaṅga Pratītyasamutpāda

(31) Original Text: Question: All wholesome contaminated limbs, why are they not considered the training path? Answer: Because they lead to cyclic existence. If all wholesome contaminated phenomena were the training path, they would contradict the process of cyclic existence. Moreover, since they rely on illumination as their condition, they are not limbs.

Explanation: Question: Among the twelve limbs, why are all wholesome contaminated limbs not considered the training path? Answer: Because contaminated wholesome phenomena can still cause beings to fall and revolve in the cycle of birth and death. If all contaminated wholesome phenomena were the training path, it would contradict the process of cyclic existence. They would also dispel ignorance and give rise to illumination. Once illumination arises, they no longer belong to the limbs of the twelve links of dependent origination. Therefore, it is said that the training path is absent within the twelve limbs.

Original Text: Question: How many limbs should be said to have been eliminated by the fruit of Stream-Entry? Answer: A portion of all; none are eliminated entirely. As with the fruit of Stream-Entry, so it is with the fruit of Once-Returning. Question: How many limbs should be said to have been eliminated by the fruit of Non-Returning? Answer: All of the desire realm; those of the form and formless realms are indeterminate. Question: How many limbs should be said to have been eliminated by the fruit of Arahantship? Answer: All of the three realms.

Explanation: Question: How many of the twelve limbs have been eliminated by the fruit of Stream-Entry (Sotāpanna)? Answer: For the Stream-Enterer, a portion of each of the twelve limbs is eliminated; none are eliminated entirely. The same applies to the fruit of Once-Returning (Sakadāgāmin): a portion of each limb is eliminated, with none eliminated entirely.

Question: How many limbs have been eliminated by the fruit of Non-Returning (Anāgāmin)? Answer: The Non-Returner has eliminated all limbs belonging to the desire realm. As for the limbs belonging to the form and formless realms, some may be eliminated while others remain. Question: How many limbs have been eliminated by the fruit of Arahantship? Answer: The Arahant has eliminated all limbs of the three realms.

All twelve limbs operate within the three realms and belong to the limbs within them. Only when the Arahant eliminates all phenomena of the three realms can they enter final nirvana without residue. Thus, all twelve limbs are completely eliminated without remainder. However, the Non-Returner possesses meditative attainments at or above the first jhāna, meaning they have attained the form realm and formless realm. Their mind no longer corresponds to the desire realm; they have eliminated desire-realm craving and hatred, and no longer engage in desire-realm phenomena. Yet, they have not fully eliminated phenomena of the form and formless realms, retaining some residual portion. The extent of this residue varies according to the individual. Therefore, it is said that the elimination of form and formless realm limbs is indeterminate.

Original Text: Furthermore, in those various sūtras, by how many kinds of expository principles is dependent origination taught? It is said, in brief, by six kinds of expository principles: 1) by sequential order, 2) by reverse order, 3) by a single limb, 4) by complete limbs, 5) by the dark aspect, 6) by the white aspect.

Explanation: Furthermore, in the various sūtras, from how many aspects is the principle of dependent origination explained? Briefly stated, there are six methods for explaining dependent origination: 1) explaining according to the sequential order of the twelve links; 2) explaining according to the reverse order of the twelve links; 3) beginning the explanation from one limb and gradually extending to the others; 4) explaining dependent origination from the perspective of the complete set of twelve limbs; 5) explaining from the aspect of unwholesome, unskillful phenomena (the dark aspect); 6) explaining from the aspect of wholesome phenomena (the white aspect).