Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 10: The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

(35) Original Text: Question: For what reason is it said that the link of dependent origination is neither self-created, nor other-created, nor created by both, nor arisen without cause? Answer: Because the produced [entity] is non-existent, because the conditions have no real function, and because it is produced by the force of conditions.

Explanation: Question: For what reason is it said that the link of dependent origination is not produced by the essence of the dharma of dependent origination itself, nor produced by other conditions outside the dharma of dependent origination, nor produced jointly by the dharma itself and other conditions, nor can it arise without any cause? Answer: The arising of the dharma of dependent origination is a dharma of non-existence, a dharma of emptiness; it does not truly exist. Furthermore, the conditions that cause the arising of the dharma of dependent origination have no real function; they are all produced merely by the force of conditions.

Original Text: Question: Within dependent origination, which is the sprout of suffering? Who nurtures the sprout of suffering? Which is the tree of suffering? Answer: Consciousness induced by the condition of ignorance and karmic formations, up to feeling, is the sprout of suffering. Craving induced by feeling, up to becoming, nurtures the sprout of suffering. Birth and aging-death should be understood as the tree of suffering.

Explanation: Question: Within the dharma of dependent origination, which link is the sprout of suffering? Which link protects and nurtures the sprout? Which link is the tree of suffering? Answer: The link of consciousness induced by the condition of ignorance and karmic formations, along with name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, and feeling, constitute the sprout of suffering. Craving induced by feeling, along with clinging and becoming, protects and nurtures the sprout of suffering. Then, birth and aging-death should be understood as the tree of suffering.

Original Text: Question: How many links of dependent origination should be understood as like a wick? Answer: Consciousness up to feeling. Question: How many links are like oil? Answer: Ignorance, karmic formations, craving, clinging, and becoming. Question: How many links are like a flame? Answer: Birth and aging-death should be understood.

Explanation: Question: How many links of dependent origination are like a lamp wick? Answer: The links of consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, and feeling are like a lamp wick; when oil is added, it ignites, and the torment of birth and death appears. Question: How many links are like the lamp’s oil? Answer: Ignorance, karmic formations, craving, clinging, and becoming are like the oil; when combined with consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, and feeling, they ignite the wick, burning the great fire of birth and death. Question: How many links are like the flame? Answer: The links of birth and aging-death burn like a flame, bringing immeasurable suffering.

Original Text: Question: For what reason is it said in the impure aspect teaching of dependent origination that it increases [suffering]? Answer: Because all existential links constitute a pure mass of great suffering for the sake of the subsequent result. Also, because the preceding links serve as conditions for the succeeding ones that follow. Question: For what reason is it said in the pure aspect teaching that it decreases [suffering]? Answer: Because when all preceding links are permanently severed, the succeeding links decrease. Also, because it is the cause for decreasing the pure mass of great suffering.

Explanation: Question: For what reason is it said in the impure aspect teaching of the dharma of dependent origination that the dharma of dependent origination has the function of increasing the mass of suffering? Answer: Because within all existential links, the pure mass of great suffering is the final result of the twelve links. Therefore, the twelve links of dependent origination constitute defiled karma, belonging to the impure category, and can increase the mass of suffering. Moreover, because within the twelve existential links, the preceding links serve as conditions, and the succeeding links merely follow, the pure mass of great suffering is produced. Thus, the twelve existential links increase defilement and impure karma.

Question: For what reason is it said in the teaching of the pure aspect category that the dharma of dependent origination has the function of decreasing the mass of suffering? Answer: Because within the twelve links of dependent origination, if the preceding links are permanently extinguished, the succeeding links will be diminished. Therefore, the links of dependent origination have the function of decreasing the mass of suffering.

Original Text: Question: How many links of dependent origination are called conditioned dharmas? Answer: The first seven. Question: How many links of dependent origination are called conditioned suffering? Answer: The remaining five. Question: How many links, when extinguished, are revealed by the exhaustion of defilements? Answer: Three.

Explanation: Question: How many links of dependent origination are called conditioned dharmas that can induce the arising of other dharmas? Answer: The first seven links—ignorance, karmic formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, and feeling—are causes that can induce the arising of the subsequent links. Question: How many links are called conditioned suffering links? Answer: The last five links—craving, clinging, becoming, birth, and aging-death—are suffering links conditioned by prior causes. Question: How many links, when extinguished, are revealed by the exhaustion of the defilements of ignorance? Answer: Three links: ignorance, craving, and clinging are revealed by the exhaustion of the defilements of ignorance, occurring in the stage of remainderless nirvana.