Abhidharmakośa, Volume 9

Original text: 论曰。于宿生中。诸烦恼位。至今果熟。总谓无明。彼与无明俱时行故。由无明力。彼现行故。如说王行。非无导从。王俱胜故。总谓王行。于宿生中。福等业位。至今果熟。总得行名。 

Explanation: The treatise says that all the stages of afflictions in past lives, up until their fruits ripen in the present, are collectively called ignorance (avidyā), because whether they are afflictions or the fruits of afflictions, they all operate simultaneously with ignorance; it is by the power of ignorance that the afflictions are able to manifest. For example, when it is said that the king travels, it is not without attendants and retinue; because the king is superior in all respects, the traveling of both the king and his retinue is collectively called the king's traveling. The meritorious and other karmic formations created in past lives, whose fruits ripen in the present, are all given the name "volitional formations" (saṃskāra). 

Original text: 初句位言。流至老死。于母胎等正结生时。一刹那位五蕴名识。结生识后。六处生前。中间诸位。总称名色。此中应说。四处生前。而言六者。据满立故眼等已生。至根境识。未和合位。得六处名。已至三和。未了三受。因差别位。总名为触。已了三受。因差别相未起淫贪。此位名受。 

Explanation: Counting from the very first stage of life, the flow continues all the way to the stage of aging-and-death. At the time of actual rebirth-linking within the mother's womb and so forth, the five aggregates at the one-instant stage are called consciousness (vijñāna). After the rebirth-linking consciousness, and before the six sense bases arise, all the intermediate stages are collectively called name-and-form (nāma-rūpa). Here it should be said that four bases arise before this — the ear base, nose base, body base, and mind base — not six; the reason six is stated is that it is established according to the stage of fullness. When the eye and so forth have already arisen, up to the stage where the faculties, objects, and consciousnesses have not yet converged, the name "six sense bases" is obtained. When the threefold convergence has occurred but the three kinds of feeling have not yet been discerned, the various differentiated stages in between are collectively called contact (sparśa). When the three kinds of feeling have already been discerned, and there are various differentiated marks in between but lustful craving has not yet arisen, this stage is called feeling (vedanā). 

Explanation: Life is counted from its very first stage, flowing continuously until the stage of aging-and-death. At the stage of actual rebirth-linking within the mother's womb and so forth, the five aggregates are formed; at the one-instant stage, the five aggregates already have the six consciousnesses arising. The rebirth-linking of the six consciousnesses occurs at the later stage, while the earlier stage is when the six sense bases appear first; all the stages between the arising of the six sense objects and the six consciousnesses are called name-and-form. Here it should be said that four bases — the ear base, nose base, body base, and mind base — arise first, not six bases, because at this time the eye base and tongue base have not yet appeared; the statement of six bases is made according to the stage of fullness of name-and-form. When name-and-form has not yet reached the stage of fullness, although the eye faculty and tongue faculty are complete, the eye consciousness and tongue consciousness cannot yet arise, and the three — faculty, object, and consciousness — cannot converge; there is only the name of the six sense bases, but not yet their function. When the three — faculty, object, and consciousness — can converge, but the three kinds of feeling have not yet arisen, all the various differentiated stages in between are called contact. When the three kinds of feeling have already appeared, with various differentiated marks in between, but craving has not yet arisen, this is called feeling. 

Original text: 贪妙资具。淫爱现行。未广追求。此位名爱。为得种种上妙境界。周遍驰求。此位名取。因驰求故。积集能牵。当有果业。此位名有。由是业力。从此舍命。正结当有。此位名生。当有生支。即如今识生。刹那后渐增。乃至当来。受位总名老死。如是老死。即如今世。名色六处。触受四支。辩十二支。体别如是。 

Explanation: Due to craving for fine means of livelihood, lustful craving manifests; while it has not yet been widely pursued, this stage is called craving (tṛṣṇā). In order to obtain various superior and wondrous states of the higher realms, one pursues them everywhere; this stage is called grasping (upādāna). Because of this pervasive pursuit, karmic actions accumulate and can draw forth the karmic fruits of future existence; this stage is called existence (bhava). By the power of such karma, one abandons this life and actually links to future existence; this stage is called birth (jāti). The birth-link of future existence is that which is drawn forth by the karma created by the present six consciousnesses; after existence and birth appear, moment by moment the name-and-form and five aggregates gradually increase, until in the future, the stage of feeling after birth is collectively called aging-and-death. Such aging-and-death is precisely the four links of the present life: name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, and feeling. The above is the discrimination of the essences of the twelve links. 

Question: What phenomena in our daily lives belong to pervasive pursuit? What phenomena belong to craving?