Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 9: Commentary on the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (Seven)

Original text:缘起门云何。谓依八门缘起流转。一内识生门。二外稼成熟门。三有情世间死生门。四器世间成坏门。五食任持门。六自所作业。增上势力受用。随业所得。爱非爱果门。七威势门。八清净门。

Explanation: What is the gate of dependent arising? The flowing and transmigrating that manifests through conditions by means of eight gates is the gate of dependent arising. The first is the gate of the arising of consciousness within the five-aggregate body; the second is the gate of the ripening of external conditioning causes for receiving retribution; the third is the gate of death and birth in the sentient beings' world of the five aggregates; the fourth is the gate of the formation, abiding, decay, and emptiness of the material universe, the inanimate world; the fifth is the gate of food's support and sustenance; the sixth is the gate of agreeable and disagreeable retributive results, whereby, due to the intensified power of the karmic actions one has created oneself and their retributive experience, one obtains results in accordance with one's karma; the seventh is the gate of one's own majestic virtue and power; the eighth is the gate of purity of mind.

Original text:缘起义云何。谓离有情义。是缘起义。于离有情。复无常义。是缘起义。于无常。复暂住义。是缘起义。于暂住复依他义。是缘起义。于依他离作用义。是缘起义。于离作用。复因果相续不断义。是缘起义。于因果相续不断。复因果相似转义。是缘起义。于因果相似转。复自业所作义。是缘起义。

Explanation: What is the meaning of dependent arising? The absence of any intrinsic nature of sentient beings—the meaning of being without self-nature—is the meaning of dependent arising. That sentient beings, being without self-nature, are also impermanent, is the meaning of dependent arising. That sentient beings are not only impermanent but also abide only temporarily, is the meaning of dependent arising. That sentient beings are not only temporarily abiding but also arise in dependence on others, is the meaning of dependent arising. That sentient beings, though dependent in arising, have no real functioning efficacy, is the meaning of dependent arising. That although sentient beings have no real functioning efficacy, cause and effect nevertheless continue on unbroken in their operation, is the meaning of dependent arising. That cause and effect, though appearing on the surface to operate unceasingly for sentient beings, are in reality without cause and without effect, without real cause and effect, is the meaning of dependent arising. That although cause and effect flow on in a merely similar fashion, without real cause and effect, they are nevertheless summoned forth by sentient beings' own karmic actions, is the meaning of dependent arising.

To sum up, the meaning of dependent arising is the meaning of there being no real dharmas: it is the appearance of illusory and unreal dharmas through the aggregation of causes and conditions—seemingly existent, but in substance nonexistent. Therefore, sentient beings are dependently arisen dharmas; there are no real sentient beings. Sentient beings are impermanent and temporarily abiding; they are dependent in nature (paratantra), without the real functioning of the five aggregates; cause and effect continue on unbroken, yet there is no substantial cause and effect, because cause and effect are also dependently arisen dharmas, unreal dharmas.