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

Original text:于因无知云何。谓起不如理分别。或计无因。或计自在。世性士夫中间等不平等因。所有无知。如于因无知。于从因所生诸行亦尔。

Explanation: What is ignorance regarding the cause? It refers to engaging in improper discrimination regarding the cause of the arising of the five-aggregate world—either clinging to the view that sentient beings arise without a cause, or clinging to the view that they are created by Maheśvara, or clinging to the view that they are created by some deity, or clinging to the view that they are created by the ātman of a god, as well as clinging to the view that they are created by various divine creators and so forth. Clinging to these creators as the makers of sentient beings is the unequal cause of sentient beings' arising. All not-knowing regarding the cause of the arising of the five-aggregate world is ignorance regarding the cause. Just as there is ignorance regarding karmic causes, so too is there the same ignorance regarding the formations that arise from causes.

Since one does not know the arising and origin of the five-aggregate world, one also does not know the arising and origin of the formations of the five aggregates. The arising of the five-aggregate world should be observed from two perspectives: first, from the perspective of the emptiness of the Small Vehicle; second, from the perspective of the Mahāyāna tathāgatagarbha, the ālayavijñāna, the vipāka-consciousness. Of course, observing from the perspective of the vipāka-consciousness is the most ultimate observation, the most true observation, capable of eliminating all ignorance regarding the generating cause and all ignorance regarding the illuminating cause, and eliminating all ignorance.

Original text:又彼无罪故名善。有罪故名不善。有利益故名应修习。无利益故名不应修习。黑故名有罪。白故名无罪。杂故名有分。于六触处如实通达无知云何。谓增上慢者。于所证中。颠倒思惟。所有无知。如是略说十九种无知。

Explanation: Formations that are without fault are wholesome dharmas; those that are with fault are unwholesome dharmas. What is beneficial to oneself should be cultivated; what is without benefit should not be cultivated. Karmic actions that are defiled are therefore with fault; karmic actions that are pure are without fault. Because sentient beings' karmic actions are a mixture of defilement and purity, a distinction should be made.

What is ignorance regarding the true comprehension of the six contact bases? It is the ignorance of those with spiritual pride (adhimāna), who, in what they claim to have realized, engage in inverted thinking—all not-knowing concerning the six contact bases. Briefly stated, there are nineteen kinds of ignorance in total as described above.

The meaning of spiritual pride (adhimāna) is: arrogance arising with respect to superior fruits. Superior fruits generally refer to the fruits from the first to the fourth fruit of the Small Vehicle. When hearing, reflection, and cultivation reach a certain degree and wisdom is enhanced, one will realize the Dharma, and the mind will correspond to the corresponding fruit. But to claim realization without having realized it is arrogance regarding superior fruits, called spiritual pride. Because those with spiritual pride have not truly realized it, they have not comprehended the six contact bases and do not truly know them. The six contact bases are the eye contact base, ear contact base, nose contact base, tongue contact base, body contact base, and mind contact base. At the six contact bases there is contact of the six faculties with the six sense objects, after which the six feelings arise. Not comprehending the six sense bases, contact, and feeling, and not engaging in proper thinking and contemplative practice, is ignorance.