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

Original text: 身行云何。谓身业。若欲界若色界。在下名福非福。在上名不动。语行云何。谓语业。余如前应知。意行云何。谓意业。若在欲界。名福非福。在上二界。唯名不动。

Explanation: What is bodily formation (kāya-saṃskāra)? Bodily formation refers to bodily karma (kāya-karma)—either karma of the desire realm or karma of the form realm. In the lower realm it is called meritorious or non-meritorious; in the upper realm it is called immovable. What is verbal formation (vacī-saṃskāra)? It refers to verbal karma (vacī-karma); the rest should be understood as before. What is mental formation (citta-saṃskāra)? It refers to mental karma (manas-karma). If in the desire realm, it is called meritorious or non-meritorious; in the two upper realms, it is only called immovable.

Explanation: What is bodily formation? Bodily formation is the karmic action created through the body—either creating karmic actions of the desire realm, or creating karmic actions of the form realm. In the formless realm, bodily formations are not created, because the beings of the formless realm have no body. Who creates karmic actions through the body? It is the manas that causes the six consciousnesses to create karmic actions through the material body. In the lower realm, the desire realm, one can create meritorious formations (puṇyābhisaṃskāra) and non-meritorious formations (apuṇyābhisaṃskāra); in the upper realm, the form realm, what is created is pure immovable formation, because the beings of the form realm possess profound meditative concentration (dhyāna); since the mind does not move amid sense objects, the body, being directed by the mind, also does not move, and thus no bodily formations are created. In the formless realm there is no body, so there are no bodily formations, and the mind is also pure and unmoving. By whom is the body directed? The body is directed by the manas. If the manas does not stir its mind, the mind consciousness does not stir, the body consciousness does not stir, and the body does not move.

What is verbal formation? Verbal formation is the karmic action created through the mouth, that is, verbal action. In the lower realm, the desire realm, the verbal formations created are meritorious formations and non-meritorious formations. In the upper realm, the form realm, the minds of the devas are pure and endowed with the pure practice (brahmacarya); since their minds do not move amid sense objects, and the mouth is directed by the mind, the mouth is pure and unmoving, and there are no verbal formations. In the formless realm, because the devas have no mouth, there are no verbal formations.

What is mental formation? Mental formation here refers to the karmic actions created by the mind consciousness. In the desire realm, the mind consciousness creates meritorious formations and non-meritorious formations; in the upper realms, the form realm and the formless realm, what is created is immovable formation, because when the mind of the manas is pure and unmoving, the mind consciousness is also pure and unmoving, as the mind consciousness is led by the manas.

Original text: 眼识云何。谓于当来依止眼根。了别色境识。所有福非福不动行。所熏发种子识。及彼种子。所生果识。如眼识如是。乃至意识。应知亦尔。由所依及境界所。起了别差别。应知此于欲界。具足六种。色界唯四。无色界唯一。

Explanation: What is the eye consciousness? The eye consciousness is the consciousness that relies on the eye faculty to discern the sense object of form in the future; it is the seed consciousness perfumed and engendered by all meritorious formations, non-meritorious formations, and immovable formations, as well as the retributive consciousness born from those deposited seeds. It is thus with the eye consciousness, and likewise with the ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, and body consciousness, up to the mind consciousness—the differences in discernment arise depending on the faculties relied upon and the realm of sense objects. It should be known that in the desire realm, the seed consciousness and the retributive consciousness are complete in six kinds, namely the six consciousnesses; in the form realm there are only four—the eye consciousness, ear consciousness, body consciousness, and mind consciousness; in the formless realm there is only one, the mind consciousness, without the first five consciousnesses.