Exposition of the Twelve Nidānas in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra (XIV)

Question: As stated in the scriptures, all karmas are conditioned by greed, hatred, and delusion. Why then, in this context, is only delusion mentioned as the condition? Answer: Here, the condition for all three types of karmas – wholesome, unwholesome, and imperturbable – is comprehensively stated as being delusion. The condition of greed, hatred, and delusion gives rise only to unwholesome karmas.

Explanation: Question: As mentioned in the scriptures, all karmic actions of sentient beings are produced conditioned by greed, hatred, and delusion. Why is only delusion stated as the condition here? Answer: Here, the condition for all three types of karmas – wholesome actions (fuxing), unwholesome actions (feifuxing), and imperturbable actions (budongxing) – is summarized as being conditioned by ignorance (delusion, wuming). The condition of greed, hatred, and delusion can only give rise to unwholesome karmic actions.

When conditioned by the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, one will inevitably create unwholesome, non-meritorious evil karmas; one will not create meritorious wholesome karmas or pure imperturbable karmas. However, when conditioned by ignorance (wuming), all three types of karmic actions can be created; it is not limited solely to unwholesome evil karmas. This is because many people perform good deeds due to ignorance, as they do not comprehend the suffering (dukkha) and emptiness (sunyata) of the world.

Question: Bodily and verbal karmas are initiated by volition (si, mental formation). Thus, volitional formations (xing, sankhara) are also a condition for [bodily and verbal] actions (xing). Why then is it only said that ignorance conditions volitional formations (wuming yuan xing)? Answer: It is stated this way because it is based on the condition that gives rise to all volitional formations (xing), and also based on the condition that gives rise to wholesome and defiled volition (si).

Explanation: Question: Bodily and verbal karmas are initiated by the mental factor of volition (si, cetana) associated with the mind faculty (yigen). Therefore, it is said that volitional formations (xing, the mental activity) are also the condition that gives rise to bodily and verbal actions, meaning bodily and verbal actions also arise conditioned by volitional formations. Why then is it only said that ignorance conditions volitional formations (wuming yuan xing)? Answer: This is stated based on the condition that initiates all volitional formations, including the volition (si) of the mind faculty; all volitional formations arise due to ignorance. The volition of the mind faculty operates because of ignorance, which then leads to the production of bodily and verbal actions. Furthermore, it is stated based on the condition that gives rise to wholesome volition and defiled volition (si). The condition giving rise to wholesome [volition] and the condition giving rise to defiled [volition] is ignorance. Therefore, it is said that ignorance conditions volitional formations, and it is not said that the volitional formation of volition (si xing) conditions bodily and verbal actions.

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