Explanation of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra (Part 15)

Question: Consciousness also arises dependent on name-and-form. Why then is it stated here that consciousness arises dependent solely on karmic formations? Answer: Karmic formations serve as the defilement condition for consciousness, as they can induce and give rise to the karmic fruits of future existences. This is unlike name-and-form, which merely serves as the supporting basis and object condition for the arising of consciousness.

Explanation: Question: The six consciousnesses also arise dependent on name-and-form. Why is it stated here that the six consciousnesses arise dependent solely on bodily, verbal, and mental karmic formations? Answer: Bodily, verbal, and mental karmic formations serve as the defilement condition for the wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral seeds of the six consciousnesses. These defiled seeds, or rather the defiled six consciousnesses, can induce and give rise to the karmic fruits of name-and-form in future existences. Therefore, it is said that karmic formations are the condition for consciousness, capable of inducing the arising of karmic seeds. Unlike name-and-form, which is merely the supporting condition (adhipati-pratyaya) for the birth of the six consciousnesses, karmic formations serve as the object condition (ālambana-pratyaya) for consciousness, directly causing the arising of the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses.

"With karmic formations as condition, consciousness arises." When bodily, verbal, and mental karmic formations are defiled, the six consciousnesses become defiled, resulting in defiled seeds and subsequent defiled karmic fruits. However, bodily, verbal, and mental karmic formations are the karmic formations of the six consciousnesses. Without the six consciousnesses, there would be no bodily, verbal, or mental karmic formations. Therefore, karmic formations do not produce the six consciousnesses themselves; rather, they produce the karmic seeds created by the six consciousnesses, that is, they produce the defilement condition for the six consciousnesses. Why are bodily, verbal, and mental karmic formations defiled? Because the mental formations (cetanā) of the mental faculty (manas) are defiled. Consequently, the bodily, verbal, and mental karmic formations induced by the mental faculty are defiled, the six consciousnesses are defiled, and the seeds as well as the fruits are defiled. After the defiled karmic fruit of name-and-form is born, the six consciousnesses will arise dependent on the defiled name-and-form. Name-and-form is the supporting condition (adhipati-pratyaya) for the birth of the six consciousnesses, not the inducing condition.

Question: Name-and-form is also created by the great elements (mahabhuta) and arises due to contact (sparsa). Why then is it stated that name-and-form arises dependent solely on consciousness? Answer: Consciousness can serve as the newly arising cause for name-and-form. Once name-and-form has arisen, or while it is arising, the great elements and contact can only serve as the establishing cause for it.

Explanation: Question: Name-and-form is also created by the seven great seeds (referring to the elements) and also arises due to the condition of contact – there is mental contact at conception and contact at the six sense bases at birth. Why is it stated here that name-and-form arises dependent solely on the six consciousnesses? Answer: The six consciousnesses can serve as the causal condition for the new birth of name-and-form. After name-and-form is born, or while it is being born, the six great elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness) and contact can only serve as the establishing cause, the sustaining cause, or the cause of modification for name-and-form to become the five aggregates. These two types of causes function respectively before and after the birth of name-and-form, and their roles differ. Considering the importance of the inducing cause, it is stated "with consciousness as condition, name-and-form arises." Therefore, it is not said that the great elements and contact are the conditions for the birth of name-and-form.

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