Saṃyuktāgama, Volume 12 (285), Part Three

Original text:诸比丘。于意云何。譬如缘膏油及炷。灯明得烧。数增油炷。彼灯明得久住不。答言如是。世尊。如是诸比丘。于色取味着。顾念爱缚。增长爱缘故取。取缘有。有缘生。生缘老病死忧悲恼苦。如是如是纯大苦聚集。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Bhikṣus, what do you think? For example, relying on the conditions of oil and a wick, a lamp can burn and give off light. If oil and the wick are repeatedly added, will that lamp's light last for a long time? The bhikṣus replied: Yes, World-Honored One. Bhikṣus, it is the same with this principle: if you have grasping and attachment toward form, indulging in it and unable to extricate yourselves, always looking back, mindful of it and thinking about form, you will be bound by craving and attachment. Because craving toward form is continuously increased, grasping arises; because of grasping at form, karmic seeds for future lives are stored, and existence in the three realms of the world will continuously appear; because there is existence in the three realms of the world, sentient beings' lives will be born, and where there is life there is aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress. In this way, the greatest suffering in the world is assembled.

Original text:我时复作是念。何法无故无此老病死。何法灭故老病死灭。即正思惟。起如实无间等知。无生则无老病死。生灭故。则老病死灭。复作是念。何法无故无生。何法灭故生灭。即正思惟。起如实无间等知。有无故生无。有灭故生灭。

Explanation: The Buddha said: At that time I again gave rise to such a questioning thought: with the absence of what dharma is there no aging, sickness, and death? With the cessation of what dharma do aging, sickness, and death cease? After such a questioning thought arose, I immediately entered into right contemplation, and after right contemplation there arose true, unbroken, uninterrupted knowledge, knowing that without birth there is no aging, sickness, and death; when birth ceases, aging, sickness, and death cease. I again gave rise to such a questioning thought: with the absence of what dharma is there no birth? With the cessation of what dharma does birth cease? I immediately entered into right contemplation, and after right contemplation there arose true, unbroken, uninterrupted knowledge, knowing that when existence in the three realms of the world is absent, birth is absent; when existence in the world ceases, birth ceases.

This is the reverse deduction of the twelve links of dependent origination, also called reverse flow — flowing against the stream of birth and death. The preceding passage was the forward deduction of the twelve links, also called forward flow — following along with the transmigration of birth and death. Although on the surface it appears to be deduction, in reality it is deep deliberation (manasikāra), not superficial reasoning. For a practitioner with profound meditative concentration (samādhi) and very deep questioning doubt, there cannot be any superficial reasoning by the conscious mind; it is all the manas deeply pondering and investigating within meditative concentration. Forward deduction can trace the transmigration of birth, aging, sickness, and death; reverse deduction can reveal how to extinguish birth, aging, sickness, and death, and attain liberation. Finding the root source of birth, aging, sickness, and death and cutting it off at the source, birth, aging, sickness, and death are severed.