Saṃyukta-āgama (293), Part Two

(2) Original text: 如是说法。而彼比丘犹有疑惑犹豫。先不得得想。不获获想。不证证想。今闻法已。心生忧苦悔恨。蒙没障碍。所以者何。此甚深处。所谓缘起。倍复甚深难见。所谓一切取离。爱尽无欲。寂灭涅槃。

Explanation: The World-Honored One taught so much dharma, yet that bhikṣu still had doubts and hesitation. He had previously held the thought that he had attained the pure dharma-eye, attained liberation, and realized the fruit, when in fact he had not realized the fruit or attained liberation. Now, upon hearing the World-Honored One teach the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, his mind gave rise to sorrow, suffering, and regret; his mind was perplexed and confused, and obstruction arose. Why was this so? Because the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination is even more profound and difficult to realize than the principle of the Four Noble Truths that he had previously studied and cultivated. When one completes the cultivation of the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, one will ultimately depart from all grasping at the dharmas of the three realms, the craving for the three realms will be extinguished, greed and desire will be cut off completely, and one will attain the nirvāṇa of tranquility.

Original text: 如此二法。谓有为无为。有为者若生若住。若异若灭。无为者不生不住。不异不灭。是名比丘诸行苦。寂灭涅槃。因集故苦集。因灭故苦灭。断诸径路。灭于相续。相续灭灭。是名苦边。比丘。彼何所灭。谓有余苦。彼若灭止。清凉息没。所谓一切取灭。爱尽无欲。寂灭涅槃。佛说此经巳，诸比丘闻佛所说，欢喜奉行。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Within the twelve links of dependent origination, two kinds of dharmas are involved—the conditioned and the unconditioned. Conditioned dharmas have the phenomena of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing; unconditioned dharmas have no phenomena of arising, abiding, changing, or ceasing. Before a bhikṣu attains nirvāṇa, he is conditioned; after the suffering of the volitional formations of all the five aggregates has ceased, there is the unconditioned of nirvāṇa. When the causes of the suffering of the volitional formations accumulate, suffering accumulates; when the causes of the suffering of the volitional formations cease, suffering ceases. In this way, the paths leading to birth and death are severed, and the continuity of birth and death is cut off. When the continuity of birth and death is extinguished, one reaches the far shore—the limit of suffering.

Bhikṣus, what dharma did the arhats extinguish? They extinguished the remaining suffering left over after eradicating the afflictions of ignorance. If they extinguish and cease all volitional formations, they will attain coolness, tranquility, cessation, and disappearance. This is what is meant by extinguishing all mental activities of grasping, with craving forever exhausted and no more greed or desire, thereby attaining the bliss of the nirvāṇa of tranquility. After the Buddha finished teaching this sūtra, the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha said, joyfully undertook to practice it.