Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, Volume 10 (Twelve Links of Dependent Origination)

(5) Original text: 问。何因缘故。无明等诸有支。作如是次第说。答。诸愚痴者。要先愚于。所应知事。次即于彼。发起邪行。由邪行故。令心颠倒。心颠倒故。结生相续。生相续故。诸根圆满。根圆满故。二受用境。受用境故。若耽着若希求。由希求故。于方觅时。烦恼滋长。烦恼滋长故。发起后有。爱非爱业。由所起业。滋长力故。于五趣生死中。苦果生。苦果生已。有老死等苦。谓内身变异。所引老死苦。及境界变异。所引忧叹苦。热恼之苦。 

Explanation: Question: What causes and conditions make the twelve links of dependent origination, such as ignorance, be expounded in such an order, taught in such a sequence? Answer: All foolish people first remain ignorant and uncomprehending of the things they should know; next, with regard to those things they do not understand, they initiate evil actions. Because of committing these evil actions, the mind becomes inverted; because the mind is inverted, the bonds of afflictions cause life to continue unbroken. Because life continues unbroken, the six faculties are complete and fully endowed; because the six faculties are complete, there is the retributive enjoyment of the five-aggregate body as the direct retribution and the enjoyment of the living environment as the circumstantial retribution. Because there are objects of enjoyment to be experienced, one either indulges in the enjoyment of those objects or develops further longing and craving. Because of this craving, in the process of seeking everywhere, afflictions grow and flourish. Because afflictions grow and flourish, karmic actions of future existence in the three realms—both lovable and unlovable—are initiated. Because of the growing force of the karmic actions that have been committed, the bitter fruits arise within the birth-and-death of the five destinies. Once the bitter fruits have arisen, there are the sufferings of old age, death, and so forth—namely, the suffering of old age and death brought about by the alteration of the physical body, as well as the suffering of sorrow, lamentation, and anguish brought about by the alteration of external circumstances. 

Original text: 是故。世尊如是次第。说十二支。复有次第差别。谓依二种缘。建立缘起次第。一内身缘。二受用境界缘。内身缘。前六支所摄。受用境界缘。后六支所摄。先于内身。起我执等愚。由此不了。诸业所引。苦果异熟故。发起诸业。既发起已。即随彼业。多起寻思。由业与识。为助伴故。能感当来。三种苦果。谓根初起。所摄苦果。根圆满所摄苦果。受用境界。所摄苦果。即名色为先。触为最后。 

Explanation: Therefore, the World-Honored One expounded the twelve links in such a sequence. There are also differences in sequence, namely, the sequence of dependent origination is established on the basis of two kinds of conditions: one is the condition of the inner body, and the other is the condition of the enjoyment of external objects. The condition of the inner body is encompassed by the first six links—ignorance, volitional formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, and contact; the condition of the enjoyment of external objects is encompassed by the latter six links—feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, and old age and death. Sentient beings first develop ignorance such as the grasping at self within the inner body; because of this grasping at self, they do not understand that the five-aggregate body is brought forth by all karmic actions, and that the bitter fruits created ripen at different times and in different places; hence they initiate all karmic actions. Once the karmic actions have been initiated, in accordance with those karmic actions, initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra) arise repeatedly. Because the karmic actions, together with the mind consciousness, serve as supporting conditions, they can bring about three kinds of bitter fruits in future lives: the bitter fruit encompassed by the initial arising of the five faculties in the mother's womb, the bitter fruit experienced after the five faculties are complete and one is born, and the bitter fruit experienced when enjoying external objects. The condition for the appearance of these three kinds of bitter fruits is that name-and-form comes first, and contact comes last; only then can the bitter fruits appear.