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

(Twenty-nine) Original text: 复次。几支能生。爱非爱境界果。几支能生自体果。谓前六支。能生前果。后三支能生。后边的自体果。一支俱生二果。 

Explanation: Furthermore, how many links can give rise to the retributive results of lovely and unlovely realms/objects? How many links can give rise to the retributive results of one's own body (self-identity)? The first six links can give rise to the former result: the six links of ignorance, volitional formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, and contact can give rise to the results of lovely and unlovely realms/objects; the last three links can give rise to the retributive result of the self-identity of the five aggregates — the three links of existence (bhava), birth, and aging-and-death; one link can give rise to both results simultaneously — that is the link of grasping (upādāna). 

The first five links — ignorance, volitional formations, consciousness, name-and-form, and the six sense bases — can give rise to the link of contact; the link of contact can give rise to the results of lovely and unlovely realms/objects. If there is no contact, the results of realms/objects will not appear; if there are no six sense bases, there is no contact; if there is no name-and-form, there are no six sense bases; if there were no six consciousnesses from the previous life, there would be no name-and-form; if there were no volitional formations of the manas, there would be no six consciousnesses; if there were no ignorance, there would be no volitional formations of the manas. The last three links — existence, birth, and aging-and-death — can give rise to the retributive result of self-identity, because when existence in the three realms exists, there will be the retributive result of birth, and because there is birth, there will be the retributive result of aging-and-death. As for the link of grasping, because of grasping at the various dharmas, it can give rise to the results of lovely and unlovely realms/objects, and moreover can cause the five aggregates to continuously appear in the world, giving rise to the retributive result of the self-identity of the five aggregates. Without grasping, no realms/objects appear, nor does future existence appear; all retributive results are absent. 

Original text: 复次。几支乐受俱行。谓除二所余支。几支苦受俱行。谓即彼及所除中一。几支不苦不乐受俱行。谓如乐受道理应知。几支不与受俱行。谓所除中一。 

Explanation: Furthermore, how many links operate together with pleasant feeling? Excluding those two just mentioned, the remaining links — feeling and craving — are the links that operate together with pleasant feeling. Because there is pleasant feeling, there is craving; because of craving, one decides to grasp. If it is painful feeling, there is no craving; without craving there is no grasping. Therefore feeling and craving are accompanied by pleasant feeling. 

How many links operate together with painful feeling? They are feeling itself, and one of the previously excluded links — aging-and-death; the link of aging-and-death also operates together with painful feeling. How many links operate together with neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling? By the same principle as with pleasant feeling, feeling and craving are also accompanied by neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling and operate together with it. How many links do not operate together with feeling? It is one of the previously excluded links — the link of existence, which does not operate together with feeling. 

Original text: 复次。几支坏苦摄。谓乐受俱行支。及非受俱行支一分。几支苦苦摄。谓苦受俱行支。及非受俱行支一分。 

Explanation: How many links are subsumed under the suffering of change? The links subsumed under the suffering of change are the links of feeling and craving that operate together with pleasant feeling, as well as one portion of the link of existence that does not operate together with feeling. The meaning of the suffering of change is the painful feeling produced when an already-existing dharma is destroyed; when pleasant feeling cannot be maintained and disappears, the mind is displeased and there is painful feeling; when craving cannot be maintained and disappears, there is painful feeling; when existence in the three realms cannot be held onto and disappears, there is painful feeling — all of these are called the suffering of change. 

How many links are subsumed under the suffering of suffering? The links that operate together with painful feeling, and one portion of the links that do not operate together with feeling. Feeling and the link of aging-and-death operate together with painful feeling and are subsumed under the suffering of suffering, because the painful feeling within feeling is itself suffering, and aging-and-death is also itself suffering; suffering that is itself suffering is called the suffering of suffering. As for the link of existence, which does not operate together with feeling, one portion of it involves suffering, so it is subsumed under the suffering of suffering. 

Original text: 几支行苦摄。谓所有坏苦。苦苦支。亦是行苦支。或有行苦所摄。非余二苦。谓不苦不乐受俱行支。及非受俱行支一分。 

Explanation: How many links are subsumed under the suffering of conditioning? All the links of the suffering of change and the suffering of suffering are also links of the suffering of conditioning; and there are those subsumed under the suffering of conditioning but not under the other two sufferings — namely, the links that operate together with neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, and one portion of the links that do not operate together with feeling. 

The scope of the suffering of conditioning is extremely broad: all dharmas that flow and shift moment by moment without abiding are suffering, all subsumed under the suffering of conditioning. Because they flow and do not abide, do not stay, they cannot be grasped or maintained; they arise, cease, change, and are impermanent — therefore they are suffering.