Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, Volume Ten (The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination)

(32) Original text: 问。如世尊说缘起甚深。此甚深义。云何应知。答。由十种相。应知缘起甚深义。谓依无常义。苦义。空义。无我义说。依无常义者。谓从自种子生。亦待他缘。又从他缘生。亦待自种子。又从自种子。又从他缘生。而种及缘于此生事。无作无用。亦无运转。又复此二因性功能。非不是有。 

Explanation: Question: World-Honored One, You have said that dependent origination is most profound. How should this profound meaning be known? Answer: It can be known through ten aspects. The profound meaning of dependent origination should be known through ten aspects, namely, it is expounded in reliance on the meaning of impermanence, the meaning of suffering, the meaning of emptiness, and the meaning of no-self. These ten aspects, based on the meaning of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self of dependent origination, reveal the profound meaning of the dharma of dependent origination. 

The meaning of relying on impermanence refers to the fact that the dharma of dependent origination arises from its own seeds, and at the same time it must also rely on the ripening of other conditions, so that together they serve as the conditions for the arising of the dharma of dependent origination. Furthermore, when the dharma of dependent origination arises in reliance on other conditions, it must also have the condition of its own seeds; the two are indispensable to each other and must appear together for the dharma of dependent origination to be produced. Furthermore, the dharma of dependent origination not only relies on its own seeds but also arises in reliance on other conditions; yet, with respect to the arising of the dharma of dependent origination, the seeds and the conditions have no substantial function or effect, nor do they revolve or move along with the dharma of dependent origination. However, the functional capacities of these two causal factors are not nonexistent—they do have functional effects—only that they cannot directly give birth to the dharma of dependent origination. 

For example, the eye consciousness is a dharma of dependent origination. The own-seeds of the eye consciousness are the consciousness seeds of the eye consciousness. Apart from the consciousness seeds, there are eight other conditions for the arising of the eye consciousness; material sense-objects (rūpa-viṣaya) are one of these conditions. Only when these conditions gather together can the eye consciousness arise; lacking even one condition, the eye consciousness cannot arise. But the eye consciousness is not born from these conditions; rather, the eighth consciousness, availing itself of these conditions, gives birth to the eye consciousness. That is to say, the function of giving birth to the eye consciousness belongs to the eighth consciousness, not to the condition of the eye consciousness's own seeds nor to the other eight conditions. With respect to giving birth to the eye consciousness, these nine conditions have no substantial function; they are merely contributing conditions and augmenting conditions (adhipati-pratyaya). 

Original text: 又诸有支。虽无始来。其相成就。然刹那刹那。新新相转。又缘起支。虽刹那速灭。然似停住运动相现。依苦义者。谓缘起支。一味苦相。而似三种相现。 

Explanation: Furthermore, the twelve links of existence (bhāva-aṅga), although established since beginningless kalpas with their marks continuously formed, nevertheless arise and cease moment by moment (kṣaṇa by kṣaṇa); new marks revolve forth and cease, and the next new mark appears in turn, with their functions continuously operating, sustaining the arising, abiding, alteration, and cessation of the twelve links of existence. Moreover, although these links of dependent origination arise and cease rapidly in each instant, they nevertheless appear as if there were marks of stagnation and motion continuously manifesting. In reliance on the meaning of suffering of the dharma of dependent origination, the dharma of dependent origination is purely a single mark of the taste of suffering, with no other mark, yet it appears as if there were three kinds of marks—suffering, happiness, and neither-suffering-nor-happiness. 

Original text: 依空义者。谓缘起支。虽离有情作者受者。然似不离。显现而说。依无我义者。谓缘起支。虽不自在。实无有我相。然似我相显现。依胜义谛。诸法自性虽不可说。而言诸法自性可说。

Explanation: In accordance with the meaning of emptiness of the dharma of dependent origination, although the links of dependent origination are apart from the doer and the experiencer among sentient beings, they nevertheless appear as if not apart from them, manifesting a doer and an experiencer of the links of dependent origination; hence it is said to be emptiness. In accordance with the meaning of no-self, although the links of dependent origination are not self-governing and truly have no mark of self, they nevertheless appear as if a mark of self were manifesting. In reliance on the ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya), although the intrinsic nature of these dharmas of dependent origination cannot be spoken of, it is still said that the intrinsic nature of all dharmas can be spoken of.