Abhidharmakośa Śāstra, Volume 9 (Section on the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination)

Original text:颂曰。如是诸缘起十二支。三际前后际各二。中八据圆满。论曰。十二支者。一无明二行。三识四名色。五六处六触。七受八爱。九取十有。十一生十二老死。言三际者。一前际。二后际。三中际。即是过未。及现三生。云何十二支。于三际建立。谓前后际。各立二支。中际八支。故成十二。无明行在前际。生老死在后际。所余八在中际。此中际八。一切有情此一生中皆具有不。非皆具有。若尔何故说。有八支据圆满者。此中意说。补特伽罗历一切位。名圆满者。非诸中夭。及色无色。但据欲界补特伽罗。 

Explanation: The twelve links of dependent origination are divided into three periods (triads). The prior period, the past life, has two links: ignorance and volitional formations; the middle period, the present life, has eight links: consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, and existence; the latter period, the future life, has two links: birth and aging-and-death. How are the twelve links divided into two links each in the prior and latter periods, and eight links in the middle period, making twelve in total? Ignorance and volitional formations are in the prior period; birth and aging-and-death are in the latter period; the remaining eight links are in the middle period. As for these eight links of the middle period, do all sentient beings possess all of them within this one life? Not all possess them. If that is so, for what reason is it said that having eight links demonstrates that the five-aggregate body is complete? The meaning here is that a person (pudgala) who has passed through all the stages is called complete; it does not refer to those who die prematurely, nor to those in the form realm or the formless realm; it is said only with reference to a person of the desire realm that having the eight links constitutes completeness. 

Original text:大缘起经说。具有故彼说。佛告阿难陀言。识若不入胎。得增广大不。不也世尊。乃至广说。有时但说二分缘起。一前际摄。二后际摄。前七支前际摄。谓无明乃至受。后五支后际摄。谓从爱至老死。前后因果二分摄故。 

Explanation: The Great Dependent Origination Sūtra says that all eight links are present, and therefore it is called complete. The Buddha told Ānanda: "If consciousness does not enter the womb, can name-and-form grow and expand?" Ānanda replied that it cannot. Then an extensive explanation was given of the reasons therein. Sometimes only a two-part dependent origination is taught: one part is subsumed under the prior period, and the second part is subsumed under the latter period. The first seven links are subsumed under the prior period, namely from ignorance up to feeling; the latter five links are subsumed under the latter period, namely from craving to aging-and-death. This is because the causes and effects of the prior and latter periods are subsumed under these two parts. 

Original text:无明等支何法为体。颂曰。宿惑谓无明。宿诸业名行。识正结生蕴。六处前名色。从生眼等根。三和前六处。于三受因异。未了知名触。在淫爱前受。贪资具淫爱。为得诸境界。遍驰求名取。有谓正能造。牵当有果业。结当有名生。至当受老死。 

Explanation: What dharma serves as the essence of these links such as ignorance? There is a verse: the latent afflictions of past lives are called ignorance; the various karmic actions of past lives are called volitional formations; the consciousness that is presently conjoining to produce the aggregates; name-and-form is the link prior to the six sense bases; from it arise the faculties such as the eye; the six sense bases are the link prior to the conjunction of the three (faculty, object, and consciousness); because the causes for the three kinds of feeling differ, before they are discerned the link is known as contact; feeling is the link prior to sexual craving; craving for the necessities of life and sexual desire arise from greed; in order to obtain the various objects of the realms, running about and seeking everywhere is called grasping. Existence refers to the five-aggregate body that is presently creating karma that will draw the future retributive result of existence. The conjoining of the future existence is called birth, and in the end one will undergo the suffering of aging and death.