Abhidharmakośa, Volume Nine

(5) Original text: 若缘起支。唯十二者。不说老死果。生死应有终。不说无明因。生死应有始。或应更立余缘起支。余复有余。成无穷失。不应更立。然无前过。此中世尊由义已显。云何已显。颂曰。从惑生惑业。从业生于事。从事事惑生。有支理唯此。

Explanation: If the links of dependent origination were only twelve links, and the fruit of aging-and-death were not spoken of, then birth-and-death should have an end; and if the cause of ignorance were not spoken of, then birth-and-death should have a beginning. Alternatively, one should establish further links of dependent origination beyond these, and beyond those still others, which would entail the fault of endlessness. Therefore no further links should be established. Yet without the aforementioned faults, the World-Honored One has already made this meaning evident here through the principle. How has it been made evident? There is a verse that says: from delusion arise delusion and karma; from karma arises the phenomenal; from the phenomenal arise the phenomenal and delusion. The principle of the links of existence is only this.

Original text: 论曰。从惑生惑。谓爱生取。从惑生业。谓取生有。无明生行。从业生事。谓行生识。及有生生。从事生事。谓从识支生于名色。乃至从触生于受支。及从生支生于老死。从事生惑。谓受生爱。由立有支。其理唯此。已显老死。为事惑因。及显无明。为事惑果。无明老死事。惑性故。岂假更立余缘起支。故经言如是。纯大苦蕴集。若不尔者。此言何用。

Explanation: The treatise says: from delusion arises delusion, meaning the process of craving giving rise to grasping; from delusion arises karma, meaning the process of grasping giving rise to existence, and of ignorance giving rise to volitional formations; from karma arises the phenomenal, meaning the process of volitional formations giving rise to the six consciousnesses, and of existence giving rise to birth; from the phenomenal arises the phenomenal, meaning the process of consciousness giving rise to name-and-form, of contact giving rise to feeling, and of birth giving rise to aging-and-death; from the phenomenal arises delusion, meaning the process of feeling giving rise to craving.