阿含口解十二因緣經

One who wishes to cut off birth-and-death and to turn toward the path that delivers the world (the transcendent path, liberation) should reflect upon and abandon the twelve links of dependent origination. What are the twelve? They are:

1. The root is Delusion-darkness (Ignorance, Avidyā).

2. From Delusion-darkness arises Formation (Saṃskāra, Volitional Activity).

3. From Formation arises Consciousness (Vijñāna).

4. From Consciousness there is Name-and-Form (Nāma-rūpa).

5. From Name-and-Form there are the Six Declines (the Six Sense-Bases, Ṣaḍāyatana).

6. From the Six Declines arises Contact-experienced (Contact, Sparśa).

7. From Contact-experienced arises Pain (Feeling, Vedanā).

8. From Pain there is Craving (Tṛṣṇā).

9. From Craving arises Seeking (Grasping, Upādāna).

10. From Seeking there is Attainment (Becoming, Bhava).

11. From Attainment there is Birth (Jāti).

12. From Birth there is Old-age-sickness-death (Old-age-and-death, Jarā-maraṇa).

These are the twelve matters of dependent origination. When these twelve matters arise in sequence, one should employ the Four Impermanences (the practice of the Four Truths) to extinguish them. What are the Four Impermanences? They are:

1. To discern suffering.

2. To relinquish accumulation (origin).

3. To understand cessation (extinction).

4. To practice the path.

Furthermore, there is the mindfulness of birth, the mindfulness of old age, the mindfulness of sickness, and the mindfulness of death. Mindfulness of these four matters removes those twelve links of dependent origination. The path is accomplished precisely through mindfulness of these four matters. One who practices the path and wishes to attain liberation must cut off the twelve matters of dependent origination; this is to cut off the root of birth-and-death. The twelve links of dependent origination have an inner and an outer aspect:

1. The inner is Delusion, the outer is Earth.

2. The inner is Formation, the outer is Water.

3. The inner is Consciousness, the outer is Fire.

4. The inner is Name-and-Form, the outer is Wind.

5. The inner is the Six Sense-Bases, the outer is Space.

6. The inner is Contact, the outer is the Seed.

7. The inner is Pain (Feeling), the outer is the Root.

8. The inner is Craving, the outer is the Trunk.

9. The inner is Grasping, the outer is the Leaf.

10. The inner is Becoming, the outer is the Branch.

11. The inner is Birth, the outer is the Flower.

12. The inner is Old-age-and-death, the outer is the Fruit.

The birth-and-death of human beings follows the twelve inner links of dependent origination. The birth-and-death of the myriad things follows the twelve outer links of dependent origination.

What is Delusion (Ignorance)? It means not revering one's father and mother, not distinguishing white from black (good from evil). From this cause and condition there is pain (feeling) that one does not wish to abandon, and there is no belief in this present life nor in the life to come.

Having created such a state, one then follows along with formation; not to create it is not possible either. Therefore, because there is Delusion there is Formation. Because there is Formation there is Consciousness.

Because there is Consciousness there is Name-and-Form. Because there is Name-and-Form there are the Six Sense-Bases. Because there are the Six Sense-Bases there is Contact.

Because there is Contact there is Pain (Feeling). Because there is Pain (Feeling) there is Craving. Because there is Craving there is Grasping.

Because there is Grasping there is Becoming. Because there is Becoming there is Birth. Because there is Birth there is Old-age-and-death.

Thus the life of a human being takes on the twelve links of dependent origination; it arises in accordance with the twelve links of dependent origination, and without these causes and conditions there is no arising. The myriad things are likewise. If one does not cut off the twelve links of dependent origination, one does not escape birth-and-death.

The practice and cultivation of the thirty-seven divisions of the scripture (the thirty-seven factors aiding the path) is the means by which the path is attained therefrom. The twelve links of dependent origination have three matters:

1. It is delusion (ignorance).

2. It is birth-and-death, the unbroken formation.

It is the cause and condition of the former life.

3. It is consciousness. From consciousness the body that is born is received.

4. It is name-and-form.

The form-body then becomes the five aggregates; this is the cause and condition of the present life.

5. It is the six declines (the six sense-bases).

Again it produces birth-and-death, the unbroken formation; the seed-contact is the cause and condition of the life to come.

The three lives—former, latter—turn together through cause and condition, and so there are three matters. The twelve links of dependent origination have their root in the ten matters (deeds) of the body, which give rise to the ten matters of the body: seven matters become one, and three matters arise from four. The seven matters that become one are: killing, stealing (theft), sexual misconduct, double-tongued speech, harsh speech, false speech, and frivolous speech—these together with form make one.

The three matters from four are: envy (greed), anger (hatred), and delusion, which together with pain-elation (feeling), conception (perception), birth-and-death (formation), and consciousness (consciousness), are the ten matters combined to make the five aggregates, thus forming the twelve links of dependent origination. Earth is called delusion; formation is the heaping aggregate, and so it produces the formation of birth-and-death.

From seed-contact it is called formation; once there is formation there is consciousness, which receives the body of birth-and-death. Because there is consciousness there is name-and-form, and the body again produces the ten matters (deeds), so that the five aggregates already exist. Because there is name-and-form there are the six sense-bases, which again produce the heaping aggregate.

Formation and seed-contact will afterward again be received, turning together through the cause and condition of birth-and-death, and therefore it is called cause and condition.

The ten matters of the body are the twelve links of dependent origination: Envy (greed) is delusion (ignorance). Anger is birth-and-death (formation). Pure suspicion is consciousness.

Killing living beings is name-and-form. Stealing is the six declines (the six sense-bases). Sexual misconduct is contact.

Double-tongued speech (speaking with two tongues) is pain (feeling). False speech is craving. Harsh and evil speech is becoming.

Frivolous, embellished speech is wishing. Whether birth comes to be or not is becoming. Among the twelve links of dependent origination, why is lust (greed) delusion (ignorance), anger birth-and-death (formation), and pure suspicion consciousness?

These three matters (deeds) within are the root. Once there are the three matters there are the seven matters, forming the five heaping aggregates. Envy (greed) is the root of the five aggregates, and so it is delusion (ignorance).

When the formation of the five aggregates accords with the mind there is delight; when it does not accord with the mind there is anger, and so it produces birth-and-death (formation), unbroken in the ten matters. Outwardly it is from the body; inwardly it is from the mind. Delusion is not distinguishing good from evil; not knowing birth-and-death, there is therefore consciousness.

One who practices the path and wishes to cut off the twelve links of dependent origination should first cut off the ten matters of the body. It is from delusion (ignorance); when from delusion the five aggregates are extinguished, then the twelve links of dependent origination are also extinguished. To cut off the ten matters of the body—outwardly it is from the body, inwardly it is from the mind.

To speak of guarding body and mind means not killing; it is also called: outwardly from the mouth, inwardly from envy (greed). To cut off means that toward the myriad things no thought whatsoever arises, and so anger ceases; because anger ceases, killing ceases. Because killing ceases, greedy desire ceases.

Because greedy desire ceases, lust ceases. Outwardly from the mouth is sound. When sound ceases, then double-tongued speech, harsh and evil speech, false speech, and frivolous embellished speech also cease.

Having no delusion, one enters the path; this is to turn back and cut off the five aggregates, which are the root of the twelve links of dependent origination.

The reception of a human body has three distinct things:

The first is the five aggregates, the heaping aggregates.

The second is the eighteen kinds (elements, dhātus).

The third is the practice of the twelve links of dependent origination.

These are the three matters by which the body has three distinct aspects.

+ The first, the five aggregates, the heaping aggregate, is this: The five aggregates arise from the ten matters of the body. From the eye is the form aggregate. From the ear is the pain-elation (feeling) aggregate. From the nose is the conception (perception) aggregate. From the mouth is the birth-and-death (formation) aggregate. From the mind is the consciousness aggregate. The mind, master of mindful confrontation, is the basis of the six matters. This is the ground of the five aggregates.

+ The second is the eighteen kinds of entry, the nineteen faculties. The eighteen kinds (elements) are the formation of the five aggregates, the heaping aggregate. There is confrontation and there is entry, which is the root of the twelve entrances; together with the six sentiments (faculties) they are the eighteen kinds (entrances), and because there is consciousness they are the nineteen faculties. To say the eighteen kinds (elements) means that consciousness does not arise, and so they are the eighteen kinds (elements). This is to say that the formation of the heaping aggregate gives rise to the eighteen kinds (elements) and the nineteen faculties.

+ The third is the twelve links of dependent origination: this means the formation of the five aggregates. The five heaping aggregates grasp the twelve links of dependent origination, and so there is a body; this is identical with the ten matters of the body, distinguished together. From form the body is obtained; from the four aggregates the designation is obtained.

From name-and-form, craving and grasping are obtained. From grasping, delusion (ignorance) is practiced; practicing delusion thus forms the twelve links of dependent origination. One who practices the path should cut off form and not create a body (a self); only by designation is a body created.

Although there are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, these too are non-body (non-self). Why? Because if the ear were a person, it ought to be able to hear everything; it receives its designation according to its form and characteristic.

It is like calling something gold. It is like using gold to make various objects. From this cause the names are assigned.

Earth, water, fire, wind, and space are the five matters that create the body, and these too are non-body (non-self). Why? Because the body discerns the subtle and smooth (contact).

One who has died is like earth and does not discern the subtle and smooth (contact); thus one knows that earth, water, fire, wind, and space are non-body (non-self). The body too is empty, the mind too is empty—all is empty, without any possession—and there is also no pain-elation (feeling). Why?

Because one who has died no longer knows feeling. Thus it is empty. Once the mind has departed from the body, there is also no feeling.

It is only the harmonious combination of causes and conditions, and so it returns again to non-existence. Within the body there are twelve kinds of wind, which are: the wind of the upper breath—the wind of the lower breath; the wind in the eyes—the wind in the ears—the wind in the nose; the wind in the back; the wind in the ribs; the wind in the navel; the wind in the arms; the wind in the legs; the winding, twisting wind; the blade-wind; the blade-wind that comes to the sick person; the blade-wind that kills living beings; the blade-wind that severs a person's life.

On birth, old age, sickness, and death. Birth is, at first, the entering into the mother's womb (entering the embryo), and afterward being born. Having been born there is old age. It is only by halting within the mind, using cessation, that one extinguishes the breath going out and coming in, clearly seeing the root of the body, which is the combination of the ten matters, in order to extinguish it.

The five matters within the body:

1. It is earth.

2. It is water.

3. It is fire.

4. It is wind.

5. It is space.

What is hard and firm is earth. What is soft and supple is water. What is hot is fire. What is breath is wind. That by which food and drink go out and in is space. There must also be other causes and conditions combined to make a person, who regards this as "my body." Or, wishing to discern the myriad things together, one makes comparison and regards it as having a body; there are also five causes and conditions combined:

1. Form (form).

2. Pain-elation (feeling).

3. Conception (perception).

4. Birth-and-death (formation).

5. Consciousness (consciousness).

When these ten matters are combined, birth-and-death is seen. Matters (deeds) are wholesome or unwholesome. Wholesome practice is of two kinds: not transgressing—the body has three, the mouth has four, the mind has three—this is the first wholesomeness.

The second wholesomeness is: giving, upholding the precepts, patience, vigor, and being without doubt—this is the second wholesomeness. The unwholesome is also of two kinds: transgressing—the body has three, the mouth has four, the mind has three—together with drinking liquor, this is the first unwholesomeness. Doubt, envy, greed, and stinginess—this is the second unwholesomeness.

To guard the body, mouth, and mind—this is one who practices the path. From merit, birth is obtained. From formation there are old age, sickness, and death, and the body is then destroyed.

When a person enters concentration, the mind departs from the body and abides in the cause and condition of the ground (earth). Why does one not die? Because the four matters that hold together have not yet dispersed and decayed.

One who practices the ten matters (deeds) follows the three matters. One who practices the three matters follows the two matters. One who practices the two matters follows the one matter.

What are the ten matters? They are the ten unwholesome deeds, and so there are the three matters of body, mouth, and mind. Once there are the three matters, there are the two matters, name and form.

Once there is name-and-form, one then falls into delusion (ignorance), revolving for a hundred kalpas before being able to become a human, which is hard to fully attain. Human life purely produces the earth-consciousness as the seed; the consciousnesses of the five paths, with their differing names, combine to make one consciousness, and upon entering this one consciousness one loses the original place that was discerned.

It is like a person born up in the heavenly realm: carrying the human consciousness, one receives the heavenly consciousness, and so forgets the affairs of the human world. A person is born from non-existence and dies from existence. From what does non-existence arise?

Not discerning non-existence, one is born. From what does existence die? Not discerning existence, one dies.

Discerning non-existence, one is no longer born. Discerning existence, one no longer dies.

When the mind has an object of mindfulness, through cessation one reaches the place where one is born. If the mind's mindfulness is not extinguished, then neither can birth proceed upon the mind. The first arising of the mind, through cessation, then again gives rise to mindfulness; though the objects of mindfulness are many, one again, from the top of the mind, receives the causes and conditions.

A person is born with the wife as the root. The husband and wife, impure, defiled, manifesting, obtain a body. Growing up, one is then led astray by evil acquaintances; the five aggregates, the six cessations, and the twelve declines (entrances) deceive one, and so there are old age, sickness, death, sorrow, and suffering.

Birth-and-death is delusion; one of wisdom should cut off the six cessations, which are earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness. The twelve declines (entrances) are form, sound, taste, the subtle and smooth (contact), and mindful desire (dharmas). Within there are robbers concealing their names.

These are the twelve declines (entrances). A person is born from three causes and conditions:

1. Assembly.

2. Gathering.

3. Mind, intellect, consciousness.

Pain-elation (feeling), conception (perception), birth-and-death (formation), and consciousness—these are assembly. The various cravings and desires—these are gathering. The first at the top is the mind.

In the middle is the intellect. The last is consciousness. A human being, at first, enters the mother's womb, like the yellow within a chicken's egg.

By the thirty-seventh day there is fully formed head, face, hands, feet, fingers, and toes. Four days before birth, it turns and reverses direction downward. A human being within the mother's womb suffers much hardship and bitterness.

During the time within the mother's womb, the lifespan increasingly grows and the consciousness increasingly enlarges. The body becomes somewhat firmer; when it reaches half a year, the body together with the consciousness gradually diminishes. To obtain a body is merit, and is also fault.

Why? Because to obtain a human body is merit. Because of hunger and thirst, cold and heat, lustful craving, and envy, it is fault.

A person bears a child through five causes and conditions:

1. There is an original vow.

2. Shared karma.

3. Clear understanding of propriety.

4. A debt comes due.

5. Repayment of a debt.

What is an original vow? It means that in a former life, upon seeing another person's child, beautiful and fine, one vowed, saying, "May my child also be like this."

Shared karma: this is shared reckoning and calculation, comparing and finding mutual benefit, and so being called together.

Clear understanding of propriety: this is that they ought to love and respect one another.

A debt comes due: this is when the parents preside over the matter of birth, and the child is used in a manner not harmonious.

Repayment of a debt: this is when the child presides over the matter of birth, entrusting itself to the parents.

A child is born through three causes and conditions:

1. The parents in a former life owed the child money and goods.

2. The child in a former life owed the parents money and goods.

3. A foe and enemy comes to be the child.

The parents toil hard to create wealth, and having obtained it they then die, and the child inherits and uses it. This is the parents of a former life owing the child money and goods.

The child labors to create wealth, and having obtained it then dies, and the parents use it. This is the child of a former life owing the parents money and goods.

Sometimes a child is born and after a hundred days and so forth then dies, and the parents are grieved, bitter, and distressed. This is the foe and enemy coming along with the birth.

A child born is of three kinds:

1. A child of merit.

2. A true and upright child.

3. A child not true and upright.

What is a child of merit? It means that the parents uphold the precepts, give, are patient, are vigorous, and practice the path, and the child is likewise. This is a child of merit.

A true and upright child: this is when the parents do not believe in the path, yet the child alone reveres and practices the teaching of the path. This is a true and upright child.

A child not true and upright: this is when the parents follow the deeds of the path and follow the practice of the Dharma, yet the child only knows how to drink liquor and do evil. This is a child not true and upright.

A child is born from the parents, with shared mind, with shared conduct, and with shared mindfulness. Equally living long, being wealthy and noble, and being upright and dignified—these are shared conduct. Lustful craving and anger—these are shared mind. Vigorously practicing the path—this is shared mindfulness. When the root of conduct lies with the father, one mostly resembles the father. When the root of conduct lies with the mother, one mostly resembles the mother. Not sharing conduct, one is therefore not of the same kind.

When a person is born and touches the ground, before having any discernment, one then joyfully turns toward the mother; this is because the root of mind-consciousness acts as the cause and condition, and so it is thus.

When a person is born again, there is a cause and condition: the body is able to come and go without interruption, and by the seventh day there is again a sac enveloping the body, also having earth, water, fire, wind, and space, only very minute and hard to see. A person of old age discerns little and forgets much; the consciousness gradually shifts away, turning toward the place of the next birth. Why? Because one does not foreknow the place where one will be born, since it has not yet come. Another is born, another comes, another arrives at another's place, another worries over another's place. Following along for a long time, it becomes habitual and so forth, and so one does not learn. The body has three pains (feelings), and the mind also has three pains (feelings).

The three feelings of the body are:

1. Being struck by blade, staff, tile, brick, or stone.

2. Sickness and emaciation.

3. Death.

The three feelings of the mind are:

1. Worrying over the discernment of father and mother, brothers, wife and children.

2. Worrying over wealth, precious goods, and foes and enemies.

3. Worrying over the span of life.

What is the feeling aggregate? It means that the five aggregates are not in harmony, and so one feels suffering.

What is the death aggregate? It is ripening and decay, and so it is death.

All sickness is produced by the mind's activity; the body does not discern, and so it does not produce that sickness.

Why does the body become sick? Because the four causes and conditions are not equal.

What is worry? It is everything not being as one wishes.

By what is it not clearly settled? It is on account of sickness that has passed.

By what is it made urgent? It is precisely about to be destroyed.

By what is it dispersed and decayed? It is on account of the harm done by the body's aging.

What is old age and death? It is destruction.

What is impermanence (anitya)? It is not being self-sovereign.

What is suffering? It is being oppressed.

What is emptiness? It is having no master.

What does it mean to say "self acts"? It is on account of non-body (non-self).

One cannot depart from suffering, nor does one seek to feel suffering—these are the ten matters.

What a person desires comprises three matters. What a person craves and loves, always wishing to attain, is:

1. Strength.

2. Peace and security.

3. Long life.

Likewise there are three enmities:

1. Old age, which is the enemy opposing strength.

2. Sickness, which is the enemy opposing peace and security.

3. The body's death, which is the enemy opposing long life.

There are also three matters of deliverance:

1. Taking refuge in the Buddha.

2. Taking refuge in the Dharma.

3. Taking refuge in the Bhikṣu Saṅgha.

There are four matters worthy of fear: namely, birth, old age, sickness, and death.

A person with a red face has five causes and conditions:

1. Being near fire.

2. Drinking liquor.

3. Fear.

4. Thinking in anger.

5. Much shame.

White hair has four causes and conditions:

1. Much fire.

2. Much worry.

3. Much sickness.

4. The kind that turns white early.

A sick, emaciated person has four causes and conditions:

1. Lack of food.

2. Having worry.

3. Much sorrow.

4. Having sickness.

When the body is not yet in harmony, there are four matters that do not announce themselves to a person beforehand:

1. White hair.

2. Old age.

3. Sickness.

4. Death.

These four matters cannot be avoided, nor can they be departed from, nor can they be refused.

There are four matters that cannot be endured:

1. Hunger.

2. Thirst.

3. Cold.

4. Heat.

The body again has four matters:

1. Not upright.

2. Not complete.

3. Not eating to fullness.

4. Not being satisfied.

The body again has four sufferings:

1. The suffering at the time of birth.

2. The suffering at the time of old age.

3. The suffering at the time of sickness.

4. The suffering at the time of death.

All tastes do not exceed eight kinds:

1. Bitter.

2. Not sweetly smooth.

3. Pungent.

4. Salty.

5. Bland.

6. Sweet.

7. Sour.

8. Not clearly discerned as to taste.

The bitter increases cold and heat. The not-sweetly-smooth increases much wind and removes cold. The pungent removes water. The sour removes wind and causes a person's eyes to grow dim and dark.

Eating has three causes and conditions, all of which enter into the blood vessels, bone, and marrow:

1. Fat and grease.

2. Poison.

3. Liquor.

These three all enter throughout the body; there is no place they do not reach. All foods and drinks contain fat, only thicker or thinner, more or less.

People have four lineages:

1. Elders (the wealthy and eminent).

2. Those of the path-arts.

3. Ritual masters (sorcerer-priests).

4. Farmers (tillers of the field).

Birth is of four kinds:

1. Birth from the womb (womb-born).

2. Birth from the union of heat and cold (moisture-born).

3. Birth from transformation.

4. Birth from an egg.

Birth from the womb is human beings together with animals. Birth from the union of heat and cold is creatures such as worms, moths, and the like. Birth from transformation is the devas and the hell-beings. Birth from an egg is flying birds and fish.

The human head has forty-five bones. From the spine upward there are fifty-one bones. The four limbs have one hundred and four bones, which together make two hundred bones. The human body has seven hundred thousand blood vessels and ninety-nine thousand pores. One can contemplate all of this and see it for oneself, distinguishing and discerning it.

There was an Arhat who, using the heavenly eye to see clearly, saw that women fallen into hell were very many, and so he asked the Buddha why this was so. The Buddha said: It is because of four causes and conditions:

1. Greed for jewels and goods such as clothing, always wishing to obtain much.

2. Mutual envy of one another.

3. Much of the mouth and tongue.

4. Fashioning a beautiful appearance, with much lustful craving.

For these reasons they fall into hell in great numbers.

– Note (by the Translator):

This Scripture (Treatise) (1508/1) was translated into Chinese in the early period (the Later Han Dynasty, second century C.E.), and so most of the translated sentences, terms, and technical expressions are still in a state of groping and formation:

The explanations and expressions are not yet clear, are deficient, confused, and not always reasonable.

Many passages of the translated text are obscure in meaning and awkward.

The terms and technical expressions for the most part belong to the early period, and we have had to use parentheses to record the standard, commonly used terms.