緣生論

PREFACE TO THE TREATISE ON DEPENDENT ARISING

Originally, the single mind creates the three realms. Delusion flows ever farther, while the root of suffering accumulates ever higher. If one wishes to examine it carefully, this root is difficult to fathom.

The gate for entering the true characteristic of its principle is ultimately only the domain of provisional designation. The five causes and seven fruits constitute the twelve factors of dependent arising. Taken together, ordinary beings, through delusion, give rise to falsehood, while noble ones, through awakening, discern the truth.

Below, beings drift and float; above, they are like a great elephant. Excellent indeed is wondrous awakening, which is never exhausted or empty. The ten bhūmis and the Twin Grove are thoroughly penetrated.

Whether heard in a city, amid grasses and trees, or from one's seat, this scripture alone further encompasses what had not been taught elsewhere. It explains this fully, placing engagement with conditions first and counteraction afterward. In all, there are 111 gates and, in detail, 120 questions.

These matters are subtle and profound; their words are well ordered. The scripture provides the outline and gathers them all.

Furthermore, the noble Ullanga composed a treatise based on this scripture to clarify the purpose of its exposition. It comprehensively conveys the intent of the three vehicles without clinging superficially to any single part. It first establishes verses and afterward explains them in prose.

There are thirty verses, and it is therefore also called the Treatise in Thirty Verses. In the tenth month of the second year of the Daye era, the South Indian Dharma Master Dharmagupta and other Dharma masters translated this scripture. At Shanglin in the Eastern Capital, they translated it from an original Sanskrit manuscript from India that had been found in Linyi.

It required three years and nine months to complete. This scripture consists of two fascicles and the treatise of one fascicle. The Tripiṭaka Master elucidated the treatise clearly and explained its profound and esoteric meaning.

The chief Dharma Master was thoroughly versed in both scriptures and treatises and was also skilled in Sanskrit. When compared with the original text, the translation was found to correspond to it without a single word differing. Its three collections are expressed in simple language, yet their meaning is complete.

These words of the ancients contain neither error nor loss. They are plainly called the lamp of Dharma and are fully worthy of the name treasury of wisdom. May they always benefit the world in generations to come. Thus it is said.

TREATISE ON DEPENDENT ARISING

The Root Text of the Treatise in Thirty Verses on Dependent Arising

I shall now explain the Treatise in Thirty Verses on Dependent Arising sequentially and in accordance with its meaning:

“From one, three arise” means: The one is ignorance, which is also called nescience. Because one does not understand suffering, its origin, its cessation, or the path, it is called ignorance. Because of ignorance, there arise meritorious, non-meritorious, and imperturbable formations. These are called the three formations and comprise bodily, verbal, and mental formations. From these, further factors arise.

“From three, six arise in turn” means: From the three formations arise the six bodily consciousnesses, namely eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness. “The six become two” means that these six consciousnesses give rise within the body to two kinds, namely name and form. “The two become six” means that the two kinds, name and form, give rise to the six ayatanas, namely the eye ayatana, ear ayatana, nose ayatana, tongue ayatana, body ayatana, and mind ayatana. “From the six, six arise again” means that from those six ayatanas arise the six contacts: eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, and mind-contact.

“From the six there are three” means that from the six contacts arise three feelings: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. “These three again become three” means that from those three feelings arise three kinds of craving: craving for sensual desire, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence. “The three again give rise to four” means that from these three kinds of craving arise four kinds of grasping: grasping at sensual desire, grasping at views, grasping at precepts and ascetic practices, and grasping at doctrines of self. “The four again give rise to three” means that from those four kinds of grasping arise the three kinds of existence: existence in the Desire Realm, existence in the Form Realm, and existence in the Formless Realm.

“From the three, one arises” means that the three kinds of existence become conditions for one kind of future birth. “From the one, seven arise again” means that from that one there arise aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and tribulation—the seven kinds. “Within them suffering is also found; the Sage said that all is included” means that among these, ignorance is the beginning and tribulation the end. The Blessed One taught them briefly, and everything within this range should be understood as included.

The twelve differentiated kinds
Are declared by the Pure and Excellent One to be empty.
Through the force of the divisions of dependent arising,
The twelve dharmas should be known.

“The twelve differentiated kinds are declared by the Pure and Excellent One to be empty” means that this ignorance and the other kinds constitute twelve distinct factors that are not intermixed. Furthermore, all their intrinsic natures are empty, and this should be properly understood. As explained here, they are only empty dharmas. “Through the force of the divisions of dependent arising, the twelve dharmas should be known” means that if one considers the power by which they arise sequentially, those twelve dharmas should be understood as follows.

The characteristic of delusion is ignorance. Having created formations, accumulation possesses its characteristic; these are formations. What fashions consciousness and successively turns toward a share in rebirth is the characteristic of consciousness.

What is called name-and-form is the characteristic of the conjunction of the name-body and form-body; this is called name-and-form. The six ayatanas have the characteristic of abiding in their supports and are called the six ayatanas. Contact is the conjunction of eye, form, and consciousness, possessing the characteristic of their coming together; this is contact.

Feeling is present at their conjunction and experiences what is agreeable or disagreeable according to its characteristic. Craving is present there together with the characteristic of insatiability and is called craving. Grasping has the characteristic of holding and appropriating; this is grasping.

Existence is the locus of becoming and possesses the characteristic of the name-body and form-body; this is existence. Birth is present together with the manifestation of the five characteristics; this is called birth. Aging is present there and has the characteristic of maturation; it is called aging.

Death is present there when the life faculty is lost; this is called death. Sorrow is present there and bears the characteristic of being raised up; it is therefore called sorrow. Lamentation is present there when, upon hearing crying, sadness arises.

Pain is present there with the characteristic of the body being scorched; one therefore undergoes pain. Distress is also gathered there and has the characteristic of the mind being oppressed; it is therefore distress. Tribulation is present there with the characteristic of weariness and hardship; this is tribulation.

Ignorance, karmic formations, and consciousness;
Name-and-form, the faculties, and the union of three;
Experience, thirst, and grasping;
Accumulation, emergence, maturation, and the final limit.

Here, ignorance is precisely nescience; karma means formations; consciousness means cognition; name-and-form means the collective gathering of the five aggregates; the faculties mean the ayatanas; the “union of three” means contact; experience means feeling; thirst means craving; grasping means appropriation; accumulation means existence; emergence means birth; maturation means aging; and the final limit means death.

These factors also possess differentiated characteristics of inclusion, which I shall now explain sequentially, according to the distinctions among affliction, karma, and retribution.

The three afflictions are ignorance, craving, and grasping. The two karmic factors are formations and existence. The seven results are consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, birth, and aging-and-death. The twelve dharmas are included within these three categories. They are also distinguished according to time.

Ignorance and formations are the first two and belong to the past. Birth and aging-and-death are the last two and belong to the future. Consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, and existence comprise the eight factors of the present. Each of these also arises successively from the preceding one.

The three kinds—affliction, karma, and result—are as previously explained. Because of affliction, there is karma; because of karma, there is result. In turn, because of result, there is affliction; because of affliction, there is karma; and because of karma, there is result.

Question: When the afflictions are exhausted, each factor becomes quiescent and ceases. What does this mean?

Answer:

If this mind is free from defiling afflictions, it does not perfume karma. If karma is not created, retribution is not experienced. If retribution is extinguished, afflictions do not arise again. Thus, these three kinds each cease by themselves. They are also divided into cause and fruit.

The five causes called affliction and karma are, as previously stated, ignorance, formations, craving, grasping, and existence. The seven kinds of fruit that arise in turn are, as previously stated, the seven kinds of suffering: consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, birth, and aging-and-death. Moreover, these two kinds—cause and fruit—are empty.

Regarding the two kinds, cause and fruit, discussed here: if there is no fruit within the cause, then that fruit likewise contains no cause. Thus, within the cause there is no cause, and within the fruit there is no fruit. The same applies to the four subtle kinds. There are further divisions.

Within existence they are divided into four kinds;
Through the conjunction of cause and fruit, there is existence.
Affliction, karma, and fruit are joined;
Recollection and desire make six divisions.

“Within existence they are divided into four kinds; through the conjunction of cause and fruit, there is existence” means the following:

The five causes and seven fruits within the path are joined and summarized into four kinds, which are sequentially divided into four sections. Ignorance and formations belong to the past; these two dharmas constitute the first section. Consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, and feeling belong to the present; these constitute the second section. Craving, grasping, and existence also belong to the present and constitute the third section. Birth and aging-and-death belong to the future; these two dharmas constitute the fourth section. These are called the four kinds of sections.

“Affliction, karma, and fruit are joined; recollection and desire make six divisions” means that the three kinds—affliction, karma, and retribution—are joined in sequence, while the two roots are divided into six kinds. Of these, ignorance is the inclusive factor, and all factors up through feeling take ignorance as their root. Craving is the inclusive factor, and all factors up through aging take craving as their root.

Within the root of ignorance, ignorance is the division of affliction, formations are the division of karma, and consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, and feeling are the division of retribution. Within the root of craving, craving and grasping constitute the division of affliction, existence is the division of karma, and birth and aging-and-death constitute the division of retribution. The smaller divisions are now summarized.

The juncture of existence is the root from which two junctures arise, and therefore birth has two sides, constituting the first juncture. Formations and consciousness have two sides, constituting the second juncture. These two together form the juncture of karma and fruit.

Within feeling and craving, cause and fruit intermingle; this is the third juncture. These three junctures are again summarized into four kinds. Ignorance and formations constitute the first summary.

Consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, and feeling constitute the second summary. Craving, grasping, and existence constitute the third summary. Birth and aging-and-death constitute the fourth summary.

This is the meaning of the three junctures and four summaries. Furthermore, these dharmas differ according to the periods in which they remain.

“Two, two” means that ignorance and formations are taught as two kinds, and consciousness and name-and-form are taught as another two kinds. “Three, three” means that the six ayatanas, contact, and feeling are taught as three kinds, while craving, grasping, and existence are taught as another three kinds. “Another two” means that birth and aging-and-death are taught as two kinds. These comprise the five phases of suffering: creating the realm of the womb, activating and transforming, giving birth, and then continuing onward, like breathing and conscious awareness.

Ignorance and formations are the two kinds described as the time when suffering is created; they should be understood in this way. Consciousness and name-and-form are the two kinds described as the time when suffering is within the womb; they should be understood in this way. The six ayatanas, contact, and feeling are the three kinds described as the time when suffering is within the objective realm. Craving, grasping, and existence are the three kinds described as the time when suffering is activated and transformed. Birth and aging-and-death are the two kinds described as the time when suffering is again produced therein. There are also distinctions among their fruits.

Delusion gives rise to its fruit;
Retribution and continuing flow make two fruits;
Corresponding to the divisions of the faculties,
They are one, one, three, and two divisions.

As previously explained, there is the root of ignorance and the root of craving. In the first division of the root of ignorance, delusion, activation, retributive flow, and continuing flow are called the four kinds of fruit. Their divisions comprise one, one, three, and two, respectively, corresponding in sequence. Here ignorance is the fruit of delusion; formations are the fruit of activation; consciousness, name-and-form, and the six ayatanas are the fruits of retribution; and contact and feeling are the fruits of renewed flow. There are also remaining fruits.

As previously explained, in the second division of the root of craving, torment, poverty, transformation, emergence, and renewed continuation become fruits. The numbers of their factors are two, one, one, and one. They correspond among these dharmas as follows: craving and grasping are the fruits of torment; existence is the fruit of poverty; birth is the fruit of emergence and transformation; and aging-and-death is the fruit of renewed continuation. Thus, these constitute eight fruits.

Thus, from ignorance at the beginning through aging-and-death at the end, there are twelve equal factors. Each arises dependently. There is no sentient being, no lifespan, and no action-performing agent; this should be understood through wisdom. Here, “no sentient being” means that nothing is enduring. “No lifespan” means that there is no self. “No action-performing agent” means that there is no creator.

There is no cognition of a self, no cognition of anything belonging to a self, no cognition of self, and no cognition of a cause of self. Because there is no self, these four kinds of ignorance are empty. Just as these four kinds are successively empty of ignorance, formations and all the remaining factors are likewise empty. This should be understood.

Existence is included in permanence, while non-existence is included in annihilation. The two extremes arise in relation to conditions and their locus. Because existence arises at that locus, freedom from these two extremes is the Middle Way. Ignorant adherents of non-Buddhist paths fall into an extreme. Those who awaken to this are the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones. This is precisely the embodiment of awakening, which can be accomplished in this world. Apart from a human birth, this meaning cannot be realized.

Having also understood this Middle Way, the Buddha taught non-self among sentient beings. Therefore, bhikṣus, the notions of self and what belongs to self held by ordinary, childish people who have not heard such teachings are only provisional designations; within them there is neither self nor anything belonging to self. Bhikṣus! At the time of arising, only suffering arises; at the time of cessation, only suffering ceases. Thus the Guide explained this meaning in the Scripture of the Simile of the City. He also said:

In these three scriptures and elsewhere, the Blessed One taught such characteristics. They are further explained as follows:

As previously explained, if dependent arising is clearly understood, emptiness is known without difference. What, then, is understood? Emptiness is understood. “If dependent arising is not understood, that emptiness is not understood either” means that if one does not understand dependent arising, one is also unable to enter into and understand emptiness. This should be known.

“If one becomes arrogant regarding emptiness, one will not fear the aggregates of clinging” means that if arrogance arises, one will not give rise to detachment from the five aggregates of clinging. “If one does not see that emptiness, one is deluded concerning dependent arising” means that, because one does not see emptiness and is deluded regarding dependent arising, one clings to one of four kinds of view. What views does one grasp? First is the view of annihilation; second, the view of permanence; third, the doctrine of creation by a sovereign lord; and fourth, the belief that everything depends solely on previous lives.

Not being deluded concerning dependent arising,
One abandons that conceit and understands emptiness,
And fears the suffering of the aggregates of clinging;
One is not deluded about the conjunction of karma and fruit.

“Not being deluded concerning dependent arising, one abandons that conceit and understands emptiness” means, as previously explained, that if one is not deluded regarding each factor of dependent arising, does not appropriate a self or what belongs to a self, and is freed from arrogance, one can enter emptiness in accordance with the Dharma. “And fears the suffering of the aggregates of clinging; one is not deluded about the conjunction of karma and fruit” means that by appropriating a self and what belongs to a self within the five aggregates of clinging, beings revolve throughout the world without rest. By giving rise to detachment from those aggregates while recognizing the uninterrupted continuity of karma and fruit, one is neither inverted nor deluded.

It is further asked: What does this mean?

Karma creates conditions and subsequent arising,
Yet it is not itself those conditions.
Precisely because conditions are empty, this exists;
Karmic retribution is fully experienced.

“Karma creates conditions and subsequent arising, yet it is not itself those conditions” means that, as previously explained, afflictions and karma are defiled. Through pure and impure karma, sentient beings come and go, continuously arising upward and downward. If there were no such karma, it would not create conditions.

Were this not so, what had not yet been created would arrive, while what had already been created would be lost. “Precisely because conditions are empty, this exists; karmic retribution is fully experienced” means that if these deeds have the nature of impure karma, their retribution is experienced, yet their intrinsic nature is empty. Originally, there is no self that creates conditions and produces arising; their intrinsic nature is empty.

This too should be clearly understood. Its meaning will now be stated briefly.

From ignorance at the beginning through aging-and-death at the end, these are the twelve differentiated factors of dependent arising previously explained. Among them, three belong to affliction, two belong to karma, and seven belong to suffering. All are included within these categories.

Ignorance, craving, and grasping are the three sources of arising. Formations and existence are the two factors that arise from them. Consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, birth, and aging-and-death comprise the seven factors. Within those seven, as previously explained, three arise again; those three again produce two, and those two again produce seven. Thus these two kinds do not cease in succession. Like a chariot, they continue to revolve.

“Throughout all worlds, cause and fruit contain no separate sentient being” means that ignorance, formations, craving, grasping, and existence are called the five causes. Consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, birth, and aging-and-death are called the seven fruits. These are constantly present throughout the world. Ideas such as “I,” “sentient being,” “lifespan,” “birth,” “ordinary person,” “human,” or “creator,” beginning with these and distinguishing them successively, are merely false. They should be understood in this way.

How, then, do they arise? They arise only from empty dharmas and return to dharmas empty of intrinsic nature. That is, within emptiness of intrinsic nature, affliction, karma, and fruit are provisionally designated. There is only distinct emptiness and provisional naming. The dharmas of affliction, karma, and fruit arise—this is the meaning.

If afflictions exist, many different kinds of karma arise; then the many kinds of karma produce results. All of these possess both causes and conditions. This should be clearly understood. There is not a single instance without causes and conditions. To clarify this meaning, examples will now be given:

Consider a recitation taught by an instructor and received by a student. The recitation belonging to the instructor does not pass over to the student's recitation. Why? Because the instructor's recitation remains where it is. Yet the teaching of the recitation is not interrupted. Why? Because it does not arise by itself.

It is like one lamp successively lighting another: the first lamp does not pass over and become the second lamp, nor does the second lamp arise without a cause. Likewise, there are the two—the seal and its impression; the face and the mirror; the sound and its echo; the sun and fire; the seed and sprout; and the sour fruit and saliva. In all these cases, nothing passes from one to the other. Yet they do not fail to arise, nor do they arise without causes.

When the five aggregates of clinging continue in succession, the first aggregates do not pass over and become the second aggregates. Yet the latter do not fail to arise, nor do they arise without causes. The wise should clearly contemplate that these aggregates continue without an entity arising and passing from one to the next.

Furthermore, the complete process of internal and external experience has ten characteristics, all of which should be observed. Externally there are ten: first, not permanent; second, not annihilated; third, not passing over; fourth, without an interval; fifth, not the identical entity; sixth, not wholly different; seventh, without a creator; eighth, not without a cause; ninth, empty at every moment; and tenth, continuity of fruit of the same kind.

Externally, when a seed is extinguished without remainder, a sprout arises that is not permanent. The seed is not annihilated, though it is extinguished without remainder. The sprout previously did not exist and is brought into existence, yet it does not pass over from the seed.

Its continuity is not interrupted. Because cause and fruit are connected, there is no interval. Because sprout and seed differ, the sprout cannot be the seed itself.

Because it arises from the seed, it is not entirely different. Because causes and conditions unite, there is no creator. Because the seed is its cause, it is not without a cause.

Since seed, sprout, branch, leaf, flower, fruit, and so forth transmit life successively, each is empty from moment to moment. When the tongue tastes bitterness or pungency, the fruit does not change in accordance with differences among causes; the continuity of fruit of the same kind increases therein.

Internally there are likewise ten characteristics. First, at the approach of death, all aggregates of clinging perish without anything remaining; therefore they are said to be impermanent. Second, because further portions of the aggregates of clinging arise successively, they are not annihilated.

Third, when all aggregates of clinging cease without remainder at death and other abundant aggregates arise again, what previously did not exist is brought into existence, yet it does not pass over. Fourth, because the continuity of those aggregates is not interrupted and cause and fruit are connected, there is no interval. Fifth, because different aggregates of clinging arise at death, they are not the identical entity.

Sixth, because they arise from the former aggregates, they are not wholly different. Seventh, because causes and conditions unite, there is no creator. Eighth, because afflictions and karma serve as causes, they are not without a cause.

Ninth, the kalala, arbuda, peśī, ghana, praśākha, emergence from the womb, infant boy or girl, youth, adult, and so forth arise successively in transmission; therefore each is empty from moment to moment. Tenth, karmic perfuming is accomplished. Because fruit emerges and transforms according to differences among causes, there is continuity of fruit of the same kind.

There is another verse:

Ignorance, formations, craving, grasping, and existence constitute the truth of origin. Consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, birth, and aging-and-death constitute the truth of suffering. The disappearance of these twelve factors is the truth of cessation. To know dependent arising as it truly is constitutes the truth of the path.

End of the Treatise on Dependent Arising