十二因緣論

I take refuge in the Lord Muni,

In the Sublime Dharma, and in the Saṅgha of Bhikṣus.

Briefly I compose this treatise on dependent origination,

That its meaning may be clearly revealed.

That which the Muni expounded—

The twelve links, supreme above all—

The dependent origination from which dharmas arise,

These are gathered under three headings.

Affliction, action, and suffering:

In order spoken, they should be known.

Affliction: the first, the eighth, and the ninth;

Action: the second and the tenth;

The remaining seven are called suffering.

Three headings gather the twelve dharmas.

From those three the two arise,

From those two the seven arise,

From the seven, again the three arise—

Thus they revolve in cyclic turning.

All worldly dharmas

Are but cause and effect, with no person therein.

Ever from dharmas that are empty,

Only emptiness of dharmas arises.

When lamplight shines upon a mirror,

That round reflection is itself but water.

Whether the various reflections change or change not,

The wise should ponder and reflect.

There was an accomplished disciple who, according to the Dharma he had heard, was able to receive and uphold it, so that he did not forget the dharmas of the Tathāgata—namely those things and their natures and characteristics that are not [readily grasped], and so forth. As within these meanings there was doubt in his mind, and because he wished to attain knowledge, he asked: "Venerable Sir,

That which the Muni expounded—

The twelve links, supreme above all—

The dependent origination from which dharmas arise,

These are gathered under three headings.

Thus are all matters gathered,

So that they may be clearly understood.

I pray you, explain it for me,

And sever for me the net of doubt."

The teacher, perceiving the disciple's intention,

That he thirsted and yearned for the Dharma,

And because he reverently made this request,

Thereupon answered, that he might hear:

"The twelve links, supreme above all,

These are gathered under three headings:

Affliction, action, and suffering.

Again it is said, this should be understood.

These are ten and two,

Therefore they are called twelve.

Since from these they cannot be made other,

Therefore they are called supreme.

Just as the spokes of a wheel—

That they are 'supreme' should be understood."

To say "Muni" means quiescent cessation; again it is also called Non-discrimination; again it is also called Concentration; again it also bears the name Free of verbal utterance. That which the Muni spoke was for the sake of proclaiming and discoursing. This is called a provisional designation.

Yet the being-and-non-being thereof, in the case of a great man, when concentration is attained at will, are natures and characteristics that have arisen. Only dependent origination is that which gives rise to them. There are these twelve links, by reason of affliction and the place of action.

These three dharmas, mutually and reciprocally, create the conditions for one another—like the [supporting hands] pressing upon a pot. Thus the three headings under which they are gathered should be understood.

Question: What are the afflictions? What is action? What does suffering comprise, that there should be this whereby the dharmas of dependent origination are gathered, supreme above all?

Answer: Among these twelve links, the first is ignorance, the eighth is craving, and the ninth is grasping. These are the three principal afflictions that must be gathered. The second is volitional formations, the tenth is becoming.

These are the two links of action that must be gathered. As for the remaining seven links, they are the suffering that must be gathered. Action, suffering, and affliction—these three gather the twelve links; this should be known.

The remaining seven kinds, namely: consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense-bases, contact, feeling, and birth, old-age-and-death. Separation from what is loved and cherished, encounter with what is hated and resented, failure to obtain what is sought—thus these dharmas produce all suffering. In this way the various links converge there, to speak of affliction, action, and suffering, taking this as the foundation; this should be understood.

These twelve links are gathered into but three matters, with no surplus dharma. In all the sūtras there is only this division, and nothing else besides.

Question: The meaning of the supreme links is now understood. Explain for me where affliction, action, and suffering abide. Furthermore, how are all things accomplished?

Answer: From the three arise the two—these three are affliction, and these two are action—meaning that from affliction, action arises. From the two arise the seven—these seven are suffering—meaning that from action, suffering arises. Then from those seven arise the three—meaning that from those sufferings, affliction arises.

This is to say that affliction, action, and suffering, these three kinds, mutually and reciprocally give rise to one another; therefore arising revolves in cyclic turning and does not rest still, and so it is called "becoming." For this reason, within the realms of desire, form, and formlessness, and so forth, there is no resting still—just like a wheel that produces becoming. All sentient beings of the world, the ordinary worldlings, in turn high and low, also ever whirl about; that becoming does not rest still, and so it is called "indeterminate." For this reason, three headings are spoken of.

Question: That which creates all bodies, the sovereign sentient being—by what does it create such a matter, and in what way?

Answer: There is a verse:

All worldly dharmas

Are but cause and effect, with no person therein.

Except provisionally, it is said there is [one]—

This should be carefully pondered.

Therefore one sees that the creating of a creator of sentient beings is not established.

Question: If this is so, then how is it that, from the present world, the future world is grasped?

Answer: There is not even the slightest particle of a dharma that, from the present world, grasps the future world. Therefore there is a verse:

It can be that from dharmas that are empty,

Only emptiness of dharmas arises.

This makes clear that self and what belongs to self are both empty; therefore the locus of affliction and action—these are the five dharmas of conditioned activity, whose nature is devoid of self—are grasped in this way.

Question: If the nature is a selfless dharma, and the nature of conditioned activity is selfless, then how can the matter of realization be spoken of, and in what way?

Answer: The verse says:

When lamplight shines upon a mirror,

That round reflection is itself but water.

In this way the various similes, because realization can be grasped, are believed to have no self-substance, their nature being a provisional designation. It is said to be like the present and the future age, just as a teacher recites and a disciple can recite—yet truly it is not that [the recitation] is transmitted from the teacher to the disciple. Now, were it not transmitted from teacher to disciple, how could it not be established—meaning that the disciple receives and accepts it?

One may say the disciple, without cause, comes to be sheltered, the calculation of error being without cause or trouble; therefore, at the moment of death, the consciousness does not reach the future world, ever obstructed and anxious. There is no future body that comes from elsewhere to shelter [it], the calculation of error being without cause or trouble.

Just as the teacher's recitation acts as the cause, causing the disciple to obtain that which cannot be said—this likewise cannot be said [otherwise]. Since they go wholly in different directions, in this way, at the moment of death, the consciousness acts as the cause; therefore there arises the consciousness of the later body, yet that consciousness cannot be said to be one, nor can it be said to be other; again it does not depart from that [former], and again it is not that [former].

In this way, from a flame, flame is born; from a footprint, footprint; from a mirror, an image; from a sound, an echo; from the sun and from the bright pearl, fire is born; from a seed, a sprout—just as the pomegranate seed and the mango fruit, and so forth. Just as from the mouth saliva is born—in this way the various dharmas are not called that [former], nor are they called other than that. In this way all the dharmas of dependent origination, whether they turn or do not turn, the wise should understand.

Therein are the aggregates; therefore it is said that form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, when they are reborn there, the aggregates cease. By reason of the ceasing of those aggregates, the later characteristic is born resembling [them], yet truly there is not the slightest particle of a dharma that passes from here to there. This is the meaning of the world's gradual succession; by reason of this meaning, all the world is impermanent, impure, suffering, selfless, and so forth.

One should contemplate such matters and, with regard to the dharmas, give rise to no doubt or perplexity. Because no doubt or perplexity arises, no defilement arises; because no defilement arises, no clinging arises; because no clinging arises, no craving arises; because no craving arises, no action is created. Because there is no action, there is no grasping; because there is no grasping, becoming and conditioned activity are not created.

Because there is neither becoming nor conditioned activity, again there is no birth; because there is no birth, there is none of all the suffering of body and mind. In this way the five kinds of cause are not created, and thereupon, with regard to that, there are not the seven kinds of fruit. Because there is no fruit, it is called liberation.

If one acts thus, then it is accomplished: unborn, unceasing, neither eternal nor annihilated, neither with bound nor without bound—thus should it be understood. Herein there is a verse:

One does not see arising without conditions—

This conclusion, this meaning, is correct.

In the matter of wholesome [understanding],

Therefore one is not subject to annihilation.

Therein there is nothing that ceases,

Nor again is there anything that increases.

Thus one should see the principle as it truly is,

Conforming to its form and likeness.

The Treatise on the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination is concluded.