An Explanation of the Twelve Nidānas in the Āgama Sutras

Section Two: The World-Honored One Investigates the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination in Forward and Reverse Order

(285) The World-Honored One Investigates the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination in Forward and Reverse Order

Original text:如是我闻。一时。佛住舍卫国祇树给孤独园。尔时。世尊告诸比丘。我忆宿命未成正觉时。独一静处。专精禅思。生如是念。世间难入。所谓若生若老。若病若死。若迁若受生。然诸众生。于生老死上及所依不如实知。

Explanation: When the World-Honored One was at Jetavana, the Anāthapiṇḍada Park in the country of Śrāvastī, He told the bhikṣus: "I recollect with the recollection of past lives (pūrvanivāsānusmṛti) that before I had accomplished perfect enlightenment, I dwelt alone in a quiet place, devotedly engaged in meditative contemplation, and this thought arose in me: 'This world is hard to enter—namely birth, aging, sickness, death, passing away, and rebirth. Yet sentient beings do not truly know birth, aging, sickness, and death, nor the dharmas upon which they depend.'"

Original text:我作是念。何法有故生有。何法缘故生有。即正思惟。起无间等知。有有故生有。有缘故生有。复思惟。何法有故有有。何法缘故有有。即正思惟。起如实无间等知。取有故有有。取缘故有有。

Explanation: In my meditative contemplation, such a questioning thought arose: What dharma, when it exists, gives rise to a living being? By relying on what dharma as a condition does a living being come into existence? Immediately I engaged in right contemplation (samyak-manasikāra) within meditative contemplation, and after the right contemplation, there arose uninterrupted wisdom-cognition free of doubt, and I realized the following principle: Because there is existence (bhava), a living being is born; because the conditions for existence are complete, a living being appears.

On this basis, I continued to contemplate further: What dharma, when complete, brings about the completeness of the conditions for existence in the three realms? By reason of what dharma does the existence of the three realms come about? Thereupon I entered right contemplation, and after the right contemplation, there arose the true, uninterrupted, perfectly equal wisdom-cognition: Because of grasping (upādāna) at the dharmas of the five-aggregate world, the existence of the three-realm world arises; because the mind grasps at the dharmas of the five-aggregate world, the existence of the three-realm world appears.

In this passage, the Buddha is describing the process of genuine practice in accordance with reality, the process of true investigation and personal realization. First, doubt arises toward the dharma being investigated. When the questioning doubt arises deeply, simple deliberation by the mind consciousness cannot resolve it, because it is the manas that has raised the doubt; this doubt must be resolved personally by oneself—the mind consciousness cannot substitute for the manas. So the Buddha engaged in right contemplation within meditative concentration, that is, the deep and subtle investigation by the manas, and the result of the investigation was the arising of uninterrupted perfectly equal right cognition. Uninterrupted cognition is precisely the cognition of the manas; the cognition of the mind consciousness is frequently interrupted, especially after death. Since it was the manas that personally investigated, in the end it was certainly the manas itself that uninterruptedly realized the truth and realized the true nature of the dharmas.

If the Buddha had not possessed meditative concentration, first, the manas could not raise doubt—there would only be the superficial doubt of the mind consciousness; second, the manas could not personally carry out deep and subtle investigation, and the final result could not be the arising of uninterrupted cognition; there would only be inference, analysis, understanding, and judgment by the mind consciousness, and no personal realization of the true nature of the dharmas. Therefore, the solitary realizers (pratyekabuddhas) cultivated alone in deep mountains, and their meditative concentration was very, very deep, their power of contemplation extremely deep and subtle, surpassing others, and theirs was right contemplation. Although the non-Buddhist practitioners also had deep meditative concentration, they lacked right contemplation; because they held wrong views (mithyā-dṛṣṭi), their contemplation was not right. With deep meditative concentration, the mind focused, and the power of contemplation strong, great wisdom and true wisdom can be opened up.

At that time the Buddha was still a solitary realizer; there was no Buddha appearing in the world, no dharma appearing in the world, no saṅgha transmitting the dharma. He went forth alone into the mountains and forests, with very deep and subtle meditative concentration and wisdom, contemplating alone the causes of the suffering dharmas of birth, aging, sickness, and death in the five-aggregate world, and then contemplated further: the world is so full of suffering—why do sentient beings not realize and awaken to it by themselves? The Buddha, in order to liberate sentient beings from suffering, explored within meditative concentration how life comes into being.

Original text:又作是念。取复何缘。何法有故取有。何法缘故取有。即正思惟。如实无间等起知。取法味着。顾念心缚。爱欲增长。彼爱有故取有。爱故缘取。取缘有。有缘生。生缘老病死。忧悲恼苦。如是如是。纯大苦聚集。

Explanation: I raised another questioning thought: On account of what does the grasping at the five-aggregate body arise? Because of the existence of what dharma does grasping exist? Relying on what dharma as a condition does grasping arise? After such a thought arose, I immediately entered right contemplation, and then there arose the true, uninterrupted wisdom, and I realized that the reason there is a mind of grasping and attachment is that there is craving for and clinging to the dharmas of the five-aggregate world; the mind constantly dwells upon and recollects the dharmas, and thus the mind is bound by the dharmas, and the craving and desire for the dharmas of the five-aggregate world continually increase. Because there is craving, there is the mind of grasping; because of craving, grasping arises. Because of grasping, the existence of the three-realm world arises; because there is the three-realm world, living beings are born into it. After a living being is born, there are aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress (śoka-parideva-duḥkha-daurmanasyopāyāsa), and immeasurable great suffering gathers together.

What this passage indicates is that craving and desire are the direct root of the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death; therefore craving is suffering, not bliss; it is the cause of suffering, not the cause of bliss. Sentient beings are inverted and do not know this principle; they crave everywhere, clinging and never letting go, and have never entered deep meditative concentration to carefully consider: what in the world is worth craving and clinging to? What is the result of such craving? Is there any bliss to be obtained? What is the essence of craving? What is truly worth craving without letting go, worth grasping without cease?

If the causal conditions are complete, in a quiet place alone, carefully and quietly contemplating all dharmas and all mental activities, one will truly know that in fact nothing in all dharmas is worth craving; all desires are unreal and are all suffering; there is fundamentally nothing in the world, and there is no world either. Then the mind becomes empty; when the mind is empty, suffering is extinguished, and one attains bliss and liberation. The key is to have the courage to trace things back to their source, to investigate link by link, to deeply investigate what the mind and dharmas are and what they contain. In the end one will discover that the mind and dharmas are nothing at all and have nothing at all; then the affairs of the world are ended, and sentient beings are free and liberated.

Original text:诸比丘。于意云何。譬如缘膏油及炷。灯明得烧。数增油炷。彼灯明得久住不。答言如是。世尊。如是诸比丘。于色取味着。顾念爱缚。增长爱缘故取。取缘有。有缘生。生缘老病死。忧悲恼苦。如是如是。纯大苦聚集。

Explanation: "Bhikṣus, what do you think? For instance, relying on the condition of oil and a wick, a lamp can burn and give light. If oil and wick are repeatedly added, will that lamp's light last a long time?" They answered: "Yes, World-Honored One." "Just so, bhikṣus. If you take delight in and attach to form, constantly dwelling upon and recollecting it, you will be bound by craving. Because craving for form continually increases, grasping arises; because of grasping at form, karmic seeds for future lives are stored, and the existence of the future three-realm world will continually appear; because there is the existence of the three-realm world, the lives of sentient beings will be born, and with life there are aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress; in this way the greatest suffering in the world gathers together."

Original text:我时复作是念。何法无故。无此老病死。何法灭故。老病死灭。即正思惟。起如实无间等知。无生则无老病死。生灭故。则老病死灭。复作是念。何法无故无生。何法灭故生灭。即正思惟。起如实无间等知。有无故生无。有灭故生灭。

Explanation: At that time I raised such a questioning thought: With the nonexistence of what dharma is there no aging, sickness, and death? With the cessation of what dharma do aging, sickness, and death cease? After such a questioning thought arose, I immediately entered right contemplation, and after the right contemplation there arose the true, uninterrupted wisdom, knowing that without birth there is no aging, sickness, and death; when birth ceases, aging, sickness, and death cease. I raised another questioning thought: With the nonexistence of what dharma is there no birth? With the cessation of what dharma does birth cease? I immediately entered right contemplation, and after the right contemplation there arose the true, uninterrupted wisdom, knowing that when the existence of the three-realm world is absent, birth is absent; when the existence of the world ceases, birth ceases.

This is the reverse deduction of the twelve links of dependent origination, also called reversing the stream—reversing the stream of birth and death. What preceded was the forward deduction of the twelve links, also called following the stream, conforming to the flow of birth and death. Although on the surface it appears to be deduction, it is in fact deep deliberation (manasikāra), not superficial reasoning by the mind consciousness. A practitioner with profound meditative concentration and deep questioning doubt could not possibly use the superficial reasoning of the mind consciousness; it was all the manas deeply contemplating and investigating within meditative concentration. Forward deduction can trace the flow of birth, aging, sickness, and death; reverse deduction can reveal how to extinguish birth, aging, sickness, and death and attain liberation. Finding the root of birth, aging, sickness, and death and cutting it off at the source, birth, aging, sickness, and death are severed.

Original text:又复思惟。何法无故有无。何法灭故有灭。即正思惟。生如实无间等观。取无故有无。取灭故有灭。又作是念。何法无故取无。何法灭故取灭。即正思惟。生如实无间等观。所取法无常生灭。离欲灭尽舍离。心不顾念。心不缚着。爱则灭。彼爱灭故取灭。取灭故有灭。有灭故生灭。生灭故老病死。忧悲恼苦灭。如是如是。纯大苦聚灭。

Explanation: I contemplated again: With the nonexistence of what dharma is the three-realm existence absent? With the cessation of what dharma does the three-realm existence cease? After such a questioning thought arose, I immediately entered right contemplation, and after the right contemplation there arose the true, uninterrupted contemplative wisdom, and I realized that when grasping is absent, the three-realm existence is absent; when grasping ceases, the three-realm existence ceases.

I raised such a questioning thought: With the nonexistence of what dharma is grasping absent? With the cessation of what dharma does grasping cease? I immediately entered right contemplation, and after the right contemplation there arose the true, uninterrupted contemplative wisdom, and I realized that all grasped-at dharmas are impermanent, arising and ceasing; toward these impermanent, arising-and-ceasing dharmas, desire is abandoned, desire is extinguished completely, craving for and attachment to dharmas are relinquished; the mind no longer dwells upon the dharmas of the five-aggregate world, the mind is no longer bound by the dharmas of the five-aggregate world, and craving is extinguished. When craving is extinguished, grasping at worldly dharmas ceases; when grasping ceases, the three-realm existence ceases; when the three-realm existence ceases, birth ceases; when birth ceases, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress cease; in this way, the great conflagration of the world's greatest birth-and-death suffering is extinguished, and from then on there is no longer any experience of suffering whatsoever.

Why is it that when one no longer grasps at the five-aggregate world, the existence of the three-realm world disappears? Because the nature of grasping is precisely the ignorance of the manas, the manas's imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva); the three-realm world is established because of the manas's ignorance and attachments. When the manas severs all attachments and no longer grasps at the five-aggregate world, the mind becomes empty and pure, no longer creating karmic actions of the three realms, or creating few of them, and the karmic seeds of the three realms gradually disappear. During the continuation of a life, one abides in nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa); at the time of death, when the manas grasps at and attaches to nothing whatsoever, the tathāgatagarbha can no longer give rise to any dharma, nor can it give rise to the consciousness-seeds of the manas; then the manas ceases, the five-aggregate body disappears, and from then on the five-aggregate body is never again born, and the three-realm world-existence belonging to oneself also ceases and is never again born. Because there is no longer the existence of the three-realm world, future lives have nowhere to lodge; and because there are no longer the karmic seeds of the three realms, the conditions and causes for the birth of life are incomplete, and no living being will appear again.

Why is it that when craving is extinguished, the nature of grasping is extinguished? Because craving causes the mind to sink deeply into the five-aggregate world, unable to extricate itself, unable to separate from the five aggregates, and it will inevitably grasp at worldly dharmas. If there is no craving, dharmas become a matter of having them or not, going along with conditions freely, and there is no longer any motive force for grasping. Therefore the cycle of birth and death is brought forth by craving; relinquish craving, do not be attached to the three realms, and nirvāṇa necessarily follows, with no more endless birth and death.

Original text:诸比丘。于意云何。譬如油炷然灯。若不增油治炷。非彼灯明未来不生。尽磨灭耶。比丘白佛。如是世尊。如是诸比丘。于所取法。观察无常生灭。离欲灭尽舍离。心不顾念。心不缚着。爱则灭。爱灭则取灭。乃至纯大苦聚灭。

Explanation: "Bhikṣus, what do you think? For instance, an oil lamp burning—if no more oil is added and the wick is not tended, will not that lamp's light fail to arise in the future and be completely extinguished?" The bhikṣus said to the Buddha: "Yes, World-Honored One." "Just so, bhikṣus. If you observe the impermanence and arising-and-ceasing nature of the dharmas you grasp at, the mind will depart from craving, extinguish craving completely, and relinquish craving; no longer dwelling upon the dharmas of the five-aggregate world and not being bound by these dharmas, craving is extinguished; when craving is extinguished, the mind's grasping nature is extinguished; when grasping is extinguished, the three-realm existence is extinguished; when the three-realm existence is extinguished, future birth is extinguished; when birth is extinguished, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress are extinguished, and even the great accumulation of pure suffering is extinguished."

Here the World-Honored One uses the lamp's light as a metaphor for the great accumulation of pure suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and the lamp oil as a metaphor for the afflictions of craving. If we do not add oil to the wick, the oil lamp will be extinguished before long. Likewise, with the great suffering of birth and death, if we no longer add craving and afflictions to it, craving will gradually fade and disappear, and then suffering will be extinguished. If craving keeps increasing, the great suffering of birth and death will accumulate more and more—when will suffering ever be extinguished? An awakened person, amid the suffering of the cycle of birth and death, should not add more afflictions but should increase wisdom, using the fire of wisdom to illuminate and break through the afflictions of craving, until craving is completely severed and liberation is attained.

The method the World-Honored One taught sentient beings for extinguishing suffering is to constantly observe the impermanence and arising-and-ceasing nature of the dharmas that one's own mind grasps at. When one realizes that the five-aggregate world one grasps at is indeed impermanent and arising-and-ceasing, one will then continually relinquish craving for the five-aggregate world, no longer dwelling on it or being hindered by it, and finally completely extinguish craving; then one is no longer bound and is liberated from the suffering of worldly birth and death. In cultivation, one should be adept at turning thoughts, turning corners, turning the mind, turning afflictions, and wisdom will arise; once the great fire of wisdom blazes up, afflictions are destroyed; without wisdom, afflictions keep growing. With wisdom there is everything; without wisdom, there are afflictions and suffering.

(287) The World-Honored One Investigates the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination in Forward and Reverse Order

Original text:尔时。世尊告诸比丘。我忆宿命未成正觉时。独一静处。专精禅思。作是念。何法有故老死有。何法缘故老死有。即正思惟。生如实无间等。生有故老死有。生缘故老死有。如是有取。爱受触。六入处名色。

Explanation: The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: "I recollect that in past lives, before I had accomplished perfect enlightenment, I was alone in a quiet place, single-mindedly devoted to meditative contemplation. This thought arose within me: By the arising of what dharma does aging-and-death arise? Relying on what dharma as a condition does aging-and-death arise? I immediately entered right contemplation, and after the right contemplation there arose the true, uninterrupted wisdom, knowing that when a living being is born, aging-and-death follows; it is because a living being is born that aging-and-death appears."

Deducing backward link by link in this way, I realized that the arising of a living being is because the three-realm vessel-world has appeared—the living being appears accordingly; with the existence of the three realms as the condition, a living being is born; the appearance of the three-realm existence is because sentient beings grasp at the dharmas of the five-aggregate world—existence follows accordingly; with sentient beings' grasping as the condition, existence is born.

When sentient beings have craving for the five-aggregate world, grasping appears; because of craving, the phenomenon of grasping appears; because sentient beings have feeling (vedanā) with respect to the five-aggregate world, there is craving—due to feeling, craving is born; because sentient beings have the contact of the six faculties with the six objects, feeling arises—due to contact, feeling is born; because sentient beings have the outer six entrances and inner six entrances, there is contact—due to the inner and outer six entrances, contact arises; because sentient beings have nāma-rūpa, the six entrances follow and are born—with nāma-rūpa as the condition, the six entrances arise.

Original text:何法有故名色有。何法缘故名色有。即正思惟。如实无间等生。识有故名色有。识缘故有名色有。我作是思惟时。齐识而还。不能过彼。

Explanation: I raised another thought: By the arising of what dharma does nāma-rūpa arise? Relying on what dharma as a condition is nāma-rūpa born? I immediately entered right contemplation, and afterward there arose the true, uninterrupted wisdom, knowing that because there is the Ālayavijñāna, nāma-rūpa arises; with the Ālayavijñāna as the condition, nāma-rūpa arises. When I was contemplating in this way, I reached the Ālayavijñāna and turned back, unable to go beyond it, because there were no dharmas beyond it; that is to say, there is no dharma that gives birth to the Ālayavijñāna, nor any dharma that can cause the Ālayavijñāna to arise; going backward, no dharma can be found beyond the Ālayavijñāna. This is tracing back against the stream of birth and death to the source: the source of birth and death is at the Ālayavijñāna; birth and death flow forth from within the Ālayavijñāna.

Original text:谓缘识名色。缘名色六入处。缘六入处触。缘触受。缘受爱。缘爱取。缘取有。缘有生。缘生老病死。忧悲恼苦。如是如是。纯大苦聚集。

Explanation: Conditioned by the Ālayavijñāna there is nāma-rūpa; conditioned by nāma-rūpa there is the arising of the six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana); conditioned by the six sense bases there is the arising of contact; conditioned by contact there is the arising of feeling; conditioned by feeling there is the arising of craving; conditioned by craving there is grasping; conditioned by grasping there is three-realm existence; conditioned by existence there is birth; conditioned by birth there are aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress; in this way the great suffering of birth and death in the three realms gathers together.

Why does birth and death flow forth from within the Ālayavijñāna? Because the manas has ignorance and wants to possess the dharmas of the five-aggregate world; the Ālayavijñāna, complying with the manas's ignorance and karmic seeds, gives birth to the three-realm world and the five-aggregate body, and birth and death vividly unfold within it. The twelve links of dependent origination follow ignorance, resulting in the flow of birth and death and the arising of suffering; the ten links reverse the flow of birth and death, extinguishing ignorance and thereby extinguishing suffering. The reason there is the birth-and-death flow of the twelve links is that sentient beings' manas has ignorance; with ignorance as the condition, the Ālayavijñāna, by means of ignorance, gives birth to a whole chain of birth and death, pushing sentient beings into the sea of suffering. As for the ten links reversing the flow of birth and death, tracing from the phenomena of birth, aging, sickness, and death all the way back to the Ālayavijñāna—if one can realize the Ālayavijñāna and know how the Ālayavijñāna gives birth to the nāma-rūpa of the five aggregates, one becomes a bodhisattva and enters Mahāyāna cultivation.

If one personally realizes every branch of the twelve links and the ten links, one becomes a pratyekabuddha of the middle vehicle, a solitary realizer. Although pratyekabuddhas personally realize every branch of the ten links, at the point of the Ālayavijñāna they merely infer it to truly exist; they have not realized the Ālayavijñāna, have not found where the Ālayavijñāna operates and what function it performs; therefore this does not count as realizing the Ālayavijñāna—this is essentially different from the realization of Mahāyāna bodhisattvas.

Original text:我时作是念。何法无故则老死无。何法灭故老死灭。即正思惟。生如实无间等。生无故老死无。生灭故老死灭。如是生有。取爱受触。六入处名色。识行广说。

Explanation: At that time I had such a questioning thought: With the nonexistence of what dharma is there no aging-and-death? With the cessation of what dharma does aging-and-death cease? I immediately entered right contemplation, and afterward there arose the true, uninterrupted wisdom, knowing that when birth is absent, aging-and-death is absent; when the phenomenon of birth ceases, aging-and-death ceases. Contemplating onward in this way, one realizes that when the three-realm existence disappears, birth will not appear; when the three-realm existence ceases, birth ceases; when grasping is absent, the three-realm existence is absent; when grasping ceases, the three-realm existence ceases.

When craving is absent, grasping is absent; when craving ceases, grasping ceases; when feeling is absent, craving is absent; when feeling ceases, craving ceases; when contact disappears, feeling disappears; when contact ceases, feeling ceases; when the six sense bases are absent, contact is absent; when the six sense bases cease, contact ceases; when nāma-rūpa is absent, the six sense bases are absent; when nāma-rūpa ceases, the six sense bases cease; when the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses are absent, nāma-rūpa ceases; when the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses cease, nāma-rūpa ceases; when bodily, verbal, and mental actions are absent, the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses are absent; when bodily, verbal, and mental actions cease, aging-and-death ceases.

Original text:我复作是思惟。何法无故行无。何法灭故行灭。即正思惟。生如实无间等。无明无故行无。无明灭故行灭。行灭故识灭。识灭故名色灭。名色灭故六入处灭。六入处灭故触灭。触灭故受灭。受灭故爱灭。爱灭故取灭。取灭故有灭。有灭故生灭。生灭故老病死。忧悲恼苦灭。如是如是。纯大苦聚灭。

Explanation: I contemplated in this way: With the nonexistence of what dharma are karmic formations absent? With the cessation of what dharma do karmic formations cease? I immediately entered right contemplation, and afterward there arose the true, uninterrupted wisdom, and I realized that when the manas's ignorance is absent, karmic formations are absent; when the manas's ignorance ceases, karmic formations cease; when karmic formations cease, the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses cease; when the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses cease, the nāma-rūpa of future lives ceases; when nāma-rūpa ceases, the six sense bases cease; when the six sense bases cease, contact ceases; when contact ceases, feeling ceases; when feeling ceases, craving ceases; when craving ceases, grasping ceases; when grasping ceases, existence ceases; when existence ceases, birth ceases; when birth ceases, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress cease, and then such a great accumulation of suffering is extinguished.

The cycle of birth and death of the twelve links of dependent origination is, in the final analysis, all due to the manas's ignorance; the manas is the originator. Therefore, to leave the cycle of birth and death and attain liberation, one must break through and completely sever the manas's ignorance, so that the manas no longer deludedly acts within the three-realm world, and bodily, verbal, and mental karmic actions cease. Because the manas has realized that all dharmas are empty and without self, there is no longer any reason or motive force to grasp at any dharma; as long as there is no grasping, there is no suffering—there is liberation and freedom.

When the manas no longer has mental activity, intention, engagement, or grasping toward the five-aggregate world, it will no longer direct the six consciousnesses to create more bodily, verbal, and mental karmic actions; the minds of the seven consciousnesses all become pure, effortless, and tranquil; the karma of the three realms is ended, the karmic seeds are gone, and in future lives there will be no more five-aggregate world and no more nāma-rūpa—thus there is temporary quiescence. After immeasurable kalpas in the future, when the conditions for the Mahāyāna dharma ripen, one will arise again from the quiescent nirvāṇa, practice the bodhisattva path, liberate oneself and others, complete the Buddha path, and enter the true place of quiescence—the nirvāṇa without abode—no longer needing to extinguish the body and discard wisdom.

The breaking through of the manas's ignorance begins with eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) and realizing the fruit of srotāpanna, then attaining the fruit of pratyekabuddha, with the seeds of birth-and-death ignorance of the three realms completely severed; there remain the beginningless ignorance and the ignorance as numerous as dust and sand, to be broken through bit by bit in the cultivation of the path to buddhahood, until all are completely severed, whereupon one becomes the greatly awakened World-Honored One. Merely severing all the ignorance of the three realms is awakening to only a small part; it is not the great awakening, not ultimate awakening. On the path of learning Buddhism, making the resolve is very important; the greater the resolve, the greater and more thorough the awakening, and the faster one becomes a Buddha.

Original text:我时作是念。我得古仙人道。古仙人迳。古仙人道迹。古仙人从此迹去。我今随去。譬如有人。游于旷野。披荒觅路。忽遇故道。古人行处。彼则随行。渐渐前进。见故城邑。古王宫殿。园观浴池。林木清净。

Explanation: After I had contemplated and fully penetrated the twelve links of dependent origination from beginning to end, this thought arose in my mind: "I am now walking on the path walked by the ancient sages, on the road traveled by the ancient sages; the ancient sages went along this path, and I am now following it. For instance, a person traveling in the wilderness, parting the undergrowth in search of a road, suddenly comes upon an old road, a place where people of antiquity walked; that person then follows it, gradually advancing, and sees an ancient city with ancient royal palaces, parks, bathing ponds, and pure woods and groves."

Original text:彼作是念。我今当往白王令知。即往白王。大王当知。我游旷野。披荒求路。忽见故道。古人行处。我即随行。我随行已。见故城邑。故王宫殿。园观浴池。林流清净。大王可往。居止其中。王即往彼。止住其中。丰乐安隐。人民炽盛。

Explanation: That person thought: "I should now go to report to the great king so that he may know." So the person went to see the great king and told him: "Great King, you should know that I was traveling in the wilderness, parting the undergrowth in search of a road, when I suddenly saw an old road, a path walked by people of antiquity, and I followed it. As I followed it, I saw an ancient city, an ancient royal palace, with parks and bathing ponds of flowing springs, and pure woods and groves. Great King, you may go there and dwell within it." The king then went there and dwelt within it, and governed the country; from then on the country was prosperous and rich, and the people were well-fed, secure, and happy.

The Buddha spoke this passage as a metaphor for his own process of investigating the twelve links of dependent origination, which was the same as the method used by the ancient sages of the past; they walked the same path, the results of their investigation were the same, and the conclusions they reached were identical. The ancient sages realized the truth, and the Buddha likewise realized the truth today; both attained liberation, escaped the great calamity of birth and death, reached the secure city of nirvāṇa, and enjoyed peace and happiness. The "path of the ancient sages" refers to the Noble Eightfold Path; the "ancient city and ancient royal palaces" represent the state of nirvāṇa. "I followed the path of the ancient sages, walked to the end of ignorance, extinguished ignorance, and thereby extinguished birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress." "Traveling in the wilderness, parting the undergrowth in search of a road" represents that the path of cultivating the twelve links of dependent origination is very arduous and difficult, requiring indomitable perseverance and constant groping and exploration before one can investigate the source and mystery of birth and death, thereby cutting off the source of birth and death and attaining nirvāṇa and liberation.

Original text:今我如是。得古仙人道。古仙人迳。古仙人迹。古仙人去处。我得随去。谓八圣道。正见正志。正语正业。正命正方便。正念正定。我从彼道。见老病死。老病死集。老病死灭。老病死灭道迹。见生有取。爱受触。六入处名色。识行。行集行灭。行灭道迹。

Explanation: The Buddha said: "I have now, in just this way, found the path of practice of the ancient sages, the traces of the ancient sages' practice, the destination of the ancient sages. This path is the Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood (samyag-vyāyāma as right effort), right mindfulness, and right concentration. Following this Eightfold Path, I saw the suffering of aging, sickness, and death, severed the arising of the suffering of aging, sickness, and death, realized the cessation of the suffering of aging, sickness, and death, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of aging, sickness, and death; I saw the suffering of birth, severed the arising of the suffering of birth, realized the cessation of the suffering of birth, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of birth; I saw the suffering of existence, severed the arising of the suffering of existence, realized the cessation of the suffering of existence, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of existence.

I saw the suffering of grasping, severed the arising of the suffering of grasping, realized the cessation of the suffering of grasping, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of grasping; I saw the suffering of craving, severed the arising of the suffering of craving, realized the cessation of the suffering of craving, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of craving; I saw the suffering of feeling, severed the arising of the suffering of feeling, realized the cessation of the suffering of feeling, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of feeling; I saw the suffering of contact, severed the arising of the suffering of contact, realized the cessation of the suffering of contact, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of contact; I saw the suffering of the six sense bases, severed the arising of the suffering of the six sense bases, realized the cessation of the suffering of the six sense bases, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of the six sense bases; I saw the suffering of nāma-rūpa, severed the arising of the suffering of nāma-rūpa, realized the cessation of the suffering of nāma-rūpa, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of nāma-rūpa; I saw the suffering of the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses, severed the arising of the suffering of the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses, realized the cessation of the suffering of the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses; I saw the suffering of bodily, verbal, and mental karmic actions, severed the arising of the suffering of bodily, verbal, and mental karmic actions, realized the cessation of the suffering of bodily, verbal, and mental karmic actions, and cultivated the path to the cessation of the suffering of bodily, verbal, and mental karmic actions.

Original text:我于此法。自知自觉。成等正觉。为比丘比丘尼。优婆塞优婆夷。及余外道沙门婆罗门。在家出家。彼诸四众。闻法正向信乐。知法善。梵行增广。多所饶益。开示显发。佛说此经已。诸比丘闻佛所说。欢喜奉行。

Explanation: "Regarding this dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, I realized and awakened to it by myself, not through another, and finally accomplished unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. After I became a Buddha, I taught the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, as well as other non-Buddhist śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, laity and monastics—those fourfold assemblies—so that they could hear this dharma, take joy and delight in the dharma of liberation, walk the right path toward extinguishing ignorance, realize the wholesome fruits of this dharma, and increase the pure practice (brahmacarya), bringing great benefit to all the fourfold assemblies; therefore I here reveal and expound this path of realization practiced by the ancient sages." After the Buddha finished speaking this sūtra, the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha said, were all joyful and received it in faith and practiced accordingly.