An Explanation of the Twelve Nidānas in the Āgama Sutras
Section Two: Dīrgha Āgama, Scroll One (The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination)
Original text:佛告比丘。太子见老病人。知世苦恼。又见死人。恋世情灭。及见沙门。廓然大悟。下宝车时。步步中间。转远缚着。是真出家。是真远离。
Explanation: The Buddha told the bhikṣus: When Vipaśyin Buddha was a crown prince and went out through the four great gates of the palace, upon seeing the elderly and the sick, he knew that the world was full of suffering; upon seeing a dead person, his attachment to the world was extinguished; and when he saw a śramaṇa who had left home, he suddenly and thoroughly awakened. When he stepped down from the precious carriage, with every step he took, his mind grew further and further away from the bonds and attachments of the world. That was truly leaving home; that was truly departing from the world.
This is called wholesome roots, the result of cultivation over countless hundreds of millions of kalpas. This is what it means to be a Buddha come again: as soon as he came into contact with the world, he knew the suffering of the world, and swiftly departed from the bonds and fetters of afflictions, thoroughly awakening to the true reality of the world—leaving home in mind, and subsequently leaving home in body as well. Whereas sentient beings of shallow wholesome roots, no matter what they encounter in the world, remain numb and unawakened in mind, not knowing that the world is suffering, empty, impermanent, and without self; they follow the worldly afflictions of greed, anger, and delusion, creating afflicted karma and drifting along the current of birth and death.
Original text:时彼国人。闻太子剃除须发。法服持钵。出家修道。咸相谓言。此道必真。乃令太子。舍国荣位。捐弃所重。于时国中。八万四千人。往就太子。求为弟子。出家修道。佛时颂曰。撰择深妙法。彼闻随出家。离于恩爱狱。无有众结缚。
Explanation: At that time, when the people of the country heard that the crown prince had shaved off his hair and beard, donned the robes of one who had left home, and taken up the alms bowl to leave home and cultivate the Path, they all said to one another: This Path must be truly real, for it made the prince abandon the glory and position of kingship and cast aside the heavy burden he bore. Thereupon, eighty-four thousand people in the country went to the crown prince, seeking to become his disciples, to leave home and cultivate the Path. The Buddha then spoke a verse: Prince Vipaśyin encountered that profound and wondrous dharma of liberation, and upon hearing it, immediately left home to cultivate the Path, leaving behind the hell of worldly love and affection, never again subject to the many bonds and fetters of birth and death.
Original text:于时太子。即便纳受。与之游行。在在教化。从村至村。从国至国。所至之处。无不恭敬。四事供养。菩萨念言。吾与大众。游行诸国。人间愦闹。此非我宜。何时当得。离此群众。闲静之处。以求道真。
Explanation: Thereupon the crown prince accepted these disciples and traveled about with them, teaching and transforming sentient beings everywhere, from village to village, from country to country. Wherever they went, the people all showed reverence and made the four kinds of offerings of food, drink, clothing, and medicine. The bodhisattva prince thought: I travel with the assembly through various countries, but the human world is so noisy and tumultuous—this is not a suitable place for me. When shall I be able to leave this crowd and go to a quiet and secluded place to cultivate, in order to attain the true fruit of the Path?
Original text:寻获志愿。于闲静处。专精修道。复作是念。众生可愍。常处闇冥。受身危脆。有生有老。有病有死。众苦所集。死此生彼。从彼生此。缘此苦阴。流转无穷。我当何时。晓了苦阴。灭生老死。
Explanation: Before long his wish was fulfilled, and he found a quiet, secluded place to cultivate the Path with single-minded diligence. The bodhisattva prince again had this thought: Sentient beings are pitiable, constantly dwelling in dark obscurity, having obtained physical bodies that are fragile and perilous, with birth, aging, sickness, and death—a conglomeration of many sufferings. They die here and are born there, die there and are born here, and clinging to this aggregate of suffering, they transmigrate endlessly through birth and death. When shall I be able to thoroughly understand this aggregate of suffering and extinguish birth, aging, and death?
From this passage narrated by the World-Honored One, it can be seen that in the course of cultivating the Path over many kalpas, all Buddhas and bodhisattvas first engaged in diligent, focused solitary practice in secluded places far from people, away from the clamor of the crowds, and only after achieving accomplishment did they teach among people to liberate sentient beings. This is because the Path is attained in tranquility: tranquility gives rise to wisdom, and tranquility enables the attainment of meditative concentration (samādhi). Therefore, everyone who has achieved accomplishment in cultivation has gone through a stage of solitary quiet practice, distancing themselves from worldly greed, anger, and delusion, and from the clamor of the world, and from fame and gain; only after the mind attains purity can they enter the Path.
Original text:复作是念。生死何从。何缘而有。即以智慧。观察所由。从生有老死。生是老死缘。生从有起。有是生缘。有从取起。取是有缘。取从爱起。爱是取缘。爱从受起。受是爱缘。
Explanation: While cultivating the Path, the crown prince again had this thought in mind: Where does birth and death come from? By what conditions does it exist? In order to resolve this doubt, he used wisdom to observe the origin of birth and death, and finally realized: Aging and death come from birth; birth is the condition for the arising of aging and death. Birth arises from existence (bhava); existence is the condition for birth. Existence arises from grasping; grasping is the condition for existence. Grasping comes from craving; craving is the condition for grasping. Craving comes from feeling; feeling is the condition for craving.
Original text:受从触起。触是受缘。触从六入起。六入是触缘。六入从名色起。名色是六入缘。名色从识起。识是名色缘。识从行起。行是识缘。行从痴起。痴是行缘。
Explanation: Feeling comes from contact; contact is the condition for the arising of feeling. Contact comes from the six sense bases; the six sense bases are the condition for the arising of contact. The six sense bases arise upon name-and-form; name-and-form is the condition for the arising of the six sense bases. Name-and-form comes from the six consciousnesses; the six consciousnesses are the condition for the arising of name-and-form. The six consciousnesses come from the volitional formations of the manas; volitional formations are the condition for the arising of the six consciousnesses. Volitional formations come from the ignorance of the manas; ignorance is the condition for the arising of volitional formations.
Original text:是为缘痴有行。缘行有识。缘识有名色。缘名色有六入。缘六入有触。缘触有受。缘受有爱。缘爱有取。缘取有有。缘有有生。缘生有老病死、忧悲苦恼。此苦盛阴。缘生而有。是为苦集。菩萨思惟。苦集阴时。生智生眼。生觉生明。生通生慧生证。
Explanation: This is what is meant by: because of ignorance there are volitional formations; because of volitional formations there are the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses; because of the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses there is name-and-form in future lives; because of name-and-form there are the six sense bases; because of the six sense bases there is contact; because of contact there is feeling; because of feeling there is craving; because of craving there is grasping; because of grasping there is existence; because of existence there is birth; and because of birth there are aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress. This abundant aggregate of suffering arises because of birth—this is the arising of suffering (samudaya). When the bodhisattva prince contemplated the arising of the aggregate of suffering, there arose the wisdom of dependent origination, the pure dharma eye, awakening, lucid clarity, penetrative clarity, wisdom, and clear realization.
Original text:于时菩萨。复自思惟。何等无故老死无。何等灭故老死灭。即以智慧。观察所由。生无故老死无。生灭故老死灭。有无故生无。有灭故生灭。取无故有无。取灭故有灭。爱无故取无。爱灭故取灭。受无故爱无。受灭故爱灭。触无故受无。触灭故受灭。六入无故触无。六入灭故触灭。
Explanation: At this time the bodhisattva again contemplated on his own: with the absence of what dharma does aging and death cease to exist, and with the cessation of what dharma does aging and death cease? In order to clarify this question, the bodhisattva prince used wisdom to observe the cause of the cessation of aging and death, and finally realized: it is when birth ceases to exist that aging and death cease to exist; when birth ceases, aging and death cease. When existence in the three realms ceases to exist, birth ceases to exist; when existence ceases, birth ceases. When grasping ceases to exist, existence ceases to exist; when grasping ceases, aging and death cease. When craving ceases to exist, grasping ceases to exist; when craving ceases, grasping ceases. When feeling ceases to exist, craving ceases to exist; when feeling ceases, craving ceases. When contact ceases to exist, feeling ceases to exist; when contact ceases, feeling ceases. When the six sense bases cease to exist, contact ceases to exist; when the six sense bases cease, contact ceases.
Original text:名色无故六入无。名色灭故六入灭。识无故名色无。识灭故名色灭。行无故识无。行灭故识灭。痴无故行无。痴灭故行灭。是为痴灭故行灭。行灭故识灭。识灭故名色灭。名色灭故六入灭。六入灭故触灭。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。生灭故老死。忧悲苦恼灭。菩萨思惟。苦阴灭时。生智生眼。生觉生明。生通生慧生证。
Explanation: When name-and-form ceases to exist, the six sense bases cease to exist; when name-and-form ceases, the six sense bases cease. When the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses cease to exist, name-and-form ceases to exist; when the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses cease, name-and-form ceases. When bodily, verbal, and mental actions cease to exist, the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses cease to exist; when bodily, verbal, and mental actions cease, the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses cease. When ignorance ceases to exist, bodily, verbal, and mental actions cease to exist; when ignorance ceases, bodily, verbal, and mental actions cease. Therefore it is said: because ignorance ceases, volitional formations cease; because volitional formations cease, the six consciousnesses cease; because the six consciousnesses cease, name-and-form ceases; because name-and-form ceases, the six sense bases cease; because the six sense bases cease, contact ceases; because contact ceases, feeling ceases; because feeling ceases, craving ceases; because craving ceases, grasping ceases; because grasping ceases, existence ceases; because existence ceases, birth ceases; because birth ceases, aging, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress cease. When the bodhisattva prince contemplated the cessation of the aggregate of suffering, there arose the wisdom of dependent origination, the dharma eye, awakening, lucid clarity, penetrative clarity, wisdom, and clear realization.
Original text:尔时菩萨。逆顺观十二因缘。如实知。如实见已。即于座上。成阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。佛时颂曰。此言众中说。汝等当善听。
Explanation: At this time, the bodhisattva prince contemplated the twelve links of dependent origination both in their forward order and in reverse order. Having truly known and truly seen the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, there arose in him true right view and right wisdom; after truly witnessing the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, he attained anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi upon his seat. The Buddha then spoke a verse: These teachings I have spoken among the assembly—you should all listen well.
Original text:过去菩萨观。本所未闻法。老死从何缘。因何等而有。如是正观已。知其本由生。生本由何缘。因何事而有。如是思惟已。知生从有起。取彼取彼已。展转更增有。是故如来说。取是有因缘。
Explanation: In the past, the bodhisattva contemplated the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, which he had never heard before: By what conditions does aging and death arise? By what conditions does it exist? After contemplating thus correctly, he knew that aging and death fundamentally arise from birth. From what conditions does birth originally arise? On account of what does it exist? After contemplating thus, he realized that birth arises from existence in the three realms. After grasping at the various dharmas, existence becomes progressively more solidified through successive rounds; therefore the Tathāgata said that grasping is the condition for existence in the three realms.
Original text:如众秽恶聚。风吹恶流演。如是取相因。因爱而广普。爱由于受生。起苦罗网本。以染着因缘。苦乐共相应。受本由何缘。因何而有受。以是思惟已。知受由触生。触本由何缘。因何而有触。如是思惟已。触由六入生。
Explanation: Just as when many filthy and foul things gather together, a gust of wind scatters the foul matter far and wide, so it is with the condition of grasping at the marks of dharmas: because of craving, it spreads out extensively. Craving arises due to the condition of feeling; feeling is the root from which the net of suffering arises. Because of the conditions of defiled attachment, feelings of suffering and happiness arise in correspondence with defilement. From what conditions does feeling originally arise? On account of what does feeling exist? The bodhisattva contemplated these conditions, and then realized that feeling arises due to the condition of contact. From what conditions does contact originally arise? On account of what does contact exist? After contemplating thus, he realized that contact arises due to the condition of the six sense bases.
Original text:六入本何缘。因何有六入。如是思惟已。六入名色生。名色本何缘。因何有名色。如是思惟已。名色从识生。识本由何缘。因何而有识。如是思惟已。知识从行生。行本由何缘。因何而有行。如是思惟已。知行从痴生。
Explanation: From what conditions do the six sense bases originally arise? On account of what conditions do the six sense bases exist? After contemplating thus, he realized that the six sense bases arise due to the condition of name-and-form. From what conditions does name-and-form originally arise? On account of what reasons does name-and-form exist? After contemplating thus, he realized that name-and-form arises due to the condition of the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses. From what conditions do the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses originally arise? On account of what do the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses exist? After contemplating thus, he realized that the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses arise from the condition of bodily, verbal, and mental actions. From what conditions do bodily, verbal, and mental actions originally arise? On account of what conditions do volitional formations exist? After contemplating thus, he realized that volitional formations arise from the condition of ignorance.
Original text:如是因缘者。名为实义因。智慧方便观。能见因缘根。苦非贤圣造。亦非无缘有。是故变易苦。智者所断除。若无明灭尽。是时则无行。若无有行者。则亦无有识。若识永灭者。亦无有名色。名色既已灭。即无有诸入。若诸入永灭。则亦无有触。若触永灭者。则亦无有受。
Explanation: These aforementioned conditions of dependent origination are called the conditions of true meaning. If one observes with the expedient means of wisdom, one can see the root of dependent origination, which is ignorance and delusion. The suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death was not created by sages and saints, nor does it exist without causes and conditions; therefore the wise sever the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death that arises and ceases in transformation. If ignorance is completely extinguished, then there are no volitional formations; if there are no volitional formations, then there are also no karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses; if the karmic seeds of the six consciousnesses are forever extinguished, then there will be no more name-and-form; since name-and-form has ceased, there will be no more six sense bases; if the six sense bases are forever extinguished, then there will be no more contact; if contact is forever extinguished, then there will be no more feeling.
Original text:若受永灭者。则亦无有爱。若爱永灭者。则亦无有取。若取永灭者。则亦无有有。若有永灭者。则亦无有生。若生永灭者。无老病苦阴。一切都永尽。智者之所说。十二缘甚深。难见难识知。唯佛能善觉。因是有是无。
Explanation: If feeling is forever extinguished, then there will be no more craving; if the condition of craving is extinguished, then there will be no more grasping; if grasping is forever extinguished, there will be no more existence in the three realms; if existence is forever extinguished, there will be no more birth; if birth is forever extinguished, there will be no more aggregate of suffering of aging and sickness. All worldly dharmas will thereby be forever extinguished—this is what the wise have said. The dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination is extremely profound, difficult to encounter, difficult to recognize and realize; only a Buddha can skillfully awaken to whether the causes for the arising of all dharmas exist or do not exist.
Original text:若能自观察。则无有诸入。深见因缘者。更不外求师。能于阴界入。离欲无染者。堪受一切施。净报施者恩。若得四辩才。获得决定证。能解众结缚。断除无放逸。色受想行识。犹如朽故车。能谛观此法。则成等正觉。如鸟游虚空。东西随风游。菩萨断众结。如风靡轻衣。
Explanation: If one can personally observe the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination directly in the present, one will know that fundamentally there are no such dharmas as the six sense bases. One who deeply discerns the dharma of dependent origination will no longer seek a teacher externally—the dharma itself is the teacher; cultivating in accordance with the dharma, one can attain liberation. Only one who can be free from craving and undefiled with respect to the five aggregates, the eighteen realms, and the six sense bases is qualified to receive all generosity and purely repay the kindness of the givers. If one attains the four unobstructed powers of eloquence, one can attain final, decisive realization of the dharma of dependent origination, and can also untie all the bonds and fetters of afflictions, sever all afflictions, and cultivate diligently without ever again becoming lax. The five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are like a decayed, worn-out old cart. One who can truly contemplate this dharma will attain perfect and equal enlightenment, and will then roam freely through empty space like an unbound bird, flying east or west wherever the wind carries it. The bodhisattva severs all bonds and fetters, like the wind fluttering a light garment.
Original text:毗婆尸闲静。观察于诸法。老死何缘有。从何而得灭。彼作是观已。生清净智慧。知老死由生。生灭老死灭。
Explanation: Vipaśyin Buddha, in a quiet and secluded place, carefully observed the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination, contemplating on account of what conditions aging and death exist, and on account of what conditions it can be extinguished. After engaging in such contemplative practice, pure wisdom arose in him, and he knew that aging and death exist because of birth, and that when birth ceases, aging and death cease.
