The Mahānidāna Sūtra (Sūtra on Great Conditions and Skillful Means), the Ninth, from the Dīrgha Āgama

(5) Original text: 阿难。缘识有名色。此为何义。若识不入母胎者。有名色不。答曰。无也。若识入胎不出者。有名色不。答曰。无也。若识出胎。婴孩坏败。名色得增长不。答曰。无也。阿难。若无识者。有名色不。答曰。无也。阿难。我以是缘。知名色由识。缘识有名色。我所说者。义在于此。 

Explanation: Ānanda, name-and-form arises conditioned on consciousness (the ālayavijñāna). What does this mean? If the ālayavijñāna does not enter the mother's womb, can there be name-and-form? Ānanda replied: No. If the ālayavijñāna enters the womb but does not come out, is there still name-and-form? Ānanda said: No. The Buddha said: If the ālayavijñāna has left the mother's womb and the infant's body perishes and dies, can name-and-form still grow? Ānanda said: It cannot grow. Ānanda, if there were no ālayavijñāna, could there be name-and-form? Ānanda said: No. Ānanda, it is because of this condition that I know name-and-form is produced by consciousness; name-and-form exists conditioned on consciousness. This is the meaning of what I have said. 

This is the meaning of the ten links of dependent arising, which clarifies that the most direct cause and condition for the arising of name-and-form is the ālayavijñāna. The six consciousnesses are merely contributing conditions for the arising of name-and-form. When the six consciousnesses are purified and no longer create karmic formations, the ālayavijñāna cannot produce name-and-form, and birth-and-death is then ended. From entering the womb to leaving the womb, the ālayavijñāna accompanies name-and-form at every stage of life, causing name-and-form to continuously grow and change. Once the conditions for name-and-form are gone, the ālayavijñāna can no longer grow name-and-form or accompany it. Some people mistakenly believe that the consciousness in the ten links refers to the six consciousnesses. However, at the time of entering the womb, the six consciousnesses have already ceased and cannot enter the womb; for a long period after entering the womb, the six consciousnesses cannot arise at all—even the eye consciousness only arises after exiting the womb. Therefore, what enters the womb and dwells in the womb is not the six consciousnesses but the ālayavijñāna. In the ten links of dependent arising, the Buddha directly pointed out that the fundamental cause of the arising of name-and-form is the ālayavijñāna; the ālayavijñāna is that upon which name-and-form depends and its source. 

Original text: 阿难。缘名色有识。此为何义。若识不住名色。则识无住处。若无住处。宁有生老病死。忧悲苦恼不。答曰。无也。阿难。若无名色。宁有识不。答曰。无也。 阿难。我以此缘。知识由名色。缘名色有识。我所说者。义在于此。 

Explanation: Ānanda, consciousness exists conditioned on name-and-form. What does this mean? If the ālayavijñāna does not abide in name-and-form, then the ālayavijñāna has no place of abiding. If the ālayavijñāna has no place of abiding, can there be birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress? Ānanda said: No. Ānanda, if there were no name-and-form, could there be the ālayavijñāna? Ānanda said: No. Ānanda, it is because of this condition that I know the ālayavijñāna has a place of abiding by virtue of name-and-form, and that the ālayavijñāna is manifested conditioned on name-and-form. This is the meaning of what I have said.

The word "exists" (有) in "consciousness exists conditioned on name-and-form" does not mean "is produced," but rather "is manifested," because the ālayavijñāna neither arises nor ceases; it is not produced by name-and-form, and name-and-form cannot produce any dharma, let alone the ālayavijñāna. If there were no name-and-form, the ālayavijñāna would have nothing to rely upon. Only by relying on name-and-form and abiding in name-and-form can the ālayavijñāna function, and only then can its functions be manifested. The Buddha also explained later that if the ālayavijñāna does not abide in name-and-form, then there is no place of abiding; without a place of abiding there is no name-and-form, and without name-and-form there is no birth, aging, sickness, or death. The meaning of the ten links of dependent arising is very profound and not easy to understand, yet it should still be correctly understood.