The Sūtra on the Aggregates, Elements, and Sense Bases, Upper Fascicle (One)

Original text: 何等为十二种。从求如求等生。从痴因缘令有行。从行令有识。从识令有名字。从名字令有六入。从六入令有致。从致令有痛痒。从痛痒令有爱。从爱令有受。从受令后有。从有令有生。从生令有老死忧悲苦。不可心致恼。如是具足苦种。为致习。 

Explanation: What are the twelve links of dependent origination? The twelve links of dependent origination are a dharma of dependent origination produced from a series of pursuits and seekings directed toward worldly dharmas. From the condition of the manas's ignorance, the volitional formations of the manas arise; from the condition of the manas's volitional formations, the six consciousnesses arise; from the condition of the six consciousnesses, name-and-form arises; from the condition of name-and-form, the six sense bases arise; from the condition of the six sense bases, contact arises; from the condition of contact, feeling arises; from the condition of feeling, craving arises; from the condition of craving, grasping arises; from the condition of grasping, existence arises; from the condition of existence, birth arises; from the condition of birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress arise—all matters that the mind cannot accept lead to unceasing inner anguish. In this way, the karmic seeds of the suffering of birth and death are fully complete, all brought about by the habit energy of contact. 

Original text: 痴已尽便行尽。已行尽便识尽。已识尽便名字尽。已名字尽便六入尽。已六入尽便致尽。已致尽便痛痒尽。已痛痒尽便爱尽。已爱尽便受尽。已受尽便有尽。已有尽便生尽。已生尽便老死尽。已老死尽。忧悲苦不可心恼便尽。如是具足苦种便得尽。 

Explanation: After the manas's ignorance is completely eradicated, the volitional formations will be completely eradicated; after the volitional formations are completely eradicated, the six consciousnesses will be completely eradicated; after the six consciousnesses are completely eradicated, name-and-form will be completely extinguished; after name-and-form is completely extinguished, the six sense bases will be completely extinguished; after the six sense bases are completely extinguished, contact will be completely extinguished; after contact is completely extinguished, feeling will be completely extinguished; after feeling is completely extinguished, craving will be completely extinguished; after craving is completely extinguished, grasping will be completely extinguished; after grasping is completely extinguished, existence will be completely extinguished; after existence is completely extinguished, birth will be completely extinguished; after birth is completely extinguished, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress will be completely extinguished. In this way, the seeds of the suffering of birth and death with which sentient beings are fully endowed are completely extinguished. 

Original text: 彼痴名为不知四谛如有。不解不见。不相应不受。不解不解根。是名为痴。彼痴因缘行为何等。为六望受。何等为六。色声香味触法。是为身六望受。是名为行。彼行因缘识为六身识。眼耳鼻舌身心。是名为六身识。彼识因缘名字。字为色。名为四不色阴。痛想行识是为名。色为四大本。谓地水火风是。上为名。是四为色。是二相连共为名字。 

Explanation: What is ignorance? Ignorance means not knowing that the truth of the Four Noble Truths exists in the world, being unable to truly understand the teachings of the Buddha's dharma, not seeing the truth of the world and the world-transcending, not being in accord with and not accepting the worldly path to liberation, being unable to accept the correct teachings of the Buddha's dharma, not understanding liberation, and not understanding whether one's own or others' faculties are sharp or dull—therefore it is called ignorance. What is the volitional formation produced from the condition of ignorance? It is the six longed-for feelings, that is, longing for the reception and experience of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas; this is called the six longings and inclinations of the material body, and is called the volitional formations of the manas. 

From the condition of the manas's volitional formations, the six consciousnesses arise, called the six consciousness-bodies: eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mind consciousness. If the manas has no hopes, wishes, or longings toward the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses will not appear to grasp and discern the six sense objects. From the condition of the six consciousnesses, name-and-form arises: form is the aggregate of form, and name is the four aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. The material body takes the four great seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind as its foundation. The four aggregates above are name, and the four great elements are form; when name and form, these two, are joined together, they constitute the five aggregates of name-and-form.