Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, Volume 10

（十一）Original text: 问。身业语业。思所发起。是则行亦缘行。何故但说。无明缘行。答。依发起一切行缘而说故。及依生善染污思缘而说故。问。识亦以名色为缘。何故此中。但说行为缘耶。答。行为识杂染缘。能引能生。后有果故。非如名色。但为所依所缘。生起缘故。 

Explanation: Question: Bodily karma and verbal karma are initiated by the manas's volitional mental factor (cetanā); therefore, volitional formations are also the condition for bodily and verbal formations, and bodily and verbal formations also arise conditioned on volitional formations. Why is it only said that ignorance conditions volitional formations? Answer: This is said in accordance with the condition that initiates all volitional formations, including the manas's volitional formation (the volitional mental factor); all volitional formations arise from ignorance, and the manas's volition operates only because of ignorance, which leads to the arising of bodily and verbal formations; and it is also said in accordance with the condition that gives rise to wholesome and defiled volitional mental factors—the condition for arising wholesome ones and the condition for arising defiled ones are both ignorance. Therefore it is said that ignorance conditions volitional formations, and not that the volitional formation of the volitional mental factor conditions bodily and verbal formations. 

Question: The six consciousnesses also arise with name-and-form as their condition, so why is it said here only that the six consciousnesses arise with volitional formations as their condition? Answer: Volitional formations are the defiling condition of the six consciousnesses' wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral (states); volitional formations can initiate the arising of the six consciousnesses and can induce the appearance of the six consciousnesses—when the fruit of volitional formations comes about, the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses have been created. This is unlike name-and-form, which is merely the supporting condition and object condition for the birth of the six consciousnesses, the condition for their arising. The two kinds of conditions differ: the manas's volitional formation is the initiating condition for the birth of the six consciousnesses, while name-and-form is the condition directly relied upon by the six consciousnesses, the object condition. 

Original text: 问。名色亦由。大种所造。及由触生。何故但说。识为缘耶。答。识能为彼。新生因故。彼既生已。或正生时。大种及触。唯能与彼。为建立因。 

Explanation: Question: Name-and-form is also created by the seeds of the great elements and is also born through the condition of contact—there is mental contact at the time of entering the womb, and the six sense bases at the time of exiting the womb. Why is it said here only that name-and-form arises with the six consciousnesses as its condition? Answer: Consciousness can serve as the cause for the new birth of name-and-form. After name-and-form has been born, or while it is being born, the seeds of the great elements and contact can only serve as the establishing cause, the sustaining cause, and the mutating cause for name-and-form to become the five aggregates. The two kinds of causes function before and after the birth of name-and-form respectively, and their functions differ. From the important perspective of the initiating cause, it is said that consciousness conditions name-and-form; therefore it is not said from the perspective of the great elements and contact. 

Original text: 问。如经中说。六界为缘。得入母胎。何故此中。唯说识界。答。若有识界。决定于母胎中。精血大种。腹穴无阙故。又识界胜故。又依一切生。一切有生时而说故。 

Explanation: Question: As stated in the sūtras, it is with the six elements—earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness—as conditions that one can enter the mother's womb. Why is it said here only that one enters the womb with the element of consciousness as the condition? Answer: If the element of the Ālayavijñāna is present, then there will certainly be, within the mother's womb, the semen and blood formed by the seeds of the great elements that the fetus needs, pervading the body faculties, the five internal organs and six viscera, and the seven orifices, without any deficiency; therefore it is said that name-and-form has the element of the Ālayavijñāna as its condition. Moreover, because the element of the Ālayavijñāna is a mental dharma and is the most supreme among all dharmas, it is said that one enters the mother's womb with the Ālayavijñāna as the condition. Furthermore, based on the birth of all dharmas and the birth of all forms of existence, it is said that the Ālayavijñāna is the most supreme, being the direct cause for entering the womb and for the birth of name-and-form. 

The element of consciousness that can enter the womb is certainly the Ālayavijñāna, not the six consciousnesses, because upon entering the womb the six consciousnesses must cease; at the very beginning in the womb there are no six consciousnesses, but there is the Ālayavijñāna. Moreover, the form of the fertilized egg in the womb is produced, transformed, and upheld by the Ālayavijñāna giving rise to the seeds of the great elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space, and the seventh consciousness in the womb needs the Ālayavijñāna to provide consciousness seeds to sustain it. Therefore, what can enter the womb is the element of consciousness, the Ālayavijñāna; it is not said to be the elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space.