Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, Volume 10 (The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination)

(Twenty-five) Original text: 问。何等无明不有。故行不有。何等无明灭。故行灭耶。答。有三种发起缠随眠无明。由此无明灭故。彼无明灭。由彼灭故。行亦随灭。 

Explanation: Question: What kind of ignorance, by not existing, results in volitional formations not existing? What kind of ignorance, by ceasing, results in the ceasing of volitional formations? Answer: There are three kinds of ignorance that initiate [volitional formations]: the bondage (paryavasthāna), the latent tendencies (anuśaya), and ignorance itself. When these three kinds of ignorance cease, the ignorance among the twelve links ceases; because ignorance has ceased, volitional formations cease accordingly. 

Original text: 问。何等行不有。故识不有。何等行灭。故识灭耶。答。诸行于自相续中。已作已灭。及未起对治。又由意行有故。起身语行。由此有故彼有。彼无故彼缘识亦无。此若全灭。当知识亦随灭。 

Explanation: Question: What kind of volitional formations, by not existing, results in consciousness not existing? What kind of volitional formations, by ceasing, results in the ceasing of consciousness? Answer: All the actions of the manas, within its own continuous stream, cease as soon as they are performed; and when there is as yet no dharma that can counteract the actions of the manas, because the actions of the manas exist, the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses arise. Because the manas has actions, the six consciousnesses exist; because the actions of the manas no longer exist, the six consciousnesses also no longer exist. If the actions of the manas cease entirely, one should know that the six consciousnesses also cease accordingly. 

Original text: 问。何等识不有。故名色不有。何等识灭。故名色灭耶。答。种子识不有故。果识不有。此俱灭故。俱名色灭。如识望名色道理。如是余支乃至受。随其所应。当知亦尔。 

Explanation: Question: What kind of consciousness, by not existing, results in nāma-rūpa not existing? What kind of consciousness, by ceasing, results in the ceasing of nāma-rūpa? Answer: Because the consciousness that creates karma and leaves behind karmic seeds does not exist, the retributive consciousness does not exist. Because both kinds of consciousness cease together, nāma-rūpa also ceases entirely. Just as in the principle of consciousness conditioning nāma-rūpa, so it is with the remaining links, up through feeling conditioning craving—each according to what is appropriate, one should know it is likewise. 

The birth of nāma-rūpa requires karmic seeds. Karmic seeds are produced through the choices of the manas's actions, which give rise to the six consciousnesses creating karmic seeds. When the six consciousnesses create karmic actions, karmic seeds are left behind; when those karmic seeds ripen in later lives, nāma-rūpa will be born, and there will also be new six consciousnesses to receive the retribution. If the six consciousnesses no longer create karmic actions, the retributive consciousness will not arise, and nāma-rūpa will inevitably no longer be born. The root of this lies in the manas no longer having actions; for the manas to no longer have actions, the prerequisite is that the ignorance of the manas must be extinguished, so that it will no longer produce actions.