Abhidharmakośa, Volume 9

（十）Original text: 云何无明缘行。广说乃至生缘老死。我今略显。符顺经义。谓诸愚夫于缘生法不知唯行。妄起我见及我慢执。为自受乐非苦乐故。造作身等各三种业。谓为自身受当乐故。造诸福业。受当来乐非苦乐故。造不动业。受现乐故。造非福业。如是名为无明缘行。由引业力。识相续流。如火焰行。往彼彼趣。凭附中有。驰赴所生。结生有身。名行缘识。 

Explanation: What is ignorance conditioning volitional formations? What is volitional formations conditioning consciousness? Extensively speaking, all the way to what is birth conditioning aging and death? I will now briefly explain in accordance with the meaning of the sūtras. Ignorance conditioning volitional formations means that all ignorant ordinary beings, not knowing that conditioned dharmas are all brought forth by volitional formations, falsely give rise to the view of self and the grasping of self-conceit and self-grasping. In order to experience pleasant feelings and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings for themselves, they create the three kinds of karma of body, speech, and mind. That is, in order to experience future pleasant feelings for themselves, they create all meritorious formations (puṇyābhisaṃskāra); in order to experience future pleasant feelings and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings, they create immovable formations (āneñjya); in order to experience pleasant feelings in the present life, they create unmeritorious formations (apuṇya-abhisaṃskāra). These are called ignorance conditioning volitional formations. Through the power of projecting karma, consciousness flows on in continuity, like a line of flame traveling onward, going to the various destinies, relying on and attaching to the intermediate-state body, swiftly rushing to the place of rebirth, and conjoining with the body of existence at birth—this is called volitional formations conditioning consciousness.
What is discussed here is that when sentient beings have not yet attained the untainted fruit, when their minds are not yet untainted, the karmic formations they create are all brought forth with ignorance as the condition—they are all formations of ignorance. Whether meritorious formations or unmeritorious formations, whether wholesome actions or unwholesome actions, they are all formations of ignorance. Since they are formations of ignorance, they carry the karmic force of ignorance, driving the ceaseless transmigration through the six destinies in future lives. Therefore, as long as ignorance exists, all karma is karma of ignorance, bearing the fruit of ignorance. 

Original text: 若作此释。善顺契经。分别识支通于六识。识为先故。于此趣中。有名色生。具足五蕴。展转相续。遍一期生。于大因缘辩缘起等。诸经皆有如是说故。如是名色。渐成熟时。具眼等根。说为六处。次与境合。便有识生。三和故。有顺乐等触。依此便生乐等三受。 

Explanation: If explained this way, it accords well with the meaning of the sūtras. The consciousness link that can discriminate extends to the six consciousnesses. Because the six consciousnesses come first, in the corresponding destiny there is the arising of nāma-rūpa (name-and-form), complete with the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), which continue in succession one after another throughout an entire lifespan. Regarding discerning dependent origination within the great conditions, all the sūtras have such teachings. When nāma-rūpa gradually matures, the eye faculty, ear faculty, nose faculty, tongue faculty, and body faculty are complete; together with the manas, this is called the six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana). Next, when they conjoin with the objects of the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses arise. Because of the conjunction of faculties, objects, and consciousness, there arises contact that accords with pleasant feeling and so forth; relying on this contact, the three feelings of pleasant feeling and so forth arise. 

Original text: 从此三受。引生三爱。谓由苦逼。有于乐受。发生欲爱。或有于乐非苦乐受。发生色爱。或有唯于非苦乐受。生无色爱。从欣受爱。起欲等取。 

Explanation: From the three feelings, the three cravings are brought forth. That is, due to the oppression of painful feeling and the pull of pleasant feeling, the craving of the desire realm arises; or, due to pleasant feeling and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, the craving of the form realm arises; or, only from neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, the craving of the formless realm arises. From the craving that delights in feeling, the grasping of the desire realm, form realm, and formless realm arises.