Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, Volume 9, Explanation of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (7)

Original text:缘起门云何。谓依八门缘起流转。一内识生门。二外稼成熟门。三有情世间死生门。四器世间成坏门。五食任持门。六自所作业。增上势力受用。随业所得。爱非爱果门。七威势门。八清净门。

Explanation: What is the gateway of dependent origination? The manifestation of saṃsāric transmigration through eight gateways as conditions is the gateway of dependent origination. The first is the gateway of the arising of consciousness within the five-aggregate body; the second is the gateway of the maturation of external conditioning causes for receiving retribution; the third is the gateway of the death and birth of the sentient beings' five-aggregate world; the fourth is the gateway of the formation, abiding, decay, and emptiness of the universe, the vessel world; the fifth is the gateway of food sustaining and maintaining life; the sixth is the gateway of agreeable and disagreeable retributions obtained in accordance with karma, through the intensified force of experiencing the karmic actions one has created oneself; the seventh is the gateway of one's own inherent majesty and power; the eighth is the gateway of the purification of the mind.

Original text:缘起义云何。谓离有情义。是缘起义。于离有情。复无常义。是缘起义。于无常。复暂住义。是缘起义。于暂住复依他义。是缘起义。于依他离作用义。是缘起义。于离作用。复因果相续不断义。是缘起义。于因果相续不断。复因果相似转义。是缘起义。于因果相似转。复自业所作义。是缘起义。

Explanation: What is the meaning of dependent origination? That sentient beings are devoid of self-nature — the meaning of lacking inherent existence — is the meaning of dependent origination; that sentient beings, lacking inherent existence, are also impermanent — is the meaning of dependent origination; that sentient beings are not only impermanent but also temporarily abiding — is the meaning of dependent origination; that sentient beings are not only temporarily abiding but also dependent on others (paratantra) — is the meaning of dependent origination; that sentient beings, though dependent on others, are devoid of real function — is the meaning of dependent origination; that although sentient beings have no real function, cause and effect nevertheless operate in continuous succession without interruption — is the meaning of dependent origination; that sentient beings, following cause and effect, appear to be operating ceaselessly in appearance, while in reality there is no cause and no effect, no real cause and effect — is the meaning of dependent origination; that although cause and effect flow on in a similar manner without real cause and effect, they are nevertheless brought about by sentient beings' own karmic actions — is the meaning of dependent origination.

In summary, the meaning of dependent origination is the meaning of non-real dharmas — illusory and unreal dharmas manifested through the aggregation of causes and conditions, seemingly existent but in substance nonexistent. Therefore, sentient beings are dependently originated dharmas; there are no real sentient beings. Sentient beings are impermanent and temporarily abiding, are of dependent-origination nature, have no real function of the five aggregates, and are a continuous succession of causes and effects without interruption; yet there is no substantial cause and effect, because cause and effect are also dependently originated dharmas, unreal dharmas.