Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 9: Commentary on the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (Part Eight)

Original text: 问。为显何义建立缘起耶。答。为显因缘所摄。染污清净义故。缘起差别云何。谓于前际无知等。如经广说。

于前际无知云何。谓于过去诸行。起不如理分别。谓我于过去为曾有耶。为曾无耶。曾何体性。曾何种类。所有无知。于后际无知云何。谓于未来诸行。起不如理分别。谓我于未来。为当有耶。为当无耶。当何体性。当何种类。所有无知。

Explanation: Question: For the purpose of manifesting what meaning is dependent arising established? Answer: It is established to manifest the meaning of the defilement and purity of sentient beings as subsumed by causes and conditions. What are the varieties of dependent arising? Ignorance regarding the past, present, and future lives constitutes the varieties of dependent arising, as extensively expounded in the sūtras.

What is ignorance regarding the past? It is giving rise to unreasoned discrimination regarding the formations of past lives, thinking: Did I truly exist in the past? Did I truly not exist in the past? What was my nature in past lives? What kind of being was I? All such ignorance is ignorance regarding the past. What is ignorance regarding the future? It is giving rise to unreasoned discrimination regarding the formations of future lives, thinking: Shall I exist in the future? Shall I not exist in the future? What will my nature be in the future? What kind of being will I be? All such ignorance is ignorance regarding the future.

Original text: 于前后际无知云何。谓于内起不如理犹豫。谓何等是我。我为何等。今此有情。从何所来。于此没已。当往何所。所有无知。

Explanation: What is ignorance regarding the present? It is giving rise to unreasoned doubt regarding oneself, thinking: What is my self? What kind of thing am I? From where has this sentient being come? After perishing here in this world, where should one go? All such ignorance is ignorance regarding the present.

Ignorance regarding the three periods of time is ignorance regarding cause and effect and regarding transmigration, ignorance regarding birth and death. This is sentient beings' greatest ignorance, and it is also called fundamental ignorance and beginningless ignorance (avidyā).

Original text: 于内无知云何。谓于各别诸行。起不如理作意。谓之为我。所有无知。于外无知云何。谓于外非有情数诸行。起不如理作意。谓为我所。所有无知。于内外无知云何。谓于他相续诸行。起不如理分别。谓怨亲中所有无知。

Explanation: What is ignorance regarding the internal? It is giving rise to unreasoned mental engagement toward all the formations within one's own body, or toward individual formations, taking these formations to be the self. All such ignorance concerning a self of the five aggregates is ignorance regarding the internal. What is ignorance regarding the external? It is giving rise to unreasoned mental engagement toward external formations that are not sentient—insentient objects such as the six sense objects of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas—considering these dharmas to belong to the self. All mental engagement of this kind is ignorance regarding the external. What is ignorance regarding both the internal and external? It is giving rise to unreasoned discrimination toward the continuous stream of formations of other sentient beings, considering these beings to be one's enemies, relatives, or neutrals. All such ignorance is ignorance regarding both the internal and external.

Ignorance regarding the internal: the internal refers to one's own body of the five aggregates. Ignorance regarding the external: the external refers to the six sense objects. Ignorance regarding both the internal and external: internal and external refer to the five-aggregate bodies and six sense objects of other sentient beings. Taking all internal and external dharmas as self and self's possessions, and grasping them as real dharmas, is ignorance.