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

Original text: 于业无知云何。谓于诸业。起不如理分别。谓有作者。所有无知。于异熟无知云何。谓于异熟果所摄诸行。起不如理分别。谓有受者。所有无知。于业异熟无知云何。谓于业及果。起不如理分别。所有无知。

Explanation: What is ignorance regarding karmic actions? It is the arising of unwholesome discrimination toward all karmic actions, believing that karmic actions have a creator—all such ignorance is ignorance regarding karmic actions. What is ignorance regarding ripened retribution? It is the arising of unwholesome discrimination toward the formations subsumed under ripened retribution, claiming that ripened retribution has an experiencer—all such ignorance is ignorance regarding ripened retribution. What is ignorance regarding karmic actions and their ripened retribution? It is the arising of unwholesome discrimination toward karmic actions and their karmic fruits—all such ignorance is ignorance regarding karmic actions and ripened retribution.

Why is believing that all karmic actions have a creator considered ignorance? Because karmic actions are dharmas of dependent origination, dharmas formed by the aggregation of causes and conditions, illusory provisional dharmas without real substance. What is ripened retribution (vipāka)? The retributive results of future lives brought about by karmic actions created in past lives—these are ripened retributions. Since there are retributive results, there are sentient beings who experience those results; but sentient beings are bodies of dependent origination, dharmas formed by the aggregation of causes and conditions, not real dharmas. Therefore, believing that ripened retribution has an experiencer is ignorance. Likewise, believing that karmic actions have a creator, and believing that ripened retributions have an experiencer, are both forms of ignorance.

Original text: 于佛无知云何。谓于佛菩提。或不思惟。或邪思惟。或由放逸。或由疑惑。或由毁谤。所有无知。于法无知云何。谓于正法善说性。或不思惟。或邪思惟。或由放逸。或由疑惑。或由毁谤。所有无知。于僧无知云何。谓于僧正行。或不思惟。或邪思惟。或由放逸。或由疑惑。或由毁谤。所有无知。

Explanation: What is ignorance regarding the Buddha? Toward the path of bodhi leading to buddhahood, one either does not contemplate it, or contemplates it wrongly, or is lax and does not diligently cultivate practice, or harbors doubt, or engages in slander—all such ignorance is ignorance regarding the Buddha. What is ignorance regarding the Dharma? Toward the correct and true Dharma that is skillfully expounded, one either does not contemplate it, or contemplates it wrongly, or is lax and does not diligently cultivate practice, or harbors doubt, or slanders it without cause—all such ignorance is ignorance regarding the Dharma. What is ignorance regarding the Saṅgha? Toward the correct conduct of the monastic Saṅgha, one either does not contemplate it, or contemplates it wrongly, or is lax in mind, or harbors doubt, or slanders it without cause—all such ignorance is ignorance regarding the Saṅgha.

This is ignorance regarding the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha: not contemplating the virtues of the Three Jewels with the mind, not contemplating them correctly, or harboring doubt, or giving rise to slander—various bodily, verbal, and mental actions are all ignorance. The consequence of ignorance regarding the Three Jewels is sinking and drifting in the ocean of saṃsāra and karma, unable to attain liberation.

Original text: 于苦无知云何。谓于苦是苦性。或不思惟。或邪思惟。或由放逸。或由疑惑。或由毁谤。所有无知。如于苦。当知于集灭道无知亦尔。

Explanation: What is ignorance regarding suffering? Toward the principle that suffering has the nature of suffering, one either does not contemplate it, or contemplates it wrongly, or is lax and does not contemplate diligently, or harbors doubt, or engages in slander—all such ignorance is ignorance regarding suffering. As it is with ignorance regarding suffering, so it is with ignorance regarding the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the cessation of suffering—these are called ignorance regarding the origin of suffering, ignorance regarding the cessation of suffering, and ignorance regarding the path leading to the cessation of suffering.