Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, Volume 10: Explanation of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (2)

Original text: 欲取云何。谓于诸欲所有欲贪。见取云何。谓除萨迦耶见。于所余见所有欲贪。戒禁取云何。谓于邪愿所起戒禁所有欲贪。我语取云何。谓于萨迦耶见所有欲贪。初唯能生欲界苦果。余三通生三界苦果。

Explanation: What is the grasping of sense desire? The grasping of sense desire is the craving and grasping that arises toward all dharmas of the desire realm. What is the grasping of views? The grasping of views is the craving and grasping toward all views other than the view of self. What is the grasping of precepts and vows? The grasping of precepts and vows is the craving and grasping toward the precepts and vows that arise from unwholesome aspirations, such as when non-Buddhists believe that undergoing ascetic practices can extinguish all sinful karma, and so they vow to inflict unbearable suffering upon themselves every day, tormenting themselves in vain, and persistently cling to such precepts and vows. What is the grasping of the notion of self? The grasping of the notion of self is all the craving and grasping that arises from the view of self. The first one, the grasping of sense desire, can only produce the suffering fruits of the desire realm; the other three can produce the suffering fruits of the three realms.

Grasping the dharmas of the desire realm means one cannot escape the cycle of birth and death in the desire realm, cannot go to the form realm, the formless realm, or other buddha-lands, and certainly will not attain nirvāṇa. Only sentient beings in the desire realm grasp the dharmas of the desire realm; sentient beings in the form realm and formless realm grasp the dharmas of the form realm and formless realm, as well as grasping nirvāṇa and other buddha-lands. Apart from the view of self, the remaining views mostly consist of wrong views (mithyā-dṛṣṭi). For example, holding that the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) were created by Mahābrahmā, or by divine power, and so forth—clinging to such wrong views, one lacks right view and cannot attain liberation. The craving for desire that arises from the view of self has a very broad scope; all sentient beings who have not eradicated the view of self possess this craving.

Original text: 欲有云何。谓欲界前时有。业有死有。中有生有。及那落迦傍生饿鬼人天有。总说名欲有。此复由先所作。诸行烦恼摄受。之所熏发。色有云何。谓除那落迦。傍生饿鬼人有。所余是色有应知。无色有云何。谓复除中有。所余是无色有应知。

Explanation: What is existence in the desire realm? Existence in the desire realm is the existence during the time of being born in the desire realm, including the existence of creating karmic actions, the existence at the time of death, the existence of the neutrino-body (antarā-bhava), the existence at the time of birth, as well as the existence of hell beings, animals, hungry ghosts, humans, and desire-realm devas. Taken together, this is called existence in the desire realm. This arises through the conditioning and evocation of the various volitional formations and afflictions previously created in the desire realm.

What is existence in the form realm? Apart from hell beings, animals, hungry ghosts, and humans, the remaining existences are existences in the form realm, including the existence of karmic actions, the existence at the time of death, the existence of the neutrino-body, and the existence at the time of birth. What is existence in the formless realm? On top of existence in the form realm, further excluding the existence of the neutrino-body, the remainder is existence in the formless realm, including the existence of karma, the existence of death, and the existence of birth.

Existence in the desire realm is the various volitional formations of the desire realm—bodily, verbal, and mental actions, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, as well as the objective realms, including the precepts, meditation (samādhi), and wisdom practiced by the five aggregates, as well as greed, hatred, delusion, ignorance, and afflictions. Existence in the form realm is the various volitional formations of the form realm, including bodily and mental actions, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, objective realms, and meditative concentration and wisdom. Existence in the formless realm is the various volitional formations of the formless realm—mental actions, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, and the realms of meditative concentration.