Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 10: Commentary on the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (10)

Regarding the link from ignorance to formations: the ignorance is the ignorance of the manas, and it is a formless link; only formless conscious minds can have ignorance, while material dharmas do not involve enlightenment or ignorance. Only when the manas has ignorance do formations arise. Among these, formations are divided into formations of material form, such as bodily formations and verbal formations, and formless mental formations. Ignorance is only the dominant condition (adhipati-pratyaya) for formations of material form, able to promote the arising, development, and transformation of formations of material form. Material form is not a mental dharma and has neither the sequential condition (samanantara-pratyaya) nor the object condition (ālambana-pratyaya); only mental dharmas have the sequential condition and the object condition. Therefore bodily formations and verbal formations have neither the sequential condition nor the object condition, whereas mental formations have the sequential condition, the object condition, and the dominant condition. Ignorance exists simultaneously with the manas and has never been interrupted; wherever there is the manas, there is ignorance. Only when the manas conditions upon ignorance are there formations, so ignorance is the object condition of the manas. The manas's ignorance can also promote the continuous activity of the six consciousnesses, becoming the dominant condition for formations.

Regarding the link from formations to consciousness: formations cause the six consciousnesses to operate continuously and cause the birth of karmic seeds. Formations of material form are the object condition and dominant condition of the six consciousnesses, while formless formations are the sequential condition, object condition, and dominant condition of the mind consciousness. Regarding the link from consciousness to name-and-form (nāma-rūpa): the continuous, uninterrupted operation of the six consciousnesses is the dominant condition for the material body of future lives, and is the sequential condition, object condition, and dominant condition for the name (feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness) of future lives. The link from name-and-form to the six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana) is very complex: name is the dominant condition for the first five entrances, and is the sequential condition, object condition, and dominant condition for the subsequent entrance of the manas; material form is the dominant condition for the entrances of the first five faculties, and is the object condition and dominant condition for the entrance of the mind. Because the entrances of the five faculties are material dharmas and not conscious minds, they have neither the sequential condition nor the object condition. Regarding the link from the six sense bases to contact: the entrance of the manas is the sequential condition, object condition, and dominant condition for the contact of the manas, while the entrances of the first five faculties are the dominant condition for the contact of the five faculties, without the object condition or the sequential condition.

Regarding the link from contact to feeling: the contact of the manas is the sequential condition, object condition, and dominant condition for the feeling of the mind consciousness. Wherever there is feeling there must be contact; once contact is severed, feeling disappears. The contact of the five faculties is the object condition and dominant condition for the feeling of the five consciousnesses, while the sequential condition for the feeling of the five consciousnesses is the ālayavijñāna, the manas, and the five consciousnesses. The link from feeling to craving is the same: feeling is the sequential condition, object condition, and dominant condition for craving. Only by conditioning immediately and without interruption upon feeling can craving arise; the object condition of craving is feeling. Without feeling there is no craving, and feeling can increase and give rise to craving. The feeling of the five consciousnesses and the feeling of the mind consciousness are both unified in the manas; likewise, the craving and grasping of the five consciousnesses and the craving and grasping of the mind consciousness are also unified in the manas, being manipulated by the manas. Therefore, in sum, they are the feeling, craving, and grasping of the manas.

The link from craving to grasping is likewise the same: craving is the sequential condition, object condition, and dominant condition for grasping. Grasping conditions immediately and without interruption upon craving; without craving there is no grasping. The object condition of grasping is precisely craving, and craving can increase grasping. Regarding the link from grasping to becoming: grasping is only the dominant condition for becoming, not the sequential condition, nor the object condition. Regarding the link from becoming to birth: becoming is the dominant condition for the birth of material form, and is the object condition and dominant condition for the birth of name, but not the sequential condition; the sequential condition for birth is the karmic seeds of the manas and the six consciousnesses. Regarding the link from birth to aging-and-death: the birth of material form is the dominant condition for aging-and-death, not the sequential condition or the object condition, while the birth of name is the sequential condition, object condition, and dominant condition for aging-and-death.