Explanation of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra (13)

Original text:问。何故不说自体。为自体缘耶。答。由彼自体。若不得余缘。于自体杂染。不能增长。亦不损减。是故不说。问。何因缘故。福行不动行。由正简择功力而起。仍说用无明为缘耶。答。由不了达。世俗苦因为缘。起非福行。由不了达。胜义苦因为缘。生福及不动行。是故亦说。彼以无明为缘。

Explanation: Question: Why is it not said that the self-substance (ātma-bhāva) serves as the condition for the self-substance itself? Answer: If there is only the self-substance, without any other conditions, the defilement of that self-substance neither increases nor decreases; therefore it is not said that the self-substance is the condition for the self-substance. For example, with ignorance, if there are no other conditions, ignorance itself will not increase or decrease. It is only when the five aggregates encounter wholesome and unwholesome conditions and are influenced by them that ignorance can be increased or decreased.

Question: What causes and conditions are there such that the formations of meritorious karma and the pure immovable formations that neither create meritorious karma nor unmeritorious karma, which arise through the power of merit of correct discernment, are nevertheless said to arise with ignorance as their condition? Answer: Because, due to the mind's failure to thoroughly understand that the cause of worldly suffering arises from the condition of greed, hatred, and delusion, unmeritorious karmic formations are created; and because of failure to thoroughly know that, in the ultimate sense, the cause of suffering stated is the condition of ignorance, meritorious formations and immovable formations are created. Therefore it is said that these three kinds of formations all arise with ignorance as their condition.

The passage above says that sentient beings, because they cannot fully understand worldly suffering, create unwholesome karmic actions that diminish merit; and because they cannot fully understand the emptiness principle revealed by the ultimate truth, they create wholesome actions that increase worldly merit, as well as pure immovable formations that are neither wholesome nor unwholesome. Sentient beings' wholesome actions of cultivating merit are for worldly conditioned enjoyment, not for the pure path of transcendence—this is ignorance. Sentient beings also, because they cannot comprehend the meaning of emptiness revealed by the ultimate truth, cultivate immovable formations that are neither wholesome nor unwholesome, such as the pure meditative concentration cultivated by non-Buddhists—single-mindedly entering samādhi, in the world neither doing good nor doing evil, with worldly merit neither increased nor diminished. This likewise is due to the ignorance of not knowing what liberation is; it is also clinging to the conditioned karmic actions of worldly meditative concentration, which is likewise the suffering karma that binds one to birth and death, and liberation cannot be attained.

For the noble ones who have comprehended ultimate emptiness, ignorance has been destroyed, and the mind-ground is unconditioned—without marks, without action, without aspiration; they do not create karmic formations that increase merit, diminish merit, or immovable formations for the sake of worldly benefit. Even if they create meritorious formations, it is for the transcendent Buddha-way and for the benefit of sentient beings. Therefore noble ones do not pursue worldly fame, gain, and offerings, nor the five desires of wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep; they do not create momentum for great renown, do not pursue power and status, do not compete with sentient beings for benefits, and do not hope to be revered. They see the five-aggregate world as empty, and their minds are utterly without seeking and without attaining anything. If it is the opposite of this, it shows that the mind-ground is not empty and that the principle of ultimate emptiness has not been comprehended.