緣起經一卷
三藏法師玄奘奉 詔譯
Tripitaka Master Xuanzang's Imperial Translation
如是我聞：
Thus I have heard:
一時，薄伽梵在室羅筏，住誓多林給孤獨園，與無量無數聲聞、菩薩、天人等俱。爾時，世尊告苾芻眾：「吾當為汝宣說緣起初差別義，汝應諦聽，極善思惟，吾今為汝分別解說。」
Once, the Bhagavan was dwelling in Shravasti, at the Jetavana Grove in Anathapindika's Park, together with an immeasurable and countless assembly of Shravakas, Bodhisattvas, devas, humans, and others. At that time, the World-Honored One addressed the assembly of monks: "I shall now expound for you the distinctions in the meaning of the principle of dependent origination. You should listen carefully and reflect deeply upon it. I will now explain it to you in detail."
苾芻眾言：「唯然願說，我等樂聞。」
The monks replied, "Yes, we wish to hear it. We are eager to listen."
佛言：「云何名緣起初？謂依此有故彼有，此生故彼生，所謂無明緣行，行緣識，識緣名色，名色緣六處，六處緣觸，觸緣受，受緣愛，愛緣取，取緣有，有緣生，生緣老死，起愁歎苦憂惱，是名為純大苦蘊集，如是名為緣起初義。
The Buddha said: "What is meant by the 'beginning of dependent origination'? It means: because this exists, that comes to be. With the arising of this, that arises. That is to say: - Ignorance conditions volitional formations. - Volitional formations condition consciousness. - Consciousness conditions name-and-form. - Name-and-form conditions the six sense bases. - The six sense bases condition contact. - Contact conditions feeling. - Feeling conditions craving. - Craving conditions clinging. - Clinging conditions existence. - Existence conditions birth. - Birth conditions aging and death, along with sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair.
This is how the entire mass of suffering originates. This is called the meaning of the 'beginning of dependent origination.'"
「云何名為緣起差別？謂無明緣行者，云何無明？謂於前際無知，於後際無知，於前後際無知；於內無知，於外無知，於內外無知；於業無知，於異熟無知，於業異熟無知；於佛無知，於法無知，於僧無知；於苦無知，於集無知，於滅無知，於道無知；於因無知，於果無知，於因已生諸法無知；於善無知，於不善無知；於有罪無知，於無罪無知；於應修習無知，於不應修習無知；於下劣無知；於上妙無知；於黑無知，於白無知；於有異分無知，於緣已生或六觸處，如實通達無知。如是於彼彼處如實無知，無見無現觀，愚癡無明黑闇，是謂無明。云何為行？行有三種，謂身行、語行、意行，是名為行。
What is meant by the distinctions within dependent origination? It is said: ignorance conditions volitional formations. What is ignorance? It is: not knowing the past, not knowing the future, not knowing both the past and the future; not knowing what is internal, not knowing what is external, not knowing both internal and external; not knowing actions, not knowing their results, not knowing the relationship between actions and their results; not knowing the Buddha, not knowing the Dharma, not knowing the Sangha; not knowing suffering, not knowing its origin, not knowing its cessation, not knowing the path; not knowing causes, not knowing effects, not knowing the phenomena that arise from causes; not knowing what is wholesome, not knowing what is unwholesome; not knowing what is blameworthy, not knowing what is blameless; not knowing what should be cultivated, not knowing what should not be cultivated; not knowing what is inferior, not knowing what is superior; not knowing what is dark, not knowing what is bright; not knowing what has distinctions, not knowing the six sense bases that have arisen from conditions and how to penetrate them as they truly are. Thus, whatever is actually not known, not seen, not realized, obscured, ignorant, and shrouded in darkness in all these respects—this is called ignorance. What are volitional formations? There are three kinds: bodily formations, verbal formations, and mental formations. These are called volitional formations.
「行緣識者，云何為識？謂六識身，一者眼識，二者耳識，三者鼻識，四者舌識，五者身識，六者意識，是名為識。
Dependent on mental formations arises consciousness. What is consciousness? It refers to the six types of consciousness: eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mind consciousness. This is called consciousness.
「識緣名色者，云何為名？謂四無色蘊：一者受蘊，二者想蘊，三者行蘊，四者識蘊。云何為色？謂諸所有色，一切四大種，及四大種所造，此色前名總略為一，合名名色，是謂名色。
"Consciousness conditions name-and-form. What is 'name'? It refers to the four formless aggregates: the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of mental formations, and the aggregate of consciousness. What is 'form'? It refers to all forms—the four great elements and what is derived from them. This form, together with the previously mentioned name, is collectively called 'name-and-form'. This is what is meant by name-and-form."
「名色緣六處者，云何六處？謂六內處：一眼內處，二耳內處，三鼻內處，四舌內處，五身內處，六意內處，是謂六處。
With consciousness and form as causes, what are the six sense-bases? The six internal sense-bases: (1) the eye base, (2) the ear base, (3) the nose base, (4) the tongue base, (5) the body base, and (6) the mind base. These are called the six sense-bases.
「六處緣觸者，云何為觸？謂六觸身：一者眼觸，二者耳觸，三者鼻觸，四者舌觸，五者身觸，六者意觸，是名為觸。
When sense organs and their objects come together, what is contact? Contact consists of six types: (1) contact through the eyes, (2) contact through the ears, (3) contact through the nose, (4) contact through the tongue, (5) contact through the body, and (6) contact through the mind. This is what is meant by contact.
「觸緣受者，云何為受？受有三種，謂樂受、苦受、不苦不樂受，是名為受。
With contact as a condition, what is feeling? There are three kinds of feeling: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. This is called feeling.
「受緣愛者，云何為愛？愛有三種，謂欲愛、色愛、無色愛，是名為愛。
Arising from feeling is craving. What is craving? There are three types: craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence in the realm of form, and craving for existence in the formless realm. This is called craving.
「愛緣取者，云何為取？謂四取：一者欲取，二者見取，三者戒禁取，四者我語取，是名為取。
"When craving is the condition for clinging, what is clinging? It is the four kinds of clinging: (1) clinging to sensual pleasures, (2) clinging to views, (3) clinging to rules and vows, (4) clinging to the doctrine of self. This is called clinging.
「取緣有者，云何為有？有有三種，謂欲有、色有、無色有，是名為有。
"Conditioned by clinging, there is becoming. What is becoming? There are three kinds of becoming: becoming in the realm of desire, becoming in the realm of form, and becoming in the formless realm. This is called becoming."
「有緣生者，云何為生？謂彼彼有情，於彼彼有情類，諸生、等生、趣、起、出、現、蘊得界得、處得，諸蘊生起，命根出現，是名為生。
Now, what is "birth" for one subject to the condition of birth? It refers to the arising of beings within their respective realms. This includes: being born, being reincarnated, descending into a new existence, emerging, manifesting, obtaining a new aggregate of body and mind, obtaining a new set of senses, and the arising of a new life force. This is called birth.
「生緣老死者，云何為老？謂髮衰變，皮膚緩皺，衰熟損壞，身脊傴曲黑黶間身，喘息奔急，形貌僂前，憑據策杖，惛昧羸劣，損減衰退，諸根耄熟，功用破壞，諸行朽故，其形腐敗，是名為老。云何為死？謂彼彼有情，從彼彼有情類，終盡壞沒，捨壽捨煖，命根謝滅，棄捨諸蘊，死時運盡，是名為死。此死前老總略為一，合名老死，如是名為緣起差別義。
"With birth as a condition, there is old age and death. What is old age? It refers to the graying of hair, wrinkling of skin, decline and decay of the body, a stooped back, age spots appearing on the body, shortness of breath, a bent posture, needing a cane for support, dullness and weakness, loss of faculties, senility, the breakdown of bodily functions, and the deterioration and decay of the body's components. This is called old age.
What is death? It refers to the passing, ending, and disappearance of various beings from their respective states, the cessation of life, the loss of warmth, the extinction of the life force, the abandoning of the aggregates, and the end of life’s course. This is called death.
The aspects of old age that come before death are collectively known as 'old age and death.' This is the meaning of the distinctions within dependent origination."
「苾芻！我已為汝等說所標緣起初差別義。」
"Monks, I have explained to you the primary distinction that marks the principle of dependent origination."
時薄伽梵說是經已，聲聞、菩薩、天人等眾，聞佛所說皆大歡喜，得未曾有，信受奉行。
When the Blessed One had finished speaking this sutra, the assembly of disciples, bodhisattvas, gods, and humans all heard the Buddha's words with great joy. They had realized something unprecedented, and with faith they accepted and put his teachings into practice.
緣起經一卷
Sutra on Dependent Origination