Tripitaka Master Xuanzang's Imperial Translation
Thus I have heard:
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."
The monks replied, "Yes, we wish to hear it. We are eager to listen."
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.'"
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.
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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
"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."
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.
"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."
"Monks, I have explained to you the primary distinction that marks the principle of dependent origination."
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.
Sutra on Dependent Origination