The Long Āgama Sūtra 13.5

13.5

爾時，世尊告阿難曰：「止！止！勿作此言：『十二因緣法之光明，甚深難解！』阿難！此十二因緣難見難知，諸天、魔、梵、沙門、婆羅門、未見緣者，若欲思量觀察分別其義者，則皆荒迷，無能見者。阿難！我今語汝老死有緣，若有問言：『何等是老死緣？』應答彼言：『生是老死緣！』若復問言：『誰是生緣？』應答彼言：『有是生緣。』若復問言：『誰是有緣？』應答彼言：『取是有緣。』若復問言：『誰是取緣？』應答彼言：『愛是取緣。』若復問言：『誰是愛緣？』應答彼言：『受是愛緣。』若復問言：『誰是受緣？』應答彼言：『觸是受緣。』若復問言：『誰為觸緣？』應答彼言：『六入是觸緣。』若復問言：『誰為六入緣？』應答彼言：『名色是六入緣。』若復問言：『誰為名色緣？』應答彼言：『識是名色緣。』若復問言：『誰為識緣？』應答彼言：『行是識緣。』若復問言：『誰為行緣？』應答彼言：『癡是行緣。』阿難！如是緣癡有行，緣行有識，緣識有名色，緣名色有六入，緣六入有觸，緣觸有受，緣受有愛，緣愛有取，緣取有有，緣有有生，緣生有老、死、憂、悲、苦惱，大患所集，是為此大苦陰緣。」

The Bhagavān then told Ānanda, “Stop, stop! Don’t say, ‘The twelve dependent originations are the light of the teaching. They are profound and difficult to understand.’ Ānanda, these twelve dependent originations are difficult to see and difficult to know. Dependent origination is unknown to the gods, Māra, Brahmā, ascetics, and priests. If they were to ponder, investigate, and discern its meaning, they would become confused, being unable to see it.

“Ānanda, I’ll discuss it with you now. There’s a condition for old age and death. Suppose someone were to ask, ‘What’s the condition for old age and death?’ They should be answered, ‘Birth is the condition for old age and death.’

“Suppose they also ask, ‘What’s the condition for birth?’ They should be answered, ‘Existence is the condition for birth.’

“Suppose they also ask, ‘What’s the condition for existence?’ They should be answered, ‘Grasping is the condition for existence.’

“Suppose they also ask, ‘What’s the condition for grasping?’ They should be answered, ‘Craving is the condition for grasping.’

“Suppose they also ask, ‘What’s the condition for craving?’ They should be answered, ‘Feeling is the condition for craving.’

“Suppose they also asked, ‘What’s the condition for feeling?’ They should be answered, ‘Contact is the condition for feeling.’

“Suppose they also ask, ‘What’s the condition for contact?’ They should be answered, ‘The six sense fields are the condition for contact.’

“Suppose they also ask, ‘What’s the condition for the six sense fields?’ They should be answered, ‘Name and form are the condition for the six sense fields.’

“Suppose they also ask, ‘What’s the condition for name and form?’ They should be answered, ‘Consciousness is the condition for name and form.’

“Suppose they also ask, ‘What’s the condition for consciousness?’ They should be answered, ‘Action is the condition for consciousness.’

“Suppose they also ask, ‘What’s the condition for action?’ They should be answered, ‘Delusion is the condition for action.’

“Thus, Ānanda, action exists conditioned by delusion. Consciousness exists conditioned by action. Name and form exist conditioned by consciousness. The six sense fields exist conditioned by name and form. Contact exists conditioned by the six sense fields. Feeling exists conditioned by contact. Craving exists conditioned by feeling. Grasping exists conditioned by craving. Existence exists conditioned by grasping. Birth exists conditioned by existence. The formation of the great calamity of old age, death, grief, sorrow, pain, and trouble exists conditioned by birth. These are the conditions for this great mass of suffering.”