華嚴經探玄記 13.25

13.25

First, distinguishing according to characteristics and functions. These twelve limbs all have two meanings: first, clarifying their own functional characteristics; second, assisting in accomplishing subsequent functions. Namely, the delusion of ignorance within conditions is the self-characteristic of ignorance, and acting as a cause for formations is assisting in accomplishing its karmic function; the treatise-sūtra calls it "accomplishing its own karma." Question: among the four conditions, how many conditions do these twelve limbs fully possess? Answer: the eighth fascicle of the Cheng weishi lun says: "Mutually viewed, the limbs definitely possess the empowering condition (adhipatipratyaya); the presence or absence of the remaining three conditions is indeterminate. The sūtra, relying on what is definite, speaks only of one: craving viewed toward grasping, and existence viewed toward birth, have the meaning of causal condition (hetupratyaya). If the consciousness-limb is said to be a karmic seed, formations viewed toward consciousness also act as a causal condition; the remaining limbs mutually viewed have no meaning of causal condition. Yet the Abhidharmasamuccaya says that ignorance viewed toward formations has a causal condition, which is said in reliance on ignorance holding the karmic perfuming energy: because it is associated with ignorance, it is metaphorically called ignorance, but in reality it is the seed of formations. The Yogācārabhūmi says that the limbs mutually viewed have no causal condition, which is said in reliance on present craving and grasping being solely karmic existence. Ignorance viewed toward formations, craving viewed toward grasping, and birth viewed toward aging and death possess the remaining two conditions. Existence viewed toward birth, and feeling viewed toward craving, lack the immediately preceding condition (samanantarapratyaya) and have the objective condition (ālambanapratyaya). The remaining limbs mutually viewed lack both. Here, this is spoken provisionally relying on the proximate, sequential, and unconfused actual dependent origination; other than this, their mutual viewing as conditions is indeterminate. All intelligent ones should contemplate this appropriately." The explanation says: the Pratītyasamutpāda Sūtra says that only the empowering condition is definitely possessed by all. There are four states of causal conditions, of which two are real existents: first, only increasing craving to become grasping, because there is no separate seed; second, within the existence-limb the seeds of the five results are fully present, having the meaning of directly producing birth. If karma alone is spoken of as the existence-limb, there is no causal condition. Two are metaphorical expressions: namely, ignorance holding the seeds of formations, and consciousness being the karmic seed. Its immediately preceding condition has three states: first, ignorance viewed toward formations; second, craving viewed toward grasping; third, birth viewed toward aging and death. Its objective condition has five states: to the previous three states are added existence viewed toward birth, and feeling viewed toward craving. The remaining six limbs completely lack the objective condition and the immediately preceding condition. The remaining meanings are as separately explained.