大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 46.5

46.5

From the Commentary's "Among the twelve links, only two are cited…" onward, it resolves the objection regarding the brevity of the text. First it recites [the objection], and from "generating karma" onward it explains. It briefly cites three passages: First, in the Vijñaptimātra section on generating and leading, it is said that avidyā generates karma, tṛṣṇā can moisten, and karma can lead to existence; second, it merely mentions that avidyā can moisten existence; third, it merely mentions that tṛṣṇā already subsumes upādāna and bhava. Second, from "From ignorance…" onward, it cites the Vimalakīrti to explain. Third, from "From the Nirvāṇa…" onward, it cites the Nirvāṇa Sūtra as proof, which corresponds to fascicle thirty-four of the Northern edition and thirty-two of the Southern edition; among the twenty-one pairs of disputations, this corresponds to the fourteenth, on the meaning of having mental concomitants versus not having mental concomitants. This passage is slightly abbreviated; if fully cited, the sūtra says: "Good son! In the sūtras I have spoken thus: 'The five aggregates, from rūpa-skandha up to vijñāna-skandha, of the noble ones are all produced from the conditions of avidyā; all ordinary persons are likewise. From avidyā arises tṛṣṇā; you should know that this tṛṣṇā is precisely avidyā. From tṛṣṇā arises upādāna; you should know that this upādāna is precisely avidyā and tṛṣṇā. From upādāna arises bhava; this bhava is precisely avidyā, tṛṣṇā, and upādāna. From bhava arises vedanā; you should know that this vedanā is precisely saṃskāra and bhava. From the causes and conditions of vedanā are born nāmarūpa, avidyā, tṛṣṇā, upādāna, bhava, saṃskāra, vedanā, sparśa, vijñāna, and the six āyatanas; therefore, vedanā is precisely the twelve links. Good son! My disciples, having heard this teaching, did not understand my intention and declared that the Tathāgata preached that there are no mental concomitants.'" Explanation: Herein there are three parts: first, clarifying that the five aggregates of the noble ones arise from avidyā; second, drawing an analogy with ordinary persons; third, regarding ordinary persons, clarifying that mental factors arise in succession without other distinct counts. Here, the twelve causes and conditions across the three periods are discussed interchangeably in terms of the hidden and the manifest. In the text, there is first the enumeration and then the conclusion. In the enumeration, it first clarifies that the past causes arise from avidyā. When it says that from avidyā arises tṛṣṇā, and one should know that this tṛṣṇā is precisely avidyā, it means that when the mind of avidyā is defiled and attached facing sense objects, it is called tṛṣṇā; therefore, this tṛṣṇā is precisely avidyā. When it says that from tṛṣṇā arises upādāna, and one should know that this upādāna is precisely avidyā and tṛṣṇā, it means that this previous mind of tṛṣṇā clinging to objects is called upādāna, its essence being not different; therefore, this upādāna is precisely avidyā and tṛṣṇā. When it says that from upādāna arises bhava, and one should know that this bhava is precisely avidyā and tṛṣṇā, it means that when the previous mind of grasping initiates karma it is called bhava; therefore, this bhava is precisely avidyā and so forth. Next, it discusses the present fruition. When it says that from bhava arises vedanā, and one should know that this vedanā is precisely saṃskāra and bhava, this designates the link of vijñāna and takes it as vedanā; the vijñāna link is precisely the substance of the present retribution, and being obtained from causes and conditions, it is named vedanā. It is precisely the preceding link of bhava turning into this vedanā; therefore, this vedanā is precisely the preceding saṃskāra and bhava. It should also be precisely the preceding avidyā, tṛṣṇā, and upādāna, [but] it is spoken of in terms of what is immediate. When it says that from the causes and conditions of vedanā nāmarūpa is born, the increase of vedanā is named nāma, and what consciousness relies upon is established as rūpa. Arising from vedanā are avidyā, tṛṣṇā, upādāna, bhava, and saṃskāra: this is the arising of subsequent causes from the present retribution of vedanā. From the causes and conditions of vedanā are born tṛṣṇā, sparśa, vijñāna, the six āyatanas, and so forth: this is the turning from the present retribution of rūpa to arise future birth, aging, and death. It should also be declared that nāmarūpa is precisely vedanā, up to declaring that the six āyatanas are precisely vedanā, but the text is abbreviated. Below, the sūtra says: "Therefore, vedanā is precisely the twelve links"; thus this final sentence is a general conclusion that there are no separate mental factors outside vedanā: looking backward, it is identical to past avidyā, tṛṣṇā, and so on; looking forward, it is identical to nāmarūpa and so on; hence vedanā is precisely the twelve links. Because what the present Commentary cites is only the opening section, proving that avidyā and tṛṣṇā are the roots of the twelve links, it says "is precisely avidyā, tṛṣṇā, etc." The word "etc." abbreviates the rest of the sūtra text. However, the original intent of that sūtra was to clarify that there are no separate mental factors, not to establish that avidyā and tṛṣṇā are the roots of the members of existence; hence the Commentary concludes by saying "it is also similar to this meaning." From the Commentary's "Furthermore, in terms of the three junctures, avidyā is the root…" onward, it draws upon the Yogācārabhūmi, which will be distinguished in detail below in the sixth ground; here it is briefly explained for now. That avidyā arises across all and is the root can be understood, because failure to comprehend the ultimate truth is named avidyā. As for "taking tṛṣṇā and upādāna as the juncture", this refers to what arises in the present. If one further generates tṛṣṇā and upādāna, then there will be the future links of birth, aging, and death. If they are not generated, future suffering will not arise; existence and non-existence depend on them, and hence they are called the juncture. As for "between these two there are consciousness and the other five [links]", this refers to the five fruitions in the middle, between the link of avidyā behind and the links of tṛṣṇā and upādāna ahead. As for "and birth, aging, and death", this is looking toward the future world from the links of tṛṣṇā and upādāna, before the links of tṛṣṇā and upādāna have arisen; it is merely what is intermediate, because in the future they will arise again in an endless cycle. From the Commentary's "Now, having awakened from avidyā…" onward, it brings out the reason why tṛṣṇā and upādāna are the juncture; the meaning is as explained above.