The disciple who possesses renunciation and is desirous of hearing, attentive, retentive, appreciative and able to dispel imputation, having drawn near to the master, asked thus about the doctrine of the Tathagata. In what are the twelve individual constituents of Interdependent Origination which were taught by the Sage included, for I beg to see and study (them). The master, having understood him to ask about the essence of those (twelve) factors, thus spoke these lucid words from the stanza, (these twelve) are wholly included in three: afflictions, actions and sufferings.
Thus, twelve is ten plus two. Constituents alone are individual, as the constituents of a chariot have been shown to be, therefore, individual constituents. The Sage, because mighty of body, voice and mind, (while) taught by the Sage is synonymous with demonstrated and elucidated (by him).
The twelve constituents do not originate from causes (like): space, primordial matter, natural order, spirit, nor through dependence upon others, god, time, intrinsic being,5 chance, circumstance, free will and so on. They are interdependently originated. As the roof beams of a house depend upon one another, so these twelve individual constituents are wholly included in three: afflictions, actions and sufferings. Wholly, means all without remainder.
Which are afflictions, which actions and which sufferings? How and in what (categories) are these constituents of Interdependent Origination included?
II. The first, eighth and ninth are afflictions. Of the twelve constituents, the first is ignorance, the eighth craving and the ninth clinging. Know these three to be afflictions. If it is asked, which are actions? (Then) the second and tenth are actions. the second is volitions and the tenth becoming. Know these two factors to be included in actions. And the remaining seven are sufferings. (Five) constituents are included in afflictions and actions. Know the seven which remain to be included in sufferings. Thus, consciousness, name, and form, the six sense spheres, contact, feeling, birth and old age and death. The word, and, (serves) to include (sufferings which are not listed among the seven constituents), that is, the sufferings of separation from the loved, meeting with the despised and of frustrated desires. Thus, the twelve factors are included in three. Therefore know these twelve factors as afflictions, actions and sufferings. The (Tibetan) particle ni (which occurs between the word factors) and the phrase are included in three thus indicates that there remains part of the sentence (which is wanting), that is, the constituents demonstrated in the discourse are complete herein. Thus, it has been determined that there are none apart from these. Just so, but please demonstrate what these afflictions, actions and sufferings originate from.
III. From the three, two originate. From the three which are afflictions: ignorance, craving and clinging, two which are actions, volitions and becoming, originate. From the two (which are actions) seven originate. Thus (those seven) sufferings demonstrated above, (that is: consciousness, name and form, the six sense spheres, contact, feeling, birth and old age and death). From these seven, in turn, the three originate which are afflictions. Thus again, from the three (which are) afflictions originate two (which are) actions. Thus the wheel of existence revolves again and again.
(In the world of) becoming there are three (spheres): (those of) desire, form and the formless (sphere). Ordinary people have become like a wheel which revolves without rest. The (Tibetan) particle, ni, (which occurs between the phrase the wheel of existence and the phrase revolves again and again) thus indicates a sense of uncertainty. That is, while a wheel revolves serially (each point on the circumference following upon the preceding one), in the three spheres, it (does) not happen thus. (Therefore) uncertainty is indicated. Who is called the sentient being,6 the god of all individual beings? How is his creation?
IV. The whole world is cause and effect, excluding superimposition, there is no sentient being. That which is superimposed does not exist when examined, so it is not fitting that what is just nominally existent should exist substantially.
If so, then who transmigrates from this world to the next? From this to the next world, not so much as an atom transmigrates, however, from factors (which are) only empty, empty factors originate. Entities are without self and that pertaining to a self,7 thus, afflictions and actions have become the causes. From these five factors (ignorance, craving, clinging, volitions and becoming) which are empty, originate sufferings without self and that pertaining to a self. The seven empty factors (consciousness, name and form, the six sense spheres, contact, feeling, birth and old age and death) are alleged8 to be effects. Such is the purport.
Thus, what is without self and that pertaining to a self is neither self nor that pertaining to a self. However, from factors without self originate factors in their intrinsic being without self. Thus, understand it as it has been demonstrated.
From factors in their intrinsic being without self originate only factors in their intrinsic being without self. What are examples of these?
V. Through the examples of: oral instructions, a lamp, a mirror, a seal, a sun-crystal9 a seed, sourness and sound, know also (what is in its) intrinsic being without self, as well as the subsequent existence. For instance, if there were transference of the instructions from the master's mouth to the disciple, then the master would become deprived of the instructions. Therefore, there is no transference. Nor are the instructions of the disciple from any other (source), because if so they would be without cause. As with the instructions from the master’s mouth, so in a like manner, at the point of death, the mind does not transmigrate to the subsequent existence, because the error of permanence would follow. Nor does the subsequent existence originate from any other (source), because the error of being without a cause would follow. As the master's instructions are the cause of those of the disciple, (but whether) those (of the disciple) are identical with those (of the master) or different, is inexpressible. So in a like manner, (whether) the mind at the point of death and the mind which belongs to (the subsequent) birth are identical or different is inexpressible. Similarly, from a flame, an oil lamp (is kindled); from a form, an image is produced in a mirror; from a seal, an impression, from a sun-crystal, fire, from a seed, a sprout, from the juice of a sour fruit, saliva is engendered (even in the mouths of others'); or yet again from a sound, an echo is produced. Thus, the wise should understand the non-transmigration as well as the re-emergence of the aggregates.
There are aggregates of form, feeling, perception, volitions and consciousness. Their re-emergence means that from an extinguished cause another effect originates, (but) from this world to the next, not so much as an atom transmigrates. Therefore the wheel of becoming is produced by the propensity for erroneous imagination. The phrase "as well as" indicates opposition. (That is), the opposite of the re-emergence of the aggregates should (also) be understood. One who understands entities to be impermanent, full of suffering, empty and insubstantial will not be deluded in regard to entities. Free from delusion, attachment will not originate; free from attachment, aversion will not originate; free from aversion, actions will not be performed; free from actions, clinging to entities will not originate; free from clinging to entities, becoming will not be engendered; free from becoming, rebirth will not occur; and free from rebirth suffering of the body and mind will not originate. Thus the erroneous views, the alternatives of permanence and annihilation etc., are dispelled. (In this regard) there are two stanzas.
VI. Those who impute origination even in regard to very subtle entities, being unwise, have not seen the meaning of conditioned origination.
VII. Hence, there is nothing to be denied and nothing to be affirmed. See the real rightly, (for) one who sees the real is released.
