English
English version: 'Already' means guiding it to approach birth, so that it can arise. This is its meaning. The difference between these three meanings should be understood in this way.' He further asked: 'World Honored One! What is the meaning of what is called dependent origination (Pratītyasamutpāda)?' The World Honored One replied: 'Like this, all the components, each arising from the combination of their own conditions, without any deficiency, continuously arise. This is called the meaning of dependent origination.' He further asked: 'World Honored One! Is there only this arising of continuous birth? Or are there other dependent originations?' The World Honored One replied: 'The dependent origination that I speak of has roughly eight aspects: First, it speaks of the dependent origination of experiencing worldly realms, which means that eye-consciousness arises from the interaction of the eye (cakṣus) and form (rūpa), and the combination of these three things results in contact (sparśa), and feeling (vedanā) arises from contact, and so on in detail; Second, it speaks of the dependent origination of sustenance, which means that the roots (indriya) and great elements (mahābhūta) abide and grow by relying on the four kinds of food (āhāra); Third, it speaks of the dependent origination of food as a cause, which means that in order to obtain grains, the conditions of fields, seeds, and water are needed for sprouts, etc., to arise; Fourth, it speaks of the dependent origination of the continuity of all living bodies, which means that from what can induce and generate various discriminations (vikalpa), all that is induced and generated arises; Fifth, it speaks of the dependent origination of the support of all living bodies, which means that the worlds are established and destroyed due to the arrangement of various conditions; Sixth, it speaks of the dependent origination of the differences of all living bodies, which means that due to unwholesome and wholesome contaminated karma (karma), the distinctions of the three evil destinies (durgati), and the destinies of humans and gods are established; Seventh, it speaks of pure dependent origination, which means that by relying on the sounds of others and by relying on one's own internal rational reflection (yoniso manasikara), right view (samyag-dṛṣṭi) arises, which can extinguish ignorance (avidyā). Because ignorance is extinguished, actions (samskara) are extinguished accordingly, and so on extensively, until old age and death (jarā-maraṇa) are extinguished because of the extinction of birth (jati).' He further asked: 'World Honored One! Just as ignorance and so on are the conditions for the arising of actions and so on in sequence, do they also cease in the same sequence?' The Buddha said: 'It is not so.' He further asked: 'World Honored One! Why are their cessation spoken of in sequence?' The World Honored One replied: 'In order to show that because the previous components do not produce function, the subsequent components attain the Dharma of non-arising, therefore they are spoken of in sequence, but it is not that there is no sequential transformation for the Dharma of arising and ceasing. Eighth, it speaks of --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
自在缘起，谓善修治静虑为缘，诸修定者随所愿乐，如是皆成终无别异。如是名为我所略说八门缘起。” 复言：“世尊！如佛所说，因业故生，因爱故转。依何密意作如是说？” 世尊告曰：“无明为缘，先于诸有，造作增长种种福行或非福行或不动行，引发摄受种种生身种子差别。于此有中若爱未断，由此爱故能令行等转成其有。有起后有自体功能，如是功能不离于爱。依此密意故说是言，因业故生，因爱故转。” 复言：“世尊！若世尊说爱是转因，何缘但说取为有缘，非爱缘有？” 世尊告曰：“若离于取，有爱不能为缘转变非福行等，令成有支生诸恶趣。又若离取，诸无有爱不能为缘，转变福行不动行等，令成有支于不定地及于定地生诸善趣。是故非唯爱为有缘，然彼有支定缘于取。” 复言：“世尊！如《大因缘法门经》说：‘汝阿难陀！若于彼彼有情类中无有生者，应无如是如是类生；若一切生都无有者，应不施设生缘老死。’依何密意作如是说？” 世尊告曰：“依所引生及所生生，二种密意，作如是说。又依老死远增上缘，及依老死近增上缘，二种密意，作如是说。” 复言：“世尊！先为略说缘起句义，其缘起义犹未为说，云何应知？” 世 现代汉语译本： ‘自在缘起’，是指以善于修习静虑（dhyana，禅定）为因缘，所有修习禅定的人都能随自己的意愿达成目标，最终的结果没有差别。这便是概括地讲述了八种缘起的含义。 又问：‘世尊！您曾说过，因为业（karma）而生，因为爱（trsna，渴爱）而流转。这是基于什么深意而说的呢？’ 世尊回答说：‘以无明（avidya）为缘，众生最初在各种存在形式（bhava）中，造作和增长各种福行（punya-abhisamskara，善业）、非福行（apunya-abhisamskara，恶业）或不动行（anenja-abhisamskara，无色界定业），从而引发和摄取各种不同的生命体种子。如果在此存在形式中爱没有断除，那么由于这种爱的缘故，就能使这些行为等转化为存在。存在产生后有的自体功能，而这种功能离不开爱。基于这种深意，所以我才说，因为业而生，因为爱而流转。’ 又问：‘世尊！如果世尊说爱是流转的原因，为什么只说取（upadana，执取）是存在的因缘，而不是爱是存在的因缘呢？’ 世尊回答说：‘如果离开了取，爱就不能作为因缘转变非福行等，使之成为有支（bhava-anga，有支）而产生于各种恶趣（durgati，恶道）。又如果离开了取，那些没有爱的众生也不能作为因缘，转变福行、不动行等，使之成为有支而生于不定地（不定的地方，指欲界和色界）以及定地（禅定之地，指无色界），从而生于各种善趣（sugati，善道）。因此，不仅仅是爱作为存在的因缘，然而，那个有支必定以取为因缘。’ 又问：‘世尊！正如《大因缘法门经》（Maha-nidana Sutta）所说：‘阿难陀！如果在那些有情众生中没有生，就不会有这样那样的生命种类；如果一切生都完全没有，就不应安立生缘老死。’这是基于什么深意而说的呢？’ 世尊回答说：‘这是基于所引生（指无明等能引发后续的缘起支）和所生生（指由前面的缘起支所产生的后续支）这两种深意而说的。也是基于老死（jaramarana）的远增上缘（指生是老死的远因）和老死的近增上缘（指老死是直接相连的）这两种深意而说的。’ 又问：‘世尊！先前只是简略地说了缘起句义，但缘起的真正含义还没有说明，应该如何理解呢？’
English
English version: ‘Dependent Arising by Sovereignty’ means that by diligently cultivating meditative concentration (dhyana), all practitioners of meditation can achieve their desired goals, and the final results are no different. This is a concise explanation of the meaning of the eightfold dependent arising. Again, he asked: ‘World-Honored One! As the Buddha has said, ‘Because of karma (karma) there is birth, and because of craving (trsna) there is transmigration.’ Based on what hidden meaning did you say this?’ The World-Honored One replied: ‘With ignorance (avidya) as the condition, beings initially, in various forms of existence (bhava), create and increase various meritorious actions (punya-abhisamskara), non-meritorious actions (apunya-abhisamskara), or unwavering actions (anenja-abhisamskara), thereby initiating and accumulating various seeds of different life forms. If craving has not been severed in this existence, then because of this craving, these actions can be transformed into existence. Existence gives rise to the inherent function of future existence, and this function is inseparable from craving. Based on this hidden meaning, I said, ‘Because of karma there is birth, and because of craving there is transmigration.’ Again, he asked: ‘World-Honored One! If the World-Honored One says that craving is the cause of transmigration, why is it only said that grasping (upadana) is the condition for existence, and not that craving is the condition for existence?’ The World-Honored One replied: ‘If separated from grasping, craving cannot serve as the condition to transform non-meritorious actions, etc., causing them to become a limb of existence (bhava-anga) and arise in various evil destinies (durgati). Also, if separated from grasping, those without craving cannot serve as the condition to transform meritorious actions, unwavering actions, etc., causing them to become a limb of existence and be born in indeterminate realms (referring to the desire realm and the form realm) and determinate realms (the realms of meditative absorption, referring to the formless realm), thereby being born in various good destinies (sugati). Therefore, it is not only craving that serves as the condition for existence; however, that limb of existence is definitely conditioned by grasping.’ Again, he asked: ‘World-Honored One! As the *Maha-nidana Sutta* says: ‘Ananda! If there were no birth among those sentient beings, there would be no such and such kinds of birth; if all birth were completely absent, one should not posit old age and death as conditioned by birth.’ Based on what hidden meaning was this said?’ The World-Honored One replied: ‘This was said based on the two hidden meanings of that which is brought forth (referring to ignorance and other factors that can initiate subsequent limbs of dependent arising) and that which is born (referring to the subsequent limbs produced by the preceding limbs of dependent arising). It was also said based on the two hidden meanings of the distant enhancing condition of old age and death (referring to birth as the distant cause of old age and death) and the near enhancing condition of old age and death (referring to old age and death being directly connected).’ Again, he asked: ‘World-Honored One! Previously, you only briefly explained the meaning of the phrases of dependent arising, but the true meaning of dependent arising has not yet been explained. How should it be understood?’ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
尊告曰：“诸缘起义，略有十一，如是应知：谓无作者义是缘起义，有因生义是缘起义，离有情义是缘起义，依他起义是缘起义，无动作义是缘起义，性无常义是缘起义，刹那灭义是缘起义，因果相续无间绝义是缘起义，种种因果品类别义是缘起义，因果更互相符顺义是缘起义，因果决定无杂乱义是缘起义。如是应知缘起略义。” 复言：“世尊！如余经说，缘起甚深。云何应知如是缘起甚深之相？” 世尊告曰：“即依十一缘起略义，应知缘起五甚深相。何等为五？一因甚深、二相甚深、三生甚深、四差别甚深、五流转甚深。应知缘起甚深之相，复有五种。何等为五？谓相甚深、引发因果诸分甚深、生起因果诸分甚深、差别甚深、对治甚深。应知缘起复有五种甚深之相。何等为五？谓摄甚深、顺次甚深、逆次甚深、执取甚深、所行甚深。是名无明等起殊胜。” 复言：“世尊！云何无明转异殊胜？” 世尊告曰：“略有四种转异无明。何等为四？一者随眠转异无明，二者缠缚转异无明，三者相应转异无明，四者不共转异无明。” 复言：“世尊！谁有何等转异无明，而说无明为缘生行？” 世尊告曰：“外法异生非理作意所引四种转异无明，由此为缘，生福、非福及不动行。 现代汉语译本： 尊者禀告说：‘诸缘起（Pratītyasamutpāda，事物相互依存的生起）的意义，略有十一种，应当这样理解：没有作者的意义是缘起义，有因生起的意义是缘起义，脱离有情的意义是缘起义，依他而生起的意义是缘起义，没有动作的意义是缘起义，自性无常的意义是缘起义，刹那间灭的意义是缘起义，因果相续没有间断的意义是缘起义，种种因果品类差别的意义是缘起义，因果更互相符顺的意义是缘起义，因果决定没有杂乱的意义是缘起义。应当这样理解缘起的简略意义。’ 又说：‘世尊！如其他经典所说，缘起非常深奥。应当如何理解这种缘起深奥的相状？’ 世尊告诉他说：‘就依靠这十一种缘起的简略意义，应当了解缘起的五种甚深相状。哪五种呢？一是因甚深，二是相甚深，三是生甚深，四是差别甚深，五是流转甚深。应当了解缘起的甚深相状，还有五种。哪五种呢？是相甚深，引发因果诸分的甚深，生起因果诸分的甚深，差别甚深，对治甚深。应当了解缘起还有五种甚深相状。哪五种呢？是摄甚深，顺次甚深，逆次甚深，执取甚深，所行甚深。这叫做无明（Avidyā，对事物真相的无知）等生起的殊胜。’ 又说：‘世尊！无明的转变差异如何殊胜？’ 世尊告诉他说：‘略有四种转变差异的无明。哪四种呢？一是随眠转异无明，二是缠缚转异无明，三是相应转异无明，四是不共转异无明。’ 又说：‘世尊！谁具有何种转变差异的无明，而说无明为缘生起行（Karma，业）？’ 世尊告诉他说：‘外道凡夫以不如理作意所引发的四种转变差异的无明，由此为缘，生起福行、非福行以及不动行。’