SA 298（二九八） 法说义说

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at the village of Gotiṇṇaka in the country of Kuru.

At that time the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "I will now explain the Dharma of dependent origination, both in terms of the Dharma and in terms of meaning. Listen carefully and consider it well, I will explain it to you.

What is the Dharma explanation of the Dharma of dependent origination? It means that because this exists, that exists; because this arises, that arises. That is to say, dependent on ignorance, there are karmic formations, and so on, up to the great mass of suffering. This is called the Dharma explanation of the Dharma of dependent origination.

What is the meaning explanation? It means dependent on ignorance, there are karmic formations. What is ignorance? It means not knowing the past, not knowing the future, not knowing the past and future, not knowing the internal, not knowing the external, not knowing the internal and external, not knowing karma, not knowing retribution, not knowing karma and retribution, not knowing the Buddha, not knowing the Dharma, not knowing the Sangha, not knowing suffering, not knowing the origin, not knowing cessation, not knowing the path, not knowing causes, not knowing the dharmas that arise from causes, not knowing the good and bad, the blameworthy and blameless, the cultivated and uncultivated, the inferior and superior, the defiled and pure, not distinguishing dependent origination, not truly knowing the six sense bases, not knowing and seeing them, not having uninterrupted equanimity, ignorance, great darkness, this is called ignorance.

Dependent on ignorance, there are karmic formations. What are karmic formations? There are three kinds of karmic formations - bodily karmic formations, verbal karmic formations, and mental karmic formations. Dependent on karmic formations, there is consciousness. What is consciousness? It refers to the six sense bases - eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mind consciousness. Dependent on consciousness, there is name-and-form. What is name? It refers to the four formless aggregates - the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of volitional formations, and the aggregate of consciousness. What is form? It refers to the four great elements and the form derived from the four great elements. This form and the previously mentioned name are called name-and-form. Dependent on name-and-form, there are the six sense bases. What are the six sense bases? They are the six internal sense bases - the eye sense base, the ear sense base, the nose sense base, the tongue sense base, the body sense base, and the mind sense base. Dependent on the six sense bases, there is contact. What is contact? It refers to the six sense contacts - eye contact, ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact, and mind contact. Dependent on contact, there is feeling. What is feeling? It refers to the three kinds of feeling - pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling. Dependent on feeling, there is craving. What is craving? It refers to the three kinds of craving - craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence. Dependent on craving, there is grasping. What is grasping? It refers to the four kinds of grasping - grasping at sensual pleasures, grasping at views, grasping at precepts and practices, and grasping at a self. Dependent on grasping, there is becoming. What is becoming? It refers to the three kinds of becoming - sensual becoming, form becoming, and formless becoming. Dependent on becoming, there is birth. What is birth? It refers to the birth, arising, manifestation, and appearance of beings in various kinds of bodies. It is the attainment of the aggregates, the attainment of the sense bases, the attainment of the sense fields, and the attainment of the life faculty. This is called birth. Dependent on birth, there is old age and death. What is old age? It refers to gray hair, wrinkles, sagging skin, weak limbs, hunched back, drooping head, groaning, shortness of breath, leaning on a cane, dark complexion, mottled body, dullness, difficulty in movement, and weakness. This is called old age. What is death? It refers to the passing away, transition, dissolution, and termination of beings in various kinds of bodies. It is the abandonment of the aggregates at the time of death. This is called death. This

Having spoken this sūtra, the bhikṣus heard what the Buddha said and joyfully practiced it.