334 Groundless Paths The last two [links are taken here as] one by way of their being sum m arized as the causes for the arising [of suffering], while the others are m atched [with their distinct functions] one by one 5) As for in how m an y lifetimes [the twelve links] are completed, in general, when one is born [through] m iraculous birth am ong the four m odes of being born, the sense faculties and the m ain and secondary limbs are com pleted simultaneously and, when one dies, the sense faculties also perish sim ultane ously In the other three [modes o f birth], both [these processes happen] in a gradual m anner Therefore, the gradual com pletion o f [the links] such as nam e and form is om itted in m iraculous birth In the desire and form [realms], the twelve links exist in a complete manner {379} For in the form [realm], there is aging (the decaying and dissolving of conditioned form ations) and the other [links] exist too In the formless [realm], half o f the fourth link [(form)] and the five [physical] ayatanas of the fifth one not exist, but the others are suitable to exist If [the process] is swift, the twelve [links] are com pleted in tw o lifetimes For example, if, th ro u g h the p ow er of ignorance, a h u m a n being in the desire realm has accum ulated the karm a for being reborn as a desire [realm] god in his or her consciousness, right upon dying, throu gh [this karma] being revived by craving and grasping, it is m ade powerful by virtue o f becoming Thus, these six [links are completed] in this lifetime and the seven links, including the consciousness at the tim e o f the result, are com pleted in the next [life time] The tim e o f the interm ediate state is not counted separately Even if [said process] is slow, it is impossible for it to last longer than three lifetimes For the three propelling [links] will be com pleted in one lifetime and the three com pleting links, also in one lifetime, w ith the [latter] an d the tw o [links] of birth and aging occurring in an u n in terru p ted m anner However, it is pos sible that m an y lifetimes come in betw een the propelling and the com pleting [links] You may say, “Therefore, it is uncertain how long [it takes for them to be com pleted].” T hough m any lifetimes m ay come in between the propelling and the com pleting [links], there is no flaw because [said lifetimes] represent lifetimes [that belong to] other [cycles of] dependent origination 6) As for the presentation w ith w hich levels [the twelve links] accord, you may ask, “Are these causal and resultant links of the same or of different lev els?” There is no certainty for either one “H ow is that?” [Here] the levels are three—the level o f birth, the level o f death, and the level o f w hat is other th an these In a [psychophysical] support of a low er level, one can accum ulate the karm as for being reborn on said level or on a higher level However, in a [psy chophysical] support o f a higher [level], there is no accum ulation o f karm a for being reborn on a lower one {380} In the [psychophysical] support of Translations: The General Topics 335 one s own given level, there is the accum ulation o f the k arm a for being reborn on that level T hat is, the first link and the consciousness at the tim e of the cause are included in the given level on w hich one accum ulates this karm a because ignorance [belongs to] the retinue o f the afflicted m ind, conscious ness represents the alaya[-consciousness], and said tw o consciousnesses [(the afflicted m ind and the alaya-consciousness)] in the given [psychophysical] supp ort belong to said given level It m ay b e said, “W hen, in the desire [realm], childish beings free from attach m en t accum ulate the karm a for being reborn on a higher level, they lack the afflictions o f the desire [realm] Therefore, their ignorance is n o t included in the desire [realm].” W ith regard to this, the followers o f the A bhidharm akosa assert that, in such a m ind stream, there are the afflictions o f a higher [level] and therefore, the karm a that is m otivated by them is accum ulated However, here there is no flaw because the afflicted m ind is accepted, w hich cannot be overcome by the paths o f childish beings and is included in the desire [realm] It m ay also be said, “If the karm a for another level is m otivated by the igno rance o f th a t other level, w hy does one not accum ulate the k arm a for being re bo rn on a low er level in the [psychophysical] su pport o f a higher level?” In the [latter psychophysical] support, n one o f the afflictions for being re b o rn on a low er [level] exist and, th ro u g h having obtained a special [psychophysical] support that is separated by different levels [from lower levels], one is not able to accum ulate any inferior k arm a o f lower levels Karmic form ations are included in the level on which one will be reborn because the karm a o f a certain level is not able to propel the skandhas of a noth er level As for the [above-m entioned] seven [links], including the sciousness at the tim e o f the result, they are included solely in the level on w hich one will be reborn The Vivrtagudharthapindavyakhyd explains th a t craving and grasping are [also] included in the level on w hich one will be reborn,676 but this is [only] reasonable for being b o rn on a h ig h e r level from a lower level since, [in that case,] there is a flux o f the afflictions o f the higher level in [the psychophysical support o f the lower one] {381} However, that there are m anifest afflictions of a lower level in the [psychophysical] support o f an existence o f being b orn on a higher level discords with the general sys tem o f the abhidharm a and is not [a position that can be] obtained throu gh reasoning [either] Therefore, [said explanation] is not in o rd er for being re b o rn on a low er level from a higher [level] However, [the link of] becom ing is included in the level on w hich one will be reborn, no m a tte r w h eth e r one is b o rn in the pleasant realm s or the low er realm s o f the desire [realm] As for being reborn in the lower realms, [this link] consists only o f the latencies of nonvirtue o f th a t lifetime 336 Groundless Paths It may be said, “If [ignorance] lacks anything that would propel one to w ard seeing reality, it is not reasonable that no nreturners are re b o rn in the pure abodes thro ugh the alternating cultivation [of contam inated and unco n tam in ated dhyanas] because one m ust generate unco ntam inated dhyànas in order to be rebo rn there However, at the tim e of o rd in ary beings, u n tam inated [dhyànas] are not attained and, at the tim e o f the noble ones, karm a is not accum ulated.” O n this, I accept the explanation in the Vivrtagüdhârthapindavyàkhyâ677 that there is no flaw because the karm a for being born in Great Fruition [(the highest level of the fourth dhyàna)] exists since beginningless [time] and is transform ed into the cause for being reborn in the pure abodes through said alternating [cultivation] That both the noble ones and those with attachm ent have accum ulated karm a for being reborn in the desire [realm] is to be understood as referring to the tim e o f their being ordinary beings This is similar to the assertion of the followers of the Abhidharmakosa that if the afflictions for being born on certain levels have not been relinquished, even the noble ones propel karmas that are m otivated by these [afflictions] 7) The m anner o f familiarizing [with the twelve links] is to familiarize with them in their progressive and reverse orders “W hat are these two?” [The first one consists of] “th ro u g h the condition of ignorance, form ations [arise]” and so on, that is, [up through] “throu gh the condition of birth, aging and death, misery, lamenting, [physical] suffering, {382} and m ental displeasure occur.” O ne discrim inates these [links] and thinks, “In this way, n o th in g b u t this heap of suffering occurs.” [In the reverse order,] one discrim inates [the links] from “T h ro u g h the cessation of birth, aging and death cease” and so on up through “T h roug h the cessation o f ignorance, form ations cease.” [Finally,] one thinks, “In this way, nothing but this heap o f suffering ceases.” [In due order,] these tw o represent the progressive order of afflicted phen om ena an d the reverse order o f purified phenom ena Illustrated by these two, one should also under stand the progressive order of purified pheno m ena and the reverse order of afflicted phenom ena You may wonder, “W hy these constitute a progres sive order and a reverse order, respectively?” Because, in the first one, birth [is analyzed] last, while the latter one analyzes birth first and thus is the reverse of the [first one] In this way, the presentation of the [above-mentioned] four [types of] progressive and reverse orders of afflicted p h eno m ena and purified phenom ena, respectively, is [given] in term s of teaching the principles of the [four] realities For the two [links of] birth and aging are the final m a tu ra tions o f karm a and afflictions and thus represent the reality o f suffering The exam ination o f w hat arises from birth and aging and w hat their cessation is is [performed] in order to become learned in the reality o f suffering and the reality o f cessation that is the cessation of [suffering] The exam ination Translations: The General Topics 337 o f w hat arises fro m ignorance a n d w hat ceases fro m it[s cessation] is [per formed] in order to becom e learned in [the realities of] origin and the p a th because the tw o [links] of ignorance an d form ations represen t the reality of the origin [of suffering] and the path represents w h at ceases them 678 8) The benefit o f having familiarized [with the twelve links] in this w ay is that one is learned in [the ways in w hich one] engages in, and puts an end to, sam sara {383} and that one, thro u g h respectively rejecting and adopting these [ways], passes into n irv an a w ith o u t grasping T he p ro p o n en ts o f [real] entities assert that these twelve links have the character o f being substantially established [instances] o f arising a nd ceasing, b u t w hat comes from the texts o f noble N agarjuna and his spiritual heirs is that their natural state is to be devoid o f the eight extremes o f reference points 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.2.3 The culmination o f the path o f familiarization This has three parts: 1) The path o f familiarization (the support) 2) The conceptions to be relinquished 3) The qualities (what is supported) 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.2.3.1 The path o f familiarization (the support) This has two parts: 1) The actual [path o f familiarization] 2) R ebutting disputes 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.2.3.1.1 The actual [path o f familiarization] This has tw o parts: 1) The lions sport (the preparation) 2) The sam adhi o f crossing in one leap (the actual stage) 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.2.3.1.1.1 The lion’s sport (the preparation) This consists o f the tw o sets o f the lion’s sport’s progressing u pw ard th ro u g h the nine m editative absorptions [of progressive abiding] in their progressive order and com ing back dow n in their reverse order Since there is only a single [phase of] entering into and em erging from [the m editative absorption of] cessation, this consists o f seventeen abodes 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.2.3.1.1.2 [The samadhi of crossing in one leap] (the actual stage) This has two parts: 1) Progressing 2) C om ing [back] 338 Groundless Paths 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.2.3.1.1.2.1 Progressing This has two parts: 1) N ot alternating w ith cessation 2) A lternating [with cessation] 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.2.3.1.1.2.1.1 Not alternating with cessation This consists o f progressing from the first dhyana up throu gh [the m edita tive absorption of] cessation in a successive m anner, w hich thus involves nine abodes 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.2.3.1.1.2.1.2 Alternating with cessation [First,] one progresses in the progressive order thro ugh alternating the [other] eight meditative absorptions w ith eight [meditative absorptions of] cessation {384} After having risen from the [last m editative abso rptio n of] cessation that has been alternated w ith the Peak o f Existence, [one slightly exits from the meditative absorption o f cessation th ro u g h reentering] the Peak of Existence and, u p o n rising from it, abides in a state o f m in d o f th e desire [realm] Thus, in this [sequence], there are eighteen abodes This accords w ith the [sütra] in eighteen tho usan d lines According to the [revised edition of the Prajnapâramitâsütra in Twenty-five Thousand Lines] in eight chapters, after the last [meditative absorption of] cessation, one [immediately] abides in a state o f m ind o f the desire [realm] w ithout [first] exiting slightly into the Peak o f Existence Therefore, [here] the abodes are [only] seventeen 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.2.3.1.1.2.2 Coming [back] This is the crossing in one leap o f progressing through the nine m editative absorptions in their reverse order through alternating them with states of m ind of the desire [realm], which thus involves eighteen abodes To alternate betw een the tw o [poles o f the m editative absorption] o f cessa tion and the state of m in d o f the desire realm [entails] the following intention Since these represent the ultim ate [states o f mind] being peaceful and not being peaceful, respectively, if one is able to alternate between these two, it is easy to alternate betw een the other [eight absorptions and a state o f m in d of the desire realm].679 2.2.2.2.1.2.2.1.2.3.1.2 Rebutting disputes In the Abhidharm akosa,680 the eight levels o f the dhyânas and formless [absorptions] are taken to be twofold in term s of eight that are contam i nated and seven that are uncontam inated The two [stages] o f successively ascending through each one of these two [sets] in their progressive order and com ing back in their reverse order m ake up the distant preparation Then, ...Translations: The General Topics 335 one s own given level, there is the accum ulation o f the k arm a for being reborn on that level T hat is, the first link and the consciousness at the tim e of the. .. said, “If the karm a for another level is m otivated by the igno rance o f th a t other level, w hy does one not accum ulate the k arm a for being re bo rn on a low er level in the [psychophysical]... assertion of the followers of the Abhidharmakosa that if the afflictions for being born on certain levels have not been relinquished, even the noble ones propel karmas that are m otivated by these