Root Verses on the Middle Way, Called Discriminating Awareness: Chapter 26

Analysis of the Twelve Links of Compulsive Rebirth

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(1)   Obscured by unawareness, one affects for oneself the threefold affecting factors for rebirth and, by means whichever of those karmic impulses (it is), wanders to a wandering state (of rebirth). 

(2)   Consciousness, having as its condition an affecting factor, enters itself into a wandering state (of rebirth) and, with consciousness having been entered there, the nameable mental faculties and form are themselves infused.

(3)   And now, with nameable mental faculties and form infused, there is the arising of the six stimulator (cognitive sensors). With the arising of the six stimulator (cognitive sensors), contact is started.

(4)   Just dependent on the eye (sensor), visual form and (then an immediately preceding) taking to mind, and thus just dependent on the nameable mental faculties and form, (eye) consciousness is started.

(5)   The convergence of the three: visual form, (eye) consciousness and the eye (sensor) – that is contact; and because of that contact, feeling is started.

(6)   With the condition of feeling thirsting (is started), because it thirsts after the object of feeling. With thirsting, the four kinds of obtaining attitudes are obtained.

(7)   With there being an obtaining attitude, the further existence of an obtainer is started. If there were no obtaining attitude, one would be liberated; there would not be further existence.

(8)   But further existence – that is with the five aggregates; so, from further existence birth is started. Aging, death, sorrow and so on, torment together with lamentation,

(9)    Despair and agitation – these are started from birth. And thus, there is the arising of the entire mere set of aggregates of suffering.

(10)                 Thus, someone with inverted knowing affects the affecting factors that are the root of samsaric (rebirth). Because of that, someone with inverted knowing is the maker (of samsaric rebirth), while someone with correct knowing, because of seeing reality, is not.

(11)                 With inverted knowing being stopped, there is a non-arising of affecting factors. The stopping of inverted knowing is from meditation on the deep awareness of just this.

(12)                 By means of the stopping of that and that, that and that do not proceed forth. Thus, the entire set of aggregates of suffering is perfectly stopped.    

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