The Origin of Life

 

“The existence of name and form is due to the existence of the vijñāna; ‘the existence of name and form’ exists due to the condition of the vijñāna. When I make this contemplation, I have to move back when I touch upon this vijñāna because I cannot go beyond it."

Saṃyukta Āgama, Vol. 12

【識有故名色有，識緣故有「名色有」。我作是思惟時，齊識而還，不能過彼。】

《雜阿含經》卷12

Remarks:

After deep contemplation of the links of dependent origination, we realize that the source of our suffering is the existence of name and form (five-aggregate self), which constantly respond to the five desires (wealth, sex, food, fame, and sleep), regardless of whether we enjoy them or not. Furthermore, a contemplative examination of the Ten Links of Dependent Origination in countering the flow of cyclic existence stops at vijñāna (consciousness). We can deduce that our five-aggregate self is reborn because we have “seeds of future existence” gathered from our past lives. These seeds, stored in the ālaya vijñāna, trigger our future rebirths when the conditions ripen. 

The five aggregates are brought forth from the ālaya vijñāna. When we contemplate the Ten Links of Dependent Origination in reverse order, we will find that there is no other dharma that exists beyond this vijñāna. We will have to stop at the tenth-link vijñāna (as the tenth link highlighted in red below), and we can go no further with our contemplation and thus have to move back to the eight other links (six sense bases > contact > sensation > craving > grasping > becoming > birth > aging and death). Hence, only the eighth vijñāna (tathāgatagarbha) remains, and there exists no other dharma or vijñāna beyond it, which can give rise to this name and form, apart from the vijñāna that has entered the womb.

 The fact that the aforementioned vijñāna enters the womb is the absolute origin of all sentient beings; therefore, it is not a conditioned dharma that was given rise to. This vijñāna denotes permanent existence and will never cease to exist; thus, it is also everlasting. It fits the notion described in many scriptures: that which is endowed with the characteristics of neither arising nor ceasing, neither increasing nor decreasing, and indestructibility.

 We can conclude that the vijñāna in the Ten Links is the premise of the Twelve links, making the contemplation of the Twelve Links practical and achievable for us. The vijñāna in the Ten Links designates the origin of all dharmas, while the vijñāna in the Twelve Links designates the first six vijñāna (consciousnesses) belonging to the scope of name and form. For these reasons, the Buddha taught the wondrous dharma of the Ten Links of Dependent Arising to explain the origination of sentient beings for all Buddhists seeking the truths about life.

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