Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
"Root Verses on the Middle Way" by Nagarjuna
Chapter 26 - Twelve Links of Dependent Origination
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
"Root Verses on the Middle Way" by Nagarjuna
Chapter 26 - Twelve Links of Dependent Origination
Chapter 26 – Twelve Links of Dependent Origination
This chapter ...
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Last update: January xx, 2026
Image from: Stoneflower013
Source Text: Garfield, PTG, Streng, Batchelor.
A. Introduction
B. Analysis
C. Verses
D. Questions and Answers
E. Summary
F. Conclusion
G. AI Art
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Padmakara Translation Group
Chapter 26 - An Examination of the Twelve Links of Existence
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1. Enveloped in the dark of Ignorance,
Beings perform three kinds of Action
That their existence might continue,
Proceeding by such actions to their destiny.
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2. Conditioned by such actions,
Consciousness arises in the various worlds.
When consciousness has thus migrated,
Name-and-form occur.
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3. When name-and-form occur,
The six Senses arise.
On the basis of six senses,
Genuine Contact then arises.
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4. This is only born dependent
On the eye, on form, and on attention.
Dependent upon name-and-form
[Visual] consciousness occurs.
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5. The gathering of these three
(Of eye and form and consciousness)
Is contact; and from contact,
Feeling comes to pass.
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6. Through the circumstance of feeling,
Craving comes craving for a feeling.
When craving has arisen, there is
Grasping And of this there are four kinds.
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7. With grasping, the Becoming
Of the grasper does indeed arise.
But if there is no grasping, there is freedom;
No becoming will there be.
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8. Becoming presupposes the five aggregates,
And through becoming, Birth occurs,
Then Age-and-Death and misery,
Lamentation, and all sorrow.
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9. Mental turmoil and unhappiness
Arise because of birth.
And therefrom there arises
What is but a mass, a heap of suffering.
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10. Actions are samsara's root.
And so the wise refrain from action.
The unwise are the ones who act-
Not the wise indeed, for they see suchness.
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11. If ignorance is halted,
Actions also do not manifest.
And ignorance in turn is halted
Through discernment and through meditation upon suchness.
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12. When one link has been stopped,
The link that follows does not manifest.
And thus the mass of suffering itself
Is brought completely to an end.
Garfield
Chapter 26 - Examination of the Twelve Links
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1. Wrapped in the darkness of ignorance,
One performs the three kinds of actions
Which as dispositions impel one
To continue to future existences.
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2. Having dispositions as its conditions,
Consciousness enters transmigration.
Once consciousness has entered transmigration,
Name and form come to be.
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3. Once name and form come to be,
The six sense spheres come into being.
Depending on the six sense spheres,
Contact comes into being.
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4. That is only dependent
On eye and form and apprehension.
Thus, depending on name and form,
And which produces consciousness
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5. That which is assembled from the three
Eye and form and consciousness,
Is contact. From contact
Feeling comes to be.
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6. Conditioned by feeling is craving.
Craving arises because of feeling.
When it appears, there is grasping,
The four spheres of grasping.
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7. When there is grasping, the grasper
Comes into existence.
If he did not grasp,
Then being freed, he would not come into existence.
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8. This existence is also the five aggregates.
From existence comes birth,
Old age and death and misery and
Suffering and grief and.
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9. Confusion and agitation.
All these arise as a consequence of birth.
Thus this entire mass of suffering
Comes into being.
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10. The root of cyclic existence is action.
Therefore, the wise one does not act.
Therefore, the unwise is the agent.
The wise one is not because of his insight.
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11. With the cessation of ignorance
Action will not arise.
The cessation of ignorance occurs through
Meditation and wisdom.
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12. Through the cessation of this and that
This and that will not be manifest.
The entire mass of suffering
Indeed thereby completely ceases.
Batchelor
Chapter 26 - Analysis of the Twelve Links of Becoming
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1. In order to become again, those obscured by ignorance are moved into destinies by actions which are impelled [by] the three kinds of formative impulses.
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2. Consciousness conditioned by formative impulses enters into destinies. When consciousness has entered, name and form develop.
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3. When name and form develop, the six senses emerge. In dependence upon the six senses, impact actually occurs.
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4. Just as [it] only arises in dependence on the eye, [visual] form and attention, so consciousness arises in dependence on name and form.
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5. The gathering of the three: eye and [visual] form and consciousness, that is "impact." From impact feeling totally arises.
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6. Due to the condition of feeling, there is craving; one craves for what is felt. When one craves, one clings to the four aspects of clinging [sense objects, views, morals and rules, and views of self].
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7. When there is clinging, the becoming of the clinger fully arises. When there is no clinging, one is freed; there is no [more] becoming.
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8. Becoming is the five aggregates; from becoming one is born. Aging, death, torment, lamentation, pain,
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9. Mental unhappiness, anxiety: these vividly emerge from birth. Likewise, the entire mass of anguish emerges.
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10. The root of life is formative impulses. Therefore, the wise do not form impulses. Therefore, the unwise are formers, but not the wise since they see reality.
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11. When ignorance stops, formative impulses too do not occur. The stopping of ignorance [comes] through practising that with understanding.
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12. By the stopping of the former, the latter will clearly not occur. The entire mass of anguish will likewise completely stop.
Streng
Chapter 26 - An Analysis of the Twelve Components (dvadasanga) (the twelve spokes) - 12 verses
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1. "What is hidden by ignorance (1)" (avidyanivrta) has caused the three kinds of conditioned things (2) (samskara) to be made for rebirth —
By those actions it [i.e., " what is hidden by ignorance"] goes forward.
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2. Consciousness (3), presupposing that which is conditioned (samskara), enters on its course.
When consciousness is begun, the "name-and-form'- (namarupa) (4) is instilled.
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3. When the "name-and-form" is instilled, the six domains of sense perceptions (5) (ayatana) are produced.
Having arrived at the six domains of sense perceptions, the process of perception begins to function.
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4. Consciousness begins to function presupposing the eye, the visual forms, and ability of mental association—
Presupposing "name-and-form."
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5. That which is the coincidence (6) (samnipata) of visual form, consciousness, and the eye:
That is sensual perception; and from perception, sensation (7) begins to function.
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6. "Craving (8)" (trsna) [for existing things] is conditioned by sensation.
Certainly [a person] craves for the sake of sensation.
The one who craves acquires the four-fold acquisition (9) (upadana)
[namely sexual pleasure, false views, ascetic morality and vows, and the doctrine of self-existence].
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7. When the acquisition exists, the acquirer begins to function (10) (i.e. existence, becoming).
If he were someone without acquisition, that being would be released, and would not exist.
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8. That being is the five "groups of universal elements" (skandha). Because of a being, birth (11) begins to function.
Growing old, dying, sorrow (dukkha) (12), etc., grief and regrets,
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9. Despair and agitation: all this results from birth;
That "produced being" is a single mass of sorrows (dukkha).
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10. Thus the ignorant people construct the conditioned things (samskara); [that is] the source for existence-in-flux.
The one who constructs is ignorant; the wise person is not [one who constructs] because he perceives true reality.
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11. When ignorance ceases, the constructed phenomena do not come into existence.
A person's cessation of ignorance proceeds on the basis of "becoming" [enlightened] through knowledge.
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12. Through cessation of every [component] none functions;
That single mass of sorrow (dukkha) is thus completely destroyed.
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