Q: Is there any textual evidence for these four interpretations of Conditioned Co-arising?

A: The Saddharma-smṛtyupasthāna Sūtra says that an artist paints all shapes by distributing the five colors. There are incalculable beautiful and ugly pictures. The basis for these images is discovered in the hand of the artist. The Ying lo Ching says that ignorance is the condition for volitional activity. Thus the Twelvefold [Links of Conditioned Co-arising] arise, and so forth until rebirth, [which is] the condition for decay and death, and thus the Twelvefold [Links of Conditioned Co-arising] arise again. This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising conceptually understood as arising and perishing. The Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra says, “The essential mark of ignorance is that of fundamentally lacking self[-nature]; it has existence only as the confluence of deluded conceptualizations concerning that which conditionally co-arises. … Thus I explain it, and I call it ignorance. Volitional activity, consciousness, name and form, the six senses, contact, experience, passion, attachment, existence, rebirth, decay and death, deluded sorrows, multifarious suffering, and karmic deeds are beyond conceptual understanding. The cycle of birth and death is limitless; revolving transmigration never rests. Fundamentally there is no arising, nor is there any confluence of immoral thoughts or creation of mental activity.” This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising conceptually understood as neither arising nor perishing. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says, “The mind, like a skillful painter, creates the various aggregates. In all the world there is nothing that does not follow the creations of the mind.” The Ratnagotravibhāga says, “There are four obstacles for those who dwell in the undefiled realm: conditions, marks, rebirth, and destruction. ‘Conditions’ refers to fundamental ignorance, which becomes the condition for volitional activity. ‘Marks’ refers to the combination of ignorance and volitional activity, which causes further rebirth. ‘Rebirth’ refers to the combination of fundamental ignorance and undefiled deeds, which causes the rebirth of the three types of mind-born bodies. ‘Destruction’ refers to the three types of mind-born bodies as the conditions for birth and death, which is an inconceivable transformation.” This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising beyond conceptual understanding yet arising and perishing. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says, “Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising is called the Buddha nature.” This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising as beyond conceptual understanding and neither arising nor perishing.