The [Perfect interpretation of] twelvefold conditioned co-arising as beyond conceptual understanding and as neither arising nor perishing manifests reality as integrated with phenomena for the sake of those who have sharp faculties.

The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says, “Twelvefold conditioned co-arising is also called the Buddha-nature.”⁴²⁸ This means that [the three causal links of] ignorance, passion, and attachment are identified with the way of passions [kleśa]. But kleśa and bodhi are integrated. Bodhi is penetrating understanding, and thus it has no kleśa. If one has no kleśa, then one has ultimate purity; this is Buddha-nature [wisdom] as the complete cause [of Buddhahood]. The two links on volitional activity and existence are identified with the way of karmic deeds, which is [integrated with] deliverance [vimsokṣa]. Mastery in deliverance is the Buddha-nature as conditional cause [for Buddhahood]. [The links of] name-and-form and decay-and-death refer to the way of suffering. Suffering is integrated with the Dharma Body. The Dharma Body has no suffering nor pleasure, therefore it is called “great bliss.” It is neither born nor does it die, so it is eternal. This is the Buddha-nature as the correct cause [of Buddhahood].

Therefore it is said [in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra], “Ignorance and passion and all between are identical with the middle way.”⁴²⁹ Ignorance refers to the past and passion to the future. Whether extreme or the middle, there is nothing which is not the Buddha-nature. This also is the meaning of “eternal, blissful, selfhood, and pure.” Ignorance does not arise nor does it perish. This is called [the interpretation of] twelvefold conditioned co-arising as beyond conceptual understanding and neither arising nor perishing.

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This phrase is part of a longer discussion on Buddha-nature. return

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This quote is from the same section as the previous quote in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. The entire context reads somewhat differently than Chih-i’s abbreviated quote: “The fundamental limits of [the saṃsāric cycle of] birth and death are of two types. First is ignorance, and second is the passionate attachment to existence. Between these two there is the suffering of birth, decay, sickness, and death. This is called the middle way. In this way the middle way can overcome the birth and death [of saṃsāra]: therefore it is called the middle. Because of this meaning the dharma of the middle way is called the Buddha-nature. Therefore Buddha-nature is eternal, blissful, selfhood, and pure. All sentient beings are not able to perceive this, therefore [they think that reality is] transient, non-blissful, non-selfhood, and impure. Buddha-nature truly is not transient, non-blissful, nonselfhood, and impure.” I find this passage extremely vague and illogical. It does not “prove” any of its statements: it merely jumps from one assertion to the next. return