Visuddhimagga XVII-36

 584. Kasmā panettha avijjā ādito vuttā, kiṃ pakativādīnaṃ pakati viya avijjāpi akāraṇaṃ mūlakāraṇaṃ lokassāti?

为什么于此（顺缘起）中最先说无明？这无明是否无因而为世间的根本因犹如自性论者（数论派）的自性呢？

Ñ(XVII,36): But why is ignorance stated as the beginning here? How then, is ignorance the causeless root-cause of the world like the Primordial Essence of those who assert the existence of a Primordial Essence?

Na akāraṇaṃ.

不是无因的，

Ñ: It is not causeless.

‘‘Āsavasamudayā avijjāsamudayo’’ti (ma. ni. 1.103) hi avijjāya kāraṇaṃ vuttaṃ.

因为「由于漏集故有无明之集」，所以说为无明的原因。

Ñ: For a cause of ignorance is stated thus, 'With the arising of cankers there is the arising of ignorance' (M.i,54).

Atthi pana pariyāyo yena mūlakāraṇaṃ siyā, ko pana soti?

那末，有以（无明）为根本的原因的说法怎么说的呢？

Ñ: But there is a figurative way in which it can be treated as the root cause. What way is that?

Vaṭṭakathāya sīsabhāvo.

于轮转说（无明）成为首，

Ñ: When it is made to serve as a starting point in an exposition of the round [of becoming].