However, Choong Mun-keat in The Notion of Emptiness in Early Buddhism (1999) states that the five factors (from (1) “craving” to (5) the dukkha) of the twelve nidanas are the “most concise formula corresponds directly to two of the four noble truths”:
“conditioned genesis does not always have twelve factors in early Buddhist texts. There also exist accounts of it which list five factors, eight, nine, ten, or eleven factors, as well as the usual twelve factors. The statement of conditioned genesis with just five factors runs: (1) craving, (2) attachment, (3) becoming, (4) birth, and (5) “aging-and death, along with grief, lamentation, pain, depression and despair.” This most concise formula corresponds directly to two of the four noble truths, since (5) “aging-and-death, along with grief, lamentation, pain, depression and despair” is suffering (first truth), and (1) craving (taṇhā) is the origin of suffering (second truth). Since craving is itself a conditioned phenomenon, the series of causes can be extended to as many as twelve factors.” (pp. 18-19).
Pages 18-19 from The Notion of Emptiness in Early Buddhism by Choong Mun-keat 1999.pdf (1.0 MB)