Selected Lectures on the Sutra of the Meeting of Father and Son
Chapter Two The Fourteenth Dream Parable
Original Text: Moreover, Great King, it is like a person who, in a dream, sees himself drinking wine until he becomes stupefied and intoxicated, unable to recognize wholesome dharmas or unwholesome actions, and utterly unaware of merits, faults, or consequences. Upon awakening, this person ponders the events of the dream, wondering: "Were they real?" The King replied: "No, they were not." The Buddha said: "Great King, what do you think? Is this person, who clings to the dream as real, wise?" The King replied: "No, World-Honored One. Why? Because ultimately, there is no drinker in the dream, much less intoxication. It should be understood that this person only exhausts himself needlessly, for there is no reality to it at all."
Explanation: The Buddha said: "Great King, here is another dream parable. It is like a person who, in a dream, sees himself becoming stupefied and intoxicated after drinking wine, unable to distinguish wholesome dharmas from unwholesome dharmas, and unaware of the merits or faults of his actions. After awakening, this person constantly recalls the events of the dream, wondering: 'Were the events in the dream real?' King Śuddhodana replied: 'They were not real.'
The Buddha said: 'Great King, what do you think? Is this person, who clings to the dream he experienced as truly real, a wise person?' King Śuddhodana replied: 'This person is not wise, World-Honored One. Why is that? Because ultimately, there is no drinker in the dream, much less intoxication. It should be understood that this person's constant recollection only needlessly fatigues his own mind, for there is no actual substance to it.'"
Original Text: The Buddha said: "Great King, so it is, so it is. Foolish, ignorant ordinary beings, whose minds cling to all dharmas, give rise to minds of attachment and defilement, and create such deluded karmas: three types of bodily karma, four types of verbal karma, and three types of mental karma. When creating such karmas, they are instantly subject to change and cessation. Once these karmas have ceased, they do not abide in the east, south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, above, below, or in the middle. At the time of death, one sees the karmic retribution of one's own previously created actions manifesting within the mind, like a person who, having awakened from a dream, still recalls the events of the dream."
Explanation: The Buddha said: "Great King, it is indeed so. Foolish and ignorant ordinary beings (prithagjana), whose minds cling to all dharmas, constantly give rise to minds of craving and defilement, creating deluded karmic actions like this. Bodily actions can create three types [of karma], verbal actions can create four types, and mental actions create three types. When creating various karmic actions, these actions vanish and cease moment by moment. After the karmic actions cease, they do not abide in the east, south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, above, below, or in the middle. When approaching the end of life, one will see the karmic retribution brought about by one's previously created actions manifesting within the mind, just like a person who, having awakened from a dream, still recalls the events of the dream."
Original Text: "Great King, consciousness (vijñāna) is the master; karma is the condition that is grasped. These two act as mutual causes. When the initial consciousness [of the next life] arises, the actions performed and the retribution received are never lost or destroyed. One may go to the hells, fall among animals, enter the realm of Yama, or be born among asuras, humans, or devas, each receiving their respective retribution. Consciousness of the same kind continues and follows along. The final cessation of consciousness is called the Death Aggregate (maraṇaskandha). The initial arising of consciousness is called the Birth Aggregate (jātiskandha)."
Explanation: The Buddha said: "Great King, the mind-consciousness is the master of creating karma and receiving retribution; karmic conditions are what the mind-consciousness grasps. With these two as causes, the initial consciousness of the next life arises. Then, the karmic retribution from the previous life's actions will not vanish without cause; one must undergo its retribution. When karmic retribution manifests, these beings may enter the hells, fall among animals, be born in the realm of hungry ghosts (pretas), or be reborn as asuras, humans, or devas, each receiving their respective retribution. Thus, consciousness corresponding to the karmic actions arises and continues unbroken within the new five aggregates (skandhas), flowing onward. When consciousness finally ceases at the end of life, it is called the Death Aggregate. When consciousness first arises at the beginning of life, it is called the Birth Aggregate."
Original Text: "Great King, when body-consciousness arises, it comes from nowhere; when it ceases, it goes nowhere. When that condition [karma] arises, it comes from nowhere; when it ceases, it goes nowhere. When that karma arises, it comes from nowhere; when it ceases, it goes nowhere. Great King, there is not the slightest dharma that can pass from this world to another world. Why? Because its intrinsic nature is empty."
Explanation: The Buddha said: "Great King, when body-consciousness arises, it has no source; it arises without coming from anywhere. When it ceases, it has no destination; it ceases without going anywhere. When karmic conditions arise, they also arise without coming from anywhere and cease without going anywhere. When karmic actions arise, similarly, they arise without coming from anywhere and cease without going anywhere. Great King, there is not the slightest dharma that can pass from this world to another world. Why? Because the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is empty."
Original Text: "Knowing thus, the initial consciousness is empty; one's own karma is empty; body-consciousness is empty; cessation is empty; arising is empty; saṃsāra is empty; nirvāṇa is empty—all are intrinsically empty. There is no doer, nor is there a receiver. Neither karma nor retribution can be apprehended. They are merely names and characteristics, designated through discrimination."
Explanation: One should understand body-consciousness thus, knowing its intrinsic emptiness; understand the karmic actions created by one's own consciousness thus, knowing the emptiness of karma; understand the initial consciousness thus, knowing its intrinsic emptiness; understand thus that if any dharma arises, its arising is empty, and if any dharma ceases, its cessation is empty; also understand that the creation and flow of karmic actions lack a creator and a receiver; all dharmas are merely provisional appearances and designations through conceptual discrimination.
Original Text: "Great King, the sense faculties are like illusions; objects are like dreams. The intrinsic nature of all dharmas is empty and quiescent. This is called the Liberation Gate of Emptiness (śūnyatā-vimokṣa-mukha). Emptiness has no characteristic of emptiness; this is called the Liberation Gate of Signlessness (animitta-vimokṣa-mukha). If there are no characteristics, then there is nothing to seek; this is called the Liberation Gate of Wishlessness (apraṇihita-vimokṣa-mukha). If one can fully understand these three Liberation Gates, practicing together with emptiness, then the supreme path of Bodhi is as vast as the dharmadhātu and as ultimate as empty space. This parable should be understood thus."
Explanation: The Buddha said: "Great King, the six sense faculties are illusory, all perceived objects are like dreams, and the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is entirely empty and quiescent. This is the Liberation Gate of Emptiness. The Liberation Gate of Emptiness also lacks the characteristic of emptiness; this is called the Liberation Gate of Signlessness. If all dharmas are without characteristics, then there is nothing further to wish for; this is called the Liberation Gate of Wishlessness. If one can thoroughly understand these three Liberation Gates, all practiced together with emptiness, then the supreme path of Nirvana's Bodhi is as vast as the Tathāgata-garbha dharmadhātu, and its ultimate nature is like empty space. Regarding such a parable, it should be understood in this way."
