Samyuktagama Sutra (296), Part Three

(Three) Original text: 多闻圣弟子于此因缘法。缘生法。正知善见。不求前际。言我过去世。若有若无。我过去世何等类。我过去世何如。不求后际。我于当来世。为有为无。云何类何如。内不犹豫。此是何等。云何有此为前。谁终当云何之。此众生从何来。于此没当何之。

Explanation: A well-learned noble disciple possesses right knowledge and right view regarding this dharma of dependent arising and dharmas arisen from conditions. He does not crave the past, saying whether in past lives I existed or did not exist, what kind of being I was in past lives, what I did and what status I held in past lives; nor does he crave future lives, saying whether in future lives I will exist or not exist, what kind of being I will be, and how I will live. Within his mind, the well-learned noble disciple also harbors no such doubts as: what kind of being is this, why did it previously have such a status, what kind of being will it ultimately become, from what place did this being come, and where will it go after dying in this world.

A practitioner seeking tranquil liberation does not consider what status he held in past lives, nor does he seek how his future lives will be. All thoughts about past lives are entirely gone, and all delusive thoughts about future lives are also gone; he only seeks to extinguish suffering and attain liberation in this present life. If he still thinks about how his future lives should be, he is not a person seeking liberation. However, a practitioner walking the bodhisattva path must consider how to cultivate in future lives, how to save and liberate sentient beings, and how to accomplish the Buddha way. Therefore, for an arhat seeking liberation, there is no aggregate of form of the five aggregates in his liberation, whereas the liberation of mind of a Mahāyāna bodhisattva must necessarily include the five aggregates with the aggregate of form.

Original text: 若沙门婆罗门。起凡俗见所系。谓说我见所系。说众生见所系。说寿命见所系。忌讳吉庆见所系。尔时悉断悉知。断其根本。如截多罗树头。于未来世。成不生法。是名多闻圣弟子。于因缘法缘生法。如实正知。善见善觉。善修善入。佛说此经已。诸比丘闻佛所说。欢喜奉行。

Explanation: If śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas were previously bound by the worldly views of ordinary mundane people that they themselves had aroused—that is, bound by the view of self, bound by the view of sentient beings, bound by the view of a life-span, and bound by various worldly views of taboos and auspicious omens that are not in accord with reason—then when they realize the dharma of dependent arising, all of these are completely severed and fully known, cutting them off at the root. It is like cutting off the crown of a tāla tree, so that these views not in accord with reason can never again arise in future lives. In this way, the well-learned noble disciple truly and correctly understands the dharma of dependent arising and dharmas arisen from conditions just as they really are, being able to skillfully see their true principle, skillfully awaken to their true principle, and skillfully cultivate and enter the path.