The Sūtra of Original Matters, Volume IV

Original Text: I have heard the following from the World-Honored One: "Bhikkhus, you should understand that all unwholesome dharmas in the world take ignorance as their precursor for growth, while lack of shame and remorse serves as their subsequent support, preventing their diminishment. Why is this? All phenomena in the realms of rebirth—birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, distress, and affliction—arise rooted in ignorance. Having arisen, they further give rise to all unwholesome dharmas. Once these unwholesome dharmas arise, due to the absence of shame and remorse, there is no repentance or transformation. Without repentance or transformation, they do not diminish."

Explanation: I heard this teaching from the World-Honored One: Bhikkhus, you should know that all unwholesome dharmas in the world rely on ignorance as the active precursor to grow, and they depend on the lack of shame and remorse (unwholesome mental factors) as subsequent supporting conditions, preventing the unwholesome dharmas from diminishing. Why is this so? The conditioned phenomena experienced by beings in the six realms—birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, distress, suffering, and affliction—all grow from ignorance as their root. Having grown, they further give rise to all unwholesome dharmas. After unwholesome dharmas arise, because the mind lacks shame and remorse, there is no regret or repentance seeking to change them, and thus they do not diminish.

The ignorance that serves as the precursor for all dharmas is, of course, the ignorance of the mental faculty (manas). The unwholesome mental factors of lacking shame and remorse are also defilements of the mental faculty. If the mental faculty generates the mental factors of shame and remorse, the unwholesome dharmas born from shame and remorse will then diminish and cease. Therefore, the responsibility for all unwholesome dharmas lies with the mental faculty—with its ignorance and defiled afflictions. If the mental faculty were not the sovereign consciousness governing all dharmas, spiritual practice could disregard it, and whoever is sovereign would be the one to address to resolve the issue.

Original Text: "All wholesome and pure dharmas in the world take wisdom and clarity as their precursor for growth, while shame and remorse serve as their subsequent support, preventing their diminishment. Why is this? With clarity preceding and shame and remorse following, they can permanently eradicate birth, aging, sickness, and death in the realms of rebirth, transcend all sorrow, lamentation, suffering, distress, and affliction, touch the ultimate truth, attain the nectar of immortality, and realize Nirvāṇa. Therefore, you should train thus: 'How shall I permanently eradicate ignorance and give rise to wisdom and clarity? How shall I permanently eradicate all birth, aging, sickness, and death in the realms of rebirth? How shall I permanently transcend all sorrow, lamentation, suffering, distress, and affliction? How shall I touch the ultimate truth, attain the nectar of immortality, and realize Nirvāṇa?' Bhikkhus, you should train in this way."

Explanation: All wholesome and pure dharmas in the world take wisdom and clarity as their precursor to grow, and they rely on shame and remorse as subsequent supporting conditions for the wholesome dharmas, enabling them to continue growing without diminishment. Why is this so? Because clarity precedes the wholesome dharmas, and shame and remorse follow them; this can permanently eradicate birth, aging, sickness, and death in the six realms, transcend all afflictions like sorrow and suffering, touch the reality of suchness (ultimate truth), attain the nectar (of immortality), and realize Nirvāṇa. Therefore, you, the assembly, should cultivate and study thus: "How shall I, by eradicating ignorance, give rise to wisdom and clarity? How shall I permanently eradicate all birth, aging, sickness, and death within the six realms? How shall I permanently transcend all afflictions like sorrow and suffering? How shall I touch the reality of suchness, attain the nectar of Dharma, and realize Nirvāṇa?" You, Bhikkhus, should study and practice in this way.

Original Text: Then the World-Honored One, reiterating this meaning, spoke these verses: "In this life and future lives, birth, aging, sickness, death, and the like, All afflictions such as craving and attachment arise rooted in ignorance. Ignorance is the great folly, causing beings to dwell long in birth and death. The transitions between this world and the next, ascending or descending through the realms, Initially there is ignorance, and finally, the absence of shame and remorse. These give rise to all unwholesome dharmas, leading to fall into the evil destinies. Therefore, diligently strive with vigor, abandon craving, attachment, and delusion. Give rise to the light of wisdom, sever the root of suffering in birth and death."

Explanation: At that time, the World-Honored One, to reiterate this Dharma meaning, spoke these verses: Birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, suffering, and the like in this life and future lives, as well as afflictions such as craving and attachment, all arise fundamentally from ignorance. Ignorance is the greatest folly, causing sentient beings to remain perpetually within birth and death. The transitions between this world and other worlds, moving between higher and lower realms, are all due to ignorance. Sentient beings initially have ignorance; after unwholesome dharmas arise, they further lack shame and remorse, allowing all unwholesome dharmas to grow and flourish, ultimately causing them to fall into evil destinies. Therefore, sentient beings should diligently exert themselves with vigor, abandon the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, give rise to the light of wisdom, and sever the root of suffering in birth and death.