Discourse on the Sutra of the Parent-Child Compilation (148)

Why do all dharmas have no origin and no destination?

Original text: Great King, there is not even a small dharma that from this world reaches the other world. Why is that? Because of the nature of arising and ceasing. Great King, when body consciousness arises, it has no coming from anywhere; when it ceases, it has no going to anywhere. When that karma arises, it has no coming from anywhere; when it ceases, it has no going to anywhere. When initial consciousness arises, it has no coming from anywhere; when it ceases, it has no going to anywhere. Why is that? Because self-nature is absent. Thus knowing: body consciousness, body consciousness is empty; own karma, own karma is empty; initial consciousness, initial consciousness is empty; if ceasing, cessation is empty; if arising, arising is empty. Knowing the turning of karma, there is no doer, nor is there a receiver, only names and forms, differentiation and manifestation.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, there is not a single dharma that can flow from this life to the next life. Why is that said? Because the self-nature of all dharmas is constantly arising and ceasing, not permanent or always existing; when at the time of death the five aggregates cease, all dharmas will cease. Great King, when body consciousness is born, there is no origin; when it perishes, there is no destination. When karma is created, karma has no origin; when karma perishes, there is no destination. When the initial consciousness of the next life is born, there is no origin; when it perishes, there is no destination.

Why do all dharmas have no origin and no destination? Because all dharmas are apart from all natures, the self-nature of all dharmas has no characteristics, inherent nature is empty, ungraspable. In this way, knowing body consciousness, knowing the self-nature of body consciousness is empty; in this way, knowing the karma created by body consciousness, knowing the self-nature of karma is empty; in this way, knowing initial consciousness, knowing the self-nature of initial consciousness is empty; in this way, knowing that if any dharma arises, its arising is empty, if any dharma ceases, its cessation is empty; at the same time, one should know the creation and turning of karma, there is no doer nor receiver, all dharmas are merely illusory appearances and differentiation and manifestation in name.