Selected Lectures on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra)

Original text:大王。识为其主。业为攀缘。二种相因。初识生起。作业受报。皆不失坏。或趣地狱。或堕傍生。琰摩罗界。及阿修罗。若人若天。各受其报。同类心品。相续随转。最后识灭。名为死蕴。最初识起。名为生蕴。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, the mind consciousness is the master of creating karma and receiving retribution, and karmic conditions are what the mind consciousness grasps at and pursues. With these two as causes, the first moment of consciousness in the next life arises. Thus the karmic retribution of deeds performed in past lives will never vanish without cause; all must receive their retribution. When the retribution manifests, these beings either enter the hells, or fall into the animal realm, or are born into the realm of ghosts and spirits, or take rebirth among the asuras, humans, or devas, each receiving their own retribution. In this way, consciousness corresponding to those karmic actions appears and continues to flow and operate unceasingly within the new body of the five aggregates. When the consciousness at the end of life ceases, this is called the aggregates of death; when the first consciousness at the beginning of life arises, this is called the aggregates of birth.

Original text:大王。身识生时。无所从来。灭无所至。彼缘生时。无所从来。灭无所至。彼业生时。无所从来。灭无所至。大王。无有少法。从于此世。得至他世。何以故。自性空故。

如是了知。初识初识空。自业自业空。身识身识空。若灭灭空。若生生空。轮回轮回空。涅盘涅盘。皆自性空。无有作者。亦无受者。若业若报。皆不可得。但唯名相。分别显示。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, when body consciousness arises, it comes from nowhere—there is no place it comes from; when it ceases, there is no place it goes to. When karmic conditions arise, they likewise come from nowhere and go nowhere; when karmic actions arise, they likewise come from nowhere and go nowhere. Great King, not even the slightest dharma can pass from this life to another life. Why? Because the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is empty.

We should come to know body consciousness in this way, knowing that its intrinsic nature is empty; come to know in this way the karmic actions created by our own mind consciousness, knowing that the intrinsic nature of karmic actions is empty; come to know in this way the first moment of consciousness, knowing that the intrinsic nature of the first consciousness is empty; come to know in this way that if all dharmas arise, their arising is empty, and if all dharmas cease, their ceasing is empty. At the same time, we must also understand that in the creation and transmigration of karmic actions, there is neither an agent (kartṛ) nor an experiencer (bhoktṛ); all dharmas are merely false appearances and names, displayed through discrimination.

Original text:大王。诸根如幻。境界如梦。一切诸法。自性空寂。此名空解脱门。空无空相。名无相解脱门。若无相者。则无希求。名无愿解脱门。若能了知。三解脱门。与空共行。菩提先道。广大如法界。究竟如虚空。于此譬喻。当如是知。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, the six faculties are all illusory transformations, and all sense objects are like a dream; the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is entirely empty and tranquil—this is called the door of emptiness liberation. The door of emptiness liberation itself has no mark of emptiness; this is called the door of signlessness liberation. If all dharmas are without signs, then we should no longer have any wishes or aspirations—this is called the gate of wishlessness/wishless liberation gate. If we can ultimately understand these three doors of liberation, knowing that they all practice in accord with emptiness and are all empty, then the great path of bodhi and nirvāṇa is as vast as the tathāgatagarbha dharmadhātu, and its ultimate nature is like empty space. Regarding such an analogy, we should come to know it in this way.