Selected Lectures on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son

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 karma creation and retribution receiving; karmic conditions are what the mind consciousness grasps at and engages with. With these two as causes, the initial consciousness of the next life arises. The karmic retributions of actions created in past lives will not 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, the consciousness corresponding to those karmic formations appears and continuously flows and operates within the new five-aggregate body. When the consciousness extinguishes at the end of a life, it is called the aggregate of death; when the initial consciousness arises at the beginning of a life, it is called the aggregate 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 the body consciousness arises, it comes from nowhere—there is no place it comes from; when it ceases, it does not go anywhere. When karmic conditions arise, they likewise come from nowhere and go nowhere; when karmic formations arise, they likewise come from nowhere and go nowhere. Great King, not even a single dharma can pass from this life to another life. Why? Because the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is empty.

We should understand the body consciousness in this way, understanding the emptiness of the body consciousness's intrinsic nature; understand in this way the karmic formations created by our own mind consciousness, understanding that the intrinsic nature of karmic formations is empty; understand in this way the initial consciousness, understanding that the intrinsic nature of the initial consciousness is empty; understand 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 should also understand that in the creation and transmigration of karmic formations, there is neither a creator nor a receiver—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 realms are like a dream; the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is entirely empty and tranquil—this is called the door of liberation of emptiness. The door of liberation of emptiness also has no mark of emptiness; this is called the door of liberation of signlessness. If all dharmas have no marks, then we should no longer have any aspirations or longings; this is called the door of liberation of wishlessness. If we can ultimately understand these three doors of liberation, knowing that they all proceed together with emptiness and are all empty, then the bodhi path of nirvāṇa is as vast as the tathāgatagarbha dharmadhātu, and its ultimate nature is like empty space. Regarding such an analogy, we should understand it in this way.