Selected Lectures on the Pitṛputra Samāgama Sūtra

Original Text: Great King, consciousness serves as the master, and karmic actions serve as the conditions for attachment. These two factors are interdependent. The initial consciousness arises. Actions performed and retributions received are never lost or destroyed. Beings may descend into the hell realms, fall among animals, enter the realm of Yama, or be reborn as asuras, humans, or devas, each receiving their respective karmic retribution. Consciousness and mental factors of the same kind continue uninterrupted and flow onward. The final cessation of consciousness is called the skandha of death. The initial arising of consciousness is called the skandha of birth.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, the consciousness-mind is the master that creates karma and experiences retribution. Karmic conditions are produced by the clinging of the consciousness-mind. With these two as causes, the initial consciousness-mind of the next life arises. The karmic retributions from actions performed in previous lives will not vanish without cause; they must be experienced. When retribution manifests, these beings may enter the hell realms, fall into the animal realm, be born into the realm of spirits and ghosts, or take rebirth as asuras, humans, or devas, each receiving their own retribution. Thus, consciousness corresponding to the karmic actions arises, continuing uninterrupted within the new five skandhas and flowing onward. The final cessation of the consciousness-mind at the end of life is called the skandha of death. The initial arising of the consciousness-mind at the beginning of life is called the skandha of birth.

Original Text: Great King, when the body-consciousness arises, it comes from nowhere. When it ceases, it goes nowhere. When conditions arise, they come from nowhere. When they cease, they go nowhere. When karmic actions arise, they come from nowhere. When they cease, they go nowhere. Great King, there is not the slightest dharma that can pass from this world to another world. Why? Because inherent nature is empty.

Understand thus: the initial consciousness is empty; one’s own karmic actions are empty; the body-consciousness is empty; if there is cessation, cessation is empty; if there is birth, birth is empty; samsara is empty; nirvana is empty. All are empty in inherent nature. There is no doer, nor is there any experiencer. Neither karmic actions nor their retributions can be apprehended. They are merely names and appearances, conceptually designated and displayed.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, when the body-consciousness arises, it comes from nowhere; when it ceases, it does not go anywhere. When conditions arise, they too come from nowhere and go nowhere. When karmic actions arise, they similarly come from nowhere and go nowhere. Great King, there is not the slightest dharma that can pass from this world to another world. Why? Because the self-nature of all dharmas is empty.

We should understand the body-consciousness thus, knowing its self-nature is empty; understand the karmic actions created by one’s own consciousness-mind thus, knowing their self-nature is empty; understand the initial consciousness thus, knowing its self-nature is empty; understand thus that if any dharma arises, its arising is empty, and if any dharma ceases, its cessation is empty; simultaneously understand that the creation and flow of karmic actions have no doer and no experiencer. All dharmas are merely illusory appearances and conceptual designations displayed by names.

Original Text: Great King, the sense faculties are like illusions. Perceived objects are like dreams. The self-nature of all dharmas is empty and quiescent. This is called the door of liberation of emptiness. Emptiness has no characteristic of emptiness; this is called the door of liberation of signlessness. If there are no signs, then there is nothing to seek; this is called the door of liberation of wishlessness. If one can fully understand these three doors of liberation, walking together with emptiness, then the Path to Bodhi is as vast as the dharmadhatu, as ultimate as empty space. Regarding this analogy, it should be understood thus.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, the six sense faculties are illusory, all perceived objects are like dreams, and the self-nature of all dharmas is entirely empty and quiescent. This is the door of liberation of emptiness. The door of liberation of emptiness has no characteristic of emptiness; it is called the door of liberation of signlessness. If all dharmas are without signs, we should cease all wishes and seeking; this is called the door of liberation of wishlessness. If we can fully understand these three doors of liberation, knowing they all walk together with emptiness and are themselves empty, then the great Path to nirvana, Bodhi, is as vast as the Tathagatagarbha dharmadhatu, and its ultimate nature is like empty space. Regarding such analogies, we should understand them thus.