Selected Lectures on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (75)

Original text: 大王。无有少法。从于此世。得至他世。所以者何。性生灭故。大王。身识生时。无所从来。灭无所去。彼业生时。无所从来。灭无所去。初识生时。无所从来。灭无所去。何以故。自性离故。如是了知。身识身识空。自业自业空。初识初识空。若灭灭空。若生生空。了知业转。无有作者。亦无受者。但唯名相。分别显示。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, there is not even the slightest dharma that transmigrates from this life to the next life. Why is this said? Because the self-nature of all dharmas is ceaselessly arising and ceasing; they do not exist permanently and enduringly. When the five aggregates perish at the time of death, all dharmas will cease. Great King, when body consciousness arises, it comes from nowhere; when it ceases, it goes nowhere. When karmic actions are created, the karmic formations come from nowhere; when the karmic formations cease, they go nowhere. When the initial consciousness of the next life arises, it comes from nowhere; when it ceases, it goes nowhere. Why do all dharmas have neither a place from which they come nor a place to which they go? Because all dharmas are free of all natures; the self-nature of all dharmas has no characteristics of any kind; their intrinsic nature is empty and utterly unattainable. We should understand body consciousness in this way, understanding that the self-nature of body consciousness is empty; understand in this way the karmic actions created by our own body consciousness, understanding that the self-nature of karmic actions is empty; understand in this way the initial consciousness, understanding that the self-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, one should also understand that in the creation and transmigration of karmic formations, there is no agent and no experiencer; all dharmas are merely illusory appearances and names, displayed through discrimination.