Chapter Two: How Does the Alaya-vijnana Migrate and Receive a Body

Section Three: Virtue Guardian Asks Why Sentient Beings Receive the Retribution of Meritorious Karma in Future Lifetimes

Original Text: World-Honored One. Why is it that sentient beings, after the dissolution of their body, are reborn with new sense faculties? Why is it that the meritorious karma accumulated in this life is received in the next life? Why does the present body cultivate blessings, while the future body enjoys the fruits?

Explanation: World-Honored One, why do sentient beings, after the death of their physical body, give rise to the six sense faculties and obtain a new life? Why do sentient beings accumulate meritorious karma in this life, only to receive blessings in the next life? Why does the present body plant the seeds of blessings, while the body of the future life enjoys the fruits?

After the dissolution of this physical body, which ceases to function, how is it that the five sense faculties—eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body—are born anew in another womb? The meritorious karma accumulated by sentient beings in this life will yield blessings in the next life. However, if a great amount of meritorious karma is accumulated and the karmic conditions ripen in the present life, the blessings may be received in this very life; it is not necessary to wait until the next life. Of course, the blessings received in a future life will be far greater than those received now. As long as the karmic conditions manifest in the present life, the blessings of the present life will appear, while the blessings of the next life will be even greater. The retribution received in the present life is called the "flower retribution," while the retribution received in a future life is called the "fruit retribution." The flower is much smaller than the fruit; the fruit is the heaviest. The retribution in the future life is the greatest, for it is then that the conditions for receiving it are fully matured.

Is the five-aggregate body of the next life the same sentient being as the five-aggregate body of this life? The sentient being is one and the same; the manas and the Alaya-vijnana remain unchanged, though the six consciousnesses and the five aggregates differ. For example, if one offers flowers to the Buddha in this life, the physical form and appearance in the next life may be very dignified. Is that dignified body of the next life the same sentient being as the body of this life? It is still the same sentient being. In the new physical body, the manas and Alaya-vijnana remain the original ones, unchanged. What changes are the six consciousnesses and the physical body. The manas simultaneously carries along the habits and tendencies, which manifest in the sentient being in the next life just as they did in this life. For instance, if one was fond of smoking in a past life, they may still be fond of smoking in this life; if one loved composing poetry and painting in a past life, they will still love it in a future life; if one enjoyed reading in a past life, they will still enjoy it in a future life—provided the conditions for manifesting these habits are met in a similar physical body. If the conditions are not met, certain habits may not manifest. The manas carries habits and karmic seeds through every lifetime.

From this, it can be seen that sentient beings share similarities between past and present lives. For example, if someone was your father in a past life and became accustomed to it, in this life when they meet you, they might still speak to you in a fatherly tone. One can also observe the habits from a dog’s past human life; if a dog behaves quite honestly, it was honest when it was a human in its past life. By carefully observing each person’s present life, one can generally discern their habits from past lives and even predict their temperament and disposition in future lives. Knowing that karmic seeds are continuous and that manas is continuous, one can see through a person’s circumstances in past and future lives at a glance.

Even if a person cultivates and becomes an Arhat, their habits still persist. Their physical, verbal, and mental actions will still follow the inertia of past-life habits and cannot be easily changed. The habits of every sentient being are carried life after life, taken into future lives, and manifested unconsciously. Sentient beings take rebirth carrying the manas from past lives, so the manifestation of manas is similar to that of past lives; generally, the changes are not very significant. If an Arhat does not enter the remainderless Nirvana, they also carry the seventh consciousness (manas) into rebirth, still manifesting the pure habits from past lives. Therefore, when we study the Buddha’s teachings and cultivate, under present conditions, we should eliminate unwholesome habits as much as possible and try not to carry them into future lives.

In the cycle of birth and death, the habits carried by manas also include emotional attachments. Since time without beginning, sentient beings have experienced every kind of relationship with one another. When migrating to the next life, they carry all kinds of emotional attachments, continuing to cling to emotions, thus perpetuating the cycle of birth and death. The birth-and-death cycle of sentient beings relies on emotional attachments and craving. Those who have not severed craving, in the intermediate state (bardo), upon seeing sexual union, immediately give rise to lustful thoughts and participate, then become bound and are passively led by karma to take rebirth.

If craving is not severed, manas will carry this habit into rebirth, and the wheel of birth and death cannot cease. Especially in the intermediate state, manas is particularly straightforward; whatever habits were present manifest as they are. Manas does not possess the function of analysis, thought, or judgment; afflictive habits manifest completely, and the conscious mind (mano-vijnana) cannot control it. Because the subtle sense bases (indriyas) in the intermediate state are underdeveloped, the thinking power of the conscious mind is relatively weak and cannot effectively guide manas through forceful thought and analysis. Thus, manas manifests entirely according to its own habits. In the five-aggregate body, the subtle sense bases are developed, and the conscious mind, relying on them, possesses stronger analytical thinking ability. It can effectively provide the information and data needed by manas, so manas can be guided and is not completely dominated by habits.

To control and transform manas, so as to no longer take rebirth and enter the cycle of birth and death, one must sever the craving of manas. To sever the craving of manas, one must first sever the view of self (sakkaya-ditthi). After that, by cultivating the first dhyana (meditative absorption), one can sever craving through the power of samadhi. Otherwise, in the intermediate state, manas will inevitably take rebirth due to craving. The afflictions of craving, hatred, and delusion in manas can only be severed after severing the view of self; this is the sequence of cultivation. If the view of self is not severed, even with the first dhyana, craving is merely suppressed and not eradicated. During the Buddha’s time, some non-Buddhist ascetics cultivated very high levels of samadhi and appeared free of desire and craving, but that was only a temporary suppression through samadhi power. After rebirth in the next life, when the samadhi faded, desire and craving would reappear. Therefore, merely suppressing afflictions through samadhi is insufficient; one must have the wisdom of severing the view of self. This shows how crucial it is to sever the view of self. After severing the view of self and cultivating the first dhyana, combining samadhi and wisdom, one can sever all afflictions.

For those following the Mahayana path and cultivating the Bodhisattva way, after severing the view of self, must they also sever all afflictions? If all afflictions are severed, at the time of death, one would abandon all dharmas of the three realms and enter the remainderless Nirvana. Without future lives, one could no longer study and practice the Buddha Dharma. Therefore, Bodhisattvas need to retain a slight attachment to the dharmas of the three realms, such as attachment to samadhi or attachment to the Buddha Dharma. As long as a tiny bit of attachment remains, due to this attachment, they can take rebirth, continue to study the Buddha Dharma, and help sentient beings with affinities to cultivate. However, this attachment cannot be excessive. If one retains lustful craving for the opposite sex, the first dhyana will vanish, and one will not possess the realization of the third or fourth fruition (Anagami or Arhat); the fruition level will be lost.

If one wishes to be continuously reborn in the wholesome paths of the three realms to cultivate, one can make a pure great vow. When the power of the vow functions, it can ensure rebirth, ensure the seeds for the three realms, and enable rebirth as a human in the three realms. If one no longer has any liking for the dharmas of the three realms at all, at the time of death, manas can cease, and all dharmas will disappear entirely. In this way, it becomes impossible to have a five-aggregate body to study the Dharma and practice the Bodhisattva path. Therefore, upon attaining the third or fourth fruition, one should retain a slight attachment and not sever it completely, not taking the fourth fruition. But we are still far from that state now and need not consider this issue for the time being.

After cultivating to the First Ground (Bhum) Bodhisattva stage, one must begin to retain a slight attachment and cannot reject everything. When Ground-level Bodhisattvas are reborn into this world, they differ greatly from other sentient beings in that they do not like worldly dharmas; they prefer cultivation and find existence in the world rather tedious. Not liking any worldly dharmas yet still having to live in this world—isn’t this distressing? Therefore, being a Bodhisattva is not easy; it is not that Bodhisattvas are always happy and feel good. They cannot blend in with the multitude; they share little common ground with sentient beings. Sentient beings live in this world with things they like, things they pursue, and so-called pleasures. But Bodhisattvas have no pursuit of worldly dharmas; often, they must comply even when unwilling, thus frequently experiencing distress until they encounter the Buddha Dharma.

Original Text: How does consciousness nourish and grow the body?

Explanation: Why can the Alaya-vijnana nourish and grow the physical body? When the Alaya-vijnana takes rebirth again, it enters another fertilized egg. How does the Alaya-vijnana gradually nourish and grow the physical body? "Nourish" here means to nurture, sustain, uphold, and transform. With what does it nourish the physical body? With the four great elements (mahabhuta). After the seeds of the four great elements are projected, the embryo begins to grow bit by bit. If the Alaya-vijnana does not project the seeds of the four great elements, the embryo cannot grow. The Alaya-vijnana uses the seeds of the six great elements to uphold the sentient being’s five aggregates and eighteen elements (dhatus).

Original Text: How does consciousness enter and transform along with the body?

Explanation: Why can the Alaya-vijnana enter the physical body and operate following it? How does the Alaya-vijnana, having entered the physical body, follow the body and transform it? The physical body gradually grows larger, then the body sense faculty becomes complete, the conscious mind arises, the body acquires the aggregate of mental formations (samskara) and the aggregate of consciousness (vijnana), and the five aggregates begin to function. How does the Alaya-vijnana follow the body and cause it to transform? Consciousness dwells hidden within the body, performing all activities. What activities does it perform? This involves the knowledge of specific aspects (pratisamvid) and the knowledge of the path (marga-jnana). These wisdoms are extremely profound. What exactly does the Alaya-vijnana do, and how does it do it?

Virtue Guardian Bodhisattva raised so many questions, demonstrating his wisdom. After all, he was a Dharma Master in a past life, teaching sentient beings the Tripitaka (Three Baskets of scriptures: Sutra, Vinaya, Abhidharma). He accumulated such great merit by expounding the Tripitaka to guide sentient beings. In this life, encountering the Buddha, he naturally asks profound questions about the Mahayana Tathagatagarbha doctrine. His questions are deep, touching upon the knowledge of the path (marga-jnana). To what extent did his wisdom reach? In his past life, he accumulated such great merit by expounding the Tripitaka. If he had not attained enlightenment or cultivated profound wisdom, his teachings would certainly have contained errors, which would have diminished his merit. Moreover, if there were fundamental errors in his teachings, he would incur negative retribution. Judging by the merit of Virtue Guardian Bodhisattva in his present life, which shows no involvement with negative retribution, it follows that his teachings were without fault and in accordance with the Buddha’s intent.

The knowledge of the path (marga-jnana) is the wisdom of consciousness-only (vijnapti-matrata) realized by Ground-level Bodhisattvas; it is the wisdom concerning the seeds within the Tathagatagarbha. When a Bodhisattva comprehends one part, two parts, three parts, or more of the seeds stored in the Tathagatagarbha, they possess the knowledge of the path. All dharmas belong to a part of the seeds within the Tathagatagarbha. When the functions and roles of all seeds within the Tathagatagarbha are fully known, it is called the knowledge of all aspects (sarvakarajnata). Knowing a part of it is called the knowledge of the path. Therefore, the Consciousness-Only (Yogacara) doctrine is the most profound and difficult to understand within the Buddha Dharma. Mastering the entire Consciousness-Only doctrine leads to the Mahayana stage of no-more-learning (asekṣa), meaning there is nothing left to learn—that is Buddhahood. Mastering the teachings of the Chan (Zen) school enables one to enter the First Ground. Mastering the Consciousness-Only doctrine leads to Buddhahood. All dharmas are manifested in consciousness; with consciousness, there are all dharmas; without consciousness, there is nothing. Therefore, studying Consciousness-Only enables one to understand the ultimate Buddha Dharma.

Virtue Guardian Bodhisattva encountered two Buddhas. The time between these two Buddhas spanned many great kalpas (aeons)—one great kalpa being eighty times 16.8 million years. This sutra recounts how these two Buddhas taught him, how Virtue Guardian Bodhisattva encountered Shakyamuni Buddha, and how Shakyamuni Buddha bestowed a prediction (vyakarana) upon him. If the Buddha of his past life had not taught him, he could not have cultivated so swiftly; encountering Shakyamuni Buddha in this life, he would not have received the prediction. Virtue Guardian Bodhisattva likely possessed the knowledge of the path; at the very least, he was a First Ground Bodhisattva. Therefore, the Dharma he inquired about was profound and crucial.

The functioning of the Tathagatagarbha within the body sense faculty belongs to the category of the knowledge of consciousness-only seeds. Ordinary people cannot explain this; it requires extremely profound and subtle Consciousness-Only wisdom. Without realizing the Tathagatagarbha, one cannot teach such Dharma. In fact, even those who have realized the Tathagatagarbha—ordinary enlightened Bodhisattvas—cannot expound such profound Dharma without possessing the knowledge of consciousness-only seeds. One must possess the realization of a First Ground Bodhisattva or above, capable of observing the functioning of the Tathagatagarbha, to articulate the specific operations of the Tathagatagarbha. This is called contemplative insight (vipasyana). This contemplative insight is essential until Buddhahood. Therefore, cultivating good samadhi now and learning methods of contemplation and insight are extremely important; they bring benefit life after life. Without samadhi and without knowing contemplative insight, one must rely on others for knowledge life after life, unable to attain realization. If one understands contemplative insight, one is not merely learning knowledge but engaging in verification and investigation; what is expressed is always one’s own experiential understanding. When studying the Dharma, practicing contemplation and insight while learning enables gradual realization, and wisdom develops very quickly. Thus, learning contemplative insight is exceedingly important.