Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (112)

All dharmas and all karmic actions of the world of the five aggregates arise and cease and are illusory

All dharmas of the world of the five aggregates are subject to arising and ceasing: the mind consciousness arises and ceases, the material body arises and ceases, and all the karmic actions created by the mind consciousness and the material body are likewise subject to arising and ceasing. These dharmas are all empty; seeds arise in a kṣaṇa and cease in a kṣaṇa, and thus the material body and the mind consciousness arise and cease moment by moment, illusory and unreal. Especially at the time of death, everything must vanish and perish—even the phenomena of momentary arising and ceasing will disappear without a trace. This further demonstrates the illusory nature of the five aggregates: not a single dharma can be carried over to future lives.

In the creation of all karmic actions, there is no creator, because the mind consciousness has no autonomy—it is illusory; the material body is illusory and has no autonomy. Both body and mind are like illusions, and therefore illusory body and mind cannot create karmic actions. In the transmigration of all karmic actions, there is likewise no recipient of retribution, because the mind consciousness is illusory, empty, and without self-nature, and thus is not the master of retribution; the material body is illusory, empty, and without self-nature, and thus is not the master of retribution either. All material form is "mark," and all mind consciousness is "name"; neither has any substance—they are merely false appearances discriminated and manifested by the mind consciousness.

The wealth, sensual pleasures, fame, food, and sleep of the world are likewise all empty and without self-nature, illusory and unattainable. When one is born in this life, one does not bring over the reputation of the previous life. Even if one was a king or a minister in a past life, in this life not a bit of that status and power can be brought over. The family members, relatives, and wealth of past lives—none of it is brought over; in this life one must strive from the beginning, start from scratch, and newly acquire wealth, sensual pleasures, fame, food, and sleep. When this life ends, the wealth, sensual pleasures, fame, food, and sleep accumulated over a lifetime, along with family members, relatives, and everything else, will all vanish—not a single thing can be carried to the next life. Even the five aggregates and the mind consciousness cannot transmigrate to future lives; apart from the manas, the consciousness that serves as the master, everything vanishes completely.