Commentary on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (128)

Why do all dharmas have neither a place of coming nor a place of going?

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, not even the slightest dharma can flow 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 constantly. When the five aggregates perish at the time of death, all dharmas will cease. Great King, when body consciousness arises, it has no place of coming; when it ceases, it has no place of going. When karmic actions are created, the karmic formations have no place of coming; when the karmic formations cease, they likewise have no place of going. When the first consciousness of the next life arises, it has no place of coming; when it ceases, it has no place of going.

Why do all dharmas have neither a place of coming nor a place of going? Because all dharmas are apart from all natures; the self-nature of all dharmas has no characteristics whatsoever; their intrinsic nature is empty and utterly unobtainable. 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 conscious mind, understanding that the self-nature of karmic actions is empty; understand in this way the first consciousness, understanding that the self-nature of the first consciousness is empty; and 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 actions, there is no creator and no experiencer; all dharmas are merely discriminated and displayed through names and signs.

All dharmas are apart from the nature of all dharmas; not a single dharma has a real intrinsic nature by which it can exist independently. Knowing this, we understand that our body consciousness is empty, our karmic actions are also empty, and the first consciousness that arises in the next life is also empty. If consciousness ceases, the dharma of cessation is also empty; if consciousness arises, the dharma of arising is also empty. The transmigration and creation of karmic actions are also empty: there is no one who creates them, and when the retribution is experienced, there is no one who experiences the retribution. They are all a false appearance, an unreal illusory appearance, merely delusive appearances discriminated and displayed through names and signs.