Lectures on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (183)

Past-Life Karmic Conditions for Diligently Studying Buddhism

Those who formed deep karmic bonds with the Buddha in past lives will, upon merely hearing the Buddha's name in this life, feel their emotions stirred, with the hairs on their body standing on end—this shows that they studied Buddhism for a long time in past lives and have a very deep karmic affinity with the Buddha. Those with profound affinity to the Buddha experience strong resonance upon merely hearing the Buddha's name, spontaneously studying Buddhism, recollecting the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), prostrating to the Buddha, and praising the Buddha. Those who studied Buddhism only briefly in past lives have little reaction, remaining quite indifferent. For example, this was the case with Elder Anāthapiṇḍika of Jetavana in India during the Buddha's time: upon hearing the Buddha's name, he got goosebumps all over his body as he walked along the road, his hairs standing erect. He was a Buddhist disciple with extremely deep roots of goodness; having just heard the Buddha's name, he immediately wished to prepare a banquet to make offerings to the World-Honored One, and to donate his Jetavana to the Buddha as the Buddha's monastery.

Some people, upon first encountering the Buddhadharma, have the seeds of their past-life Buddhist practice fully manifest, quickly plunging headlong into the Dharma and no longer caring about worldly affairs—this is the power of seeds. It is the ālayavijñāna that presents the matured karmic seeds; there are so many mysteries within this. Studying the Dharma allows one to know many truths. Without studying Buddhism, one is so ignorant that one only knows how to create unwholesome karma, and even after suffering the retribution, one does not know what happened, and there is no way to bring an end to the bitter karma of future lives. When unwholesome karma is created and ceases, the karmic seeds remain—what is most fearsome is precisely the karmic seeds. We may try praying to our own ālayavijñāna not to record our unwholesome deeds, not to store unwholesome karmic seeds, and see whether that works? It is of no use whatsoever, because the ālayavijñāna does not understand the language of sentient beings, does not know the content of mental thoughts, and lacks the discerning functions of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. Therefore, the ālayavijñāna is pure and undefiled, impartial and incorruptible—so praying to Him is useless. One can only turn back and appeal to one's own mind, not letting one's mind be filled with greed, hatred, and delusion, and no longer creating defiled karma out of greed, hatred, and delusion.