Commentary on the Sutra of the Father and Son Compendium (183)

The Karmic Causes from Past Lives for Diligent Buddhist Practice

Individuals who formed profound affinities with the Buddha in past lives experience an immediate stirring of emotions upon hearing the Buddha’s name in this life, with their hair standing on end. This signifies that they practiced Buddhism extensively in past lives and share deep karmic bonds with the Buddha. Those with strong karmic connections to the Buddha react intensely upon hearing the Buddha’s name, spontaneously engaging in Buddhist practice, reciting the Buddha’s name, prostrating to the Buddha, and praising the Buddha. In contrast, those who practiced for shorter durations in past lives show little to no reaction, remaining indifferent. For example, during the Buddha’s time, Anāthapiṇḍika of the Jetavana Monastery in India exemplified this. Upon hearing the Buddha’s name while walking, he continuously experienced goosebumps and his hair stood erect. As a disciple with exceptionally deep roots of virtue, he immediately resolved to host a feast to make offerings to the World-Honored One and donated his Jetavana Grove to serve as the Buddha’s monastery.

Some individuals, upon first encountering the Dharma, find the seeds of their past-life Buddhist practice fully manifesting. They swiftly immerse themselves in the Dharma, no longer clinging to worldly affairs. This is the power of karmic seeds. It is the ālaya-vijñāna that brings forth the ripened karmic seeds, and the mysteries within this are profound. Studying the Dharma reveals many truths. Without it, one remains foolishly creating only unwholesome karma, suffering retribution without understanding why, and the karmic suffering of future lives remains unresolved. Though unwholesome actions cease, their karmic seeds persist—this is the most terrifying aspect. We may attempt to beseech our own ālaya-vijñāna not to record our unwholesome actions or retain unwholesome karmic seeds, to see if it works. Yet this is utterly futile, for the ālaya-vijñāna does not comprehend sentient beings’ language, nor does it discern the content of thoughts. It lacks the discriminative functions of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. Thus, the ālaya-vijñāna remains pure, unstained, impartial, and incorruptible. Pleading with it is useless. Instead, one must turn inward and appeal to one’s own mind, ensuring it is free from greed, hatred, and delusion, so that it no longer creates defiled karma driven by these afflictions.