Illusory and Unreal Karmic Cause and Effect

Karmic retribution is divided into direct retribution and circumstantial retribution. Direct retribution is the body of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha), while circumstantial retribution is the survival environment of the universe, the material world (bhājana-loka). The realization of cause and effect is mainly accomplished through the body of the five aggregates; karmic retribution is retributed upon the body of the five aggregates, so the five-aggregate body is the direct retribution, while the survival environment is the circumstantial retribution, which also reflects sentient beings' causes, conditions, and karmic results. The five aggregates are illusory, the eighteen realms (dhātus) are illusory, the universe we live in and the material world are illusory, the survival environment is illusory—thus karmic retribution and cause and effect are likewise illusory and unreal.

Since all our karmic retribution manifests through these illusory dharmas, retribution itself is illusory. For example, whether you receive wholesome or unwholesome retribution—whether it is getting rich, falling ill, or encountering disaster—is it not all experienced upon these illusory dharmas? These illusory dharmas are unreal, so is karmic retribution not unreal? Of course it is all unreal. All karmic retribution is nothing other than what manifests upon the body of the five aggregates. Since the five-aggregate body is unreal, karmic retribution is unreal; moreover, this retribution is subject to arising, ceasing, and change—it is impermanent, and whatever is impermanent is unreal. Therefore, all causes and effects are also illusory, all dharmas are illusory—apart from the tathāgatagarbha, everything is manifested illusion.

For instance, the karmic result of poverty, the retribution of having imperfect six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana), and all sorts of disasters—are these karmic results illusory? They are all illusory, all manifested by the tathāgatagarbha in accordance with karmic seeds and various conditions; none of them is a real dharma.

Take another example: suppose you receive wholesome retribution—you get promoted, become wealthy, or are reunited with family members; various wholesome results such as wealth, sensual pleasure, fame, food, and sleep—where are these retributions retributed? They are all retributed upon the body of the five aggregates, manifested through it. Since the five-aggregate body is illusory, unreal, and false, these karmic results are even more illusory, illusorily manifested, and unreal—they are not real dharmas!

Take another example of wholesome retribution: in this life you become a king in the world, or ascend to heaven and become a heavenly lord (deva-king). Is the throne of a king or a heavenly lord illusory? Is the universe you live in, the material world, the palaces illusory? Are fine clothes and exquisite food illusory? Are all your servants, ministers, high officials, and attendants at your side all illusory? Everything you come into contact with belongs to wholesome karmic retribution. Where does this retribution come from? It is manifested by the tathāgatagarbha according to karmic seeds and conditions. Therefore, the wholesome retribution of being a king or a heavenly lord is illusory and unreal. Take another example: karmic results such as being killed or dying in a car accident—all these retributions are borne by the five aggregates. Why are the five aggregates killed? Or why are they imprisoned? Why do they lose so much property and so many loved ones? These all belong to unwholesome retribution. Where does this unwholesome retribution come from? It is all false appearance manifested by the tathāgatagarbha according to karmic seeds and various conditions, all manifested upon the body of the five aggregates.

When unwholesome retribution is received, the feeling experienced is suffering. Is this suffering not the feeling of the conscious mind? Where does the conscious mind's feeling come from? It is manifested by the tathāgatagarbha. All dharmas, whether wholesome or unwholesome retribution, are manifested by the tathāgatagarbha. Without the tathāgatagarbha, there would be no dharmas at all. Since what is illusorily manifested is subject to arising and ceasing, unreal, mutable, and empty, it is therefore not the self, not real, and not possessed by me as mine—this is called no-self (anātman). In terms of the tathāgatagarbha, all of it is unreal dharma, and therefore all of it is dharma that is empty and illusory.