The Illusory Karmic Retribution

The retribution of karma is divided into principal retribution and dependent retribution. Principal retribution is the five aggregates body, while dependent retribution is the universe, the vessel world, and the living environment. The realization of cause and effect is primarily achieved through the five aggregates body. Retribution is received upon the five aggregates body, which constitutes the principal retribution. The living environment is the dependent retribution, which also reflects the causes, conditions, and karmic retribution of sentient beings. The five aggregates are illusory; the eighteen realms are illusory; the universe we live in, the vessel world, is illusory; the living environment is illusory. Thus, karmic retribution and cause and effect are illusory and unreal.

Since all our karmic retribution manifests through these illusory phenomena, the retribution itself is illusory. For example, whether you experience good retribution or bad retribution—be it gaining wealth, falling ill, or encountering disasters—are these not all received through these illusory phenomena? Since these phenomena are illusory, is the retribution not also illusory? Of course, it is all illusory. All retribution is nothing but manifested upon the five aggregates body. The five aggregates body is illusory, so the retribution is illusory. Moreover, this retribution arises and ceases, changes and transforms; it is impermanent. What is impermanent is illusory. Therefore, all cause and effect is illusory; all phenomena are illusory. Apart from the Tathagatagarbha, everything is illusory.

For instance, the retribution of poverty, the retribution of incomplete sense faculties, and all kinds of disasters—are these retributions illusory? They are entirely illusory, all manifested by the Tathagatagarbha in accordance with karmic seeds and various causes and conditions; none possess true reality.

Again, for example, if you receive good retribution—such as promotion, wealth, reunion with loved ones, or various pleasant retributions like wealth, sensual pleasures, fame, food, sleep, and so forth—where is this retribution received? It is all received upon the five aggregates body, manifested through the five aggregates body. The five aggregates body is illusory, unreal, and false; therefore, these karmic retributions are even more illusory, unreal, and false—they are not true phenomena!

Take good retribution, for example: in this life, becoming a king in the human realm or a heavenly lord in the celestial realm—is the throne of the king or heavenly lord illusory? Is the universe, the vessel world, and the palace where one lives illusory? Are fine clothes and sumptuous food illusory? Are all your attendants, ministers, officials, and servants illusory? Everything encountered belongs to good karmic retribution. Where do these retributions come from? They are manifested by the Tathagatagarbha based on karmic seeds and causes and conditions. Therefore, the good retribution of being a king or heavenly lord is illusory and unreal. Conversely, consider retributions like being killed or dying in a car accident—these retributions are all borne by the five aggregates. Why is the five aggregates body killed? Why is it imprisoned? Why does it lose so much property and loved ones? These are all bad retributions. Where do these bad retributions come from? They are all illusory appearances manifested by the Tathagatagarbha based on karmic seeds and various causes and conditions, all manifested upon the five aggregates body.

When experiencing bad retribution, the sensation is suffering. Is this suffering not the sensation of the conscious mind? Where does the conscious mind's sensation come from? It is manifested by the Tathagatagarbha. All phenomena, whether good or bad retribution, are manifested by the Tathagatagarbha. Without the Tathagatagarbha, nothing exists. Since what is manifested is illusory—arising and ceasing, unreal, changing, and empty—it is not the self, not real, nor something possessed by the self. This is called "no-self." Based on the Tathagatagarbha, all phenomena are unreal; therefore, they are all empty and illusory phenomena.