大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 64.92

64.92

On the commentary passage from “1. Karma is the field” onwards: explaining separately. “This is the seed of action (saṃskāra)”: active karma perishes in that very moment, perfuming consciousness into seeds, which are that which is moistened. “With respect to the result produced, it is merely a dominant condition”: because, just as a field without seeds cannot produce anything. The commentary says: “2. Consciousness is the seed”: this consciousness serves as the seed because the five from consciousness onwards have not yet reached active manifestation; they are nominal seeds, and with respect to the results of birth and death in future lives, they are primary causes, and thus are called the direct cause. This is self-entity conditioned arising. Next, from “As in the world” onwards: a dual metaphor for the two above. If there were no karmic cause, consciousness would not become a seed; therefore, what induces suffering and pleasure is solely good and bad karma. For this reason, among the three habit-energies of the seed of consciousness, it is solely nominal, not a link of existence.