維摩經略疏 5.145

5.145

From "If past, up to, has no abiding," second, directly refuting the attainment of prophecy across the three periods of time. Regarding "If past birth, past birth has already perished": both body and good have perished and ceased; a dharma that has already ceased has neither body nor good, so how could it receive a prophecy? If, on the basis of the present, one takes past good to receive a future prophecy, why was the prophecy not bestowed in the past rather than the present? Regarding "If future birth, future birth has not yet arrived": future good does not yet exist; if it already existed in the future, it should be called "already arrived" rather than "future." If it does not yet exist, then there is neither body nor good, so how could a prophecy be bestowed in terms of the future? If, in terms of the future, what does not yet exist in the future could receive a present prophecy, sentient beings likewise ought to receive a prophecy. Regarding "If present birth, present birth has no abiding": present mental good arises along with the mind; when the thought perishes, the good perishes along with it; perished consciousness does not reach the future, so how could one use present good to receive a future prophecy? This refutes the existence of the three periods of time. If past and future do not exist, how could one use past good to receive a prophecy? If one says that the present exists and that on the basis of the present one may receive a prophecy, the present has no abiding, arising and instantly perishing. If it cannot even abide itself, how could good reach the future such that, on the basis of the present, one receives a future prophecy? Furthermore, the three periods of time are all empty; since the three periods do not even exist, how could one receive a prophecy on the basis of the three periods? In emptiness there is no receiving of prophecy; to conceptualize existence is delusion. If the deluded could receive a prophecy, all sentient beings are entirely deluded and should likewise be given a prophecy. This refutes the nonexistence of the three periods of time.