俱舍論疏 9.93

9.93

The treatise says: "[The state] in past lives... flowing on to old age and death." This is the second [section], which presents the intrinsic nature of the link of saṃskāra. In the verse, the first words mark the states. The words "flowing on to old age and death" mean that all five skandhas belonging to the states of meritorious, unmeritorious, and [unshakable] karma are collectively named saṃskāra. The word "state" in the opening line flowing through old age and death explains that all twelve links are established with reference to the five skandhas in their various states. The Nyāyānusāra states: "For what reason is karma of this kind in past lives uniquely named saṃskāra? Because the name follows the meaning. What is its meaning? It means: having arisen based on the gathering together of multiple conditions, or having been born through mutual influence and convergence. Furthermore, being able to serve as a condition, it has brought about the gathering of the fruit; or, having gathered together in this way, it can serve as a condition for the fruit. This is the real meaning that the name saṃskāra follows. In past lives, karma whose fruit has ripened in the present possesses a complete aspect of conditioned activity, and is independently named saṃskāra. By this, karma whose fruit is to arise in a future life is already excluded, for because the fruit of that karma has not yet ripened, its aspect is not yet complete and it is not established with the name saṃskāra. Would not all intrinsic natures of ripening causes that have already yielded their own fruits possess this aspect, so that all of them ought to be established with the name saṃskāra? What are these intrinsic natures? They are non-karmic factors and karma that has already attained its fruit in a prior life (karma that has already attained its fruit in a prior life means karma that brought about past bodily existences). Although there is this reasoning, [the treatise] speaks in terms of the pre-eminent: because karma is the most pre-eminent ripening cause in pulling forward fruits, and because karma producing present fruits is gross, manifest, and easily recognized, thereby enabling one to believe and know the karma that produced past fruits, for this reason this alone is independently named saṃskāra. Although all causes that have already yielded fruit ought collectively to be called saṃskāra, this [context] speaks only of the various ripening causes that can bring about a subsequent existence (excluding the other five causes that have already yielded fruit); hence there is no fault of the name saṃskāra failing to apply comprehensively. Therefore, it is established that only the karma in past lives that brings about the present life is uniquely named saṃskāra."