大乘義章 7.21

7.21

次就處所分別繫相。依如《毘曇》，欲界繫業唯欲界起，受報之時亦在欲界。色界繫業起在欲色，受報之時唯在色界，不通餘處。無色界業三界通起，受報之時必在無色。問曰：何故下界之中得起上業，身在上界不起下業？釋言：以其界地斷故。身生上界，下地法斷，是故在上不起下業。問曰：若既欲界繫業唯欲界受非餘處者，如經中說「洗僧之福，得生梵世。」洗僧散善是欲界業，云何而得上界受乎？釋言：洗僧福德因緣導生禪定，故生梵世，非洗僧福親能生彼。經就遠緣，故說洗僧得生梵世。又問：禪定是上界業，唯上界受非下界者，經說「修慈正報梵世，後生欲界身心無惱。」云何而言非下界受？釋云：慈體是上界業，唯上界受。經中所說後生欲界身無惱者，彼修慈時前後方便，身口柔軟不惱眾生，此之方便是欲界善，故生欲界身心無惱。若依《成實》，三界繫業當地亦起，在他界中亦得寄起。如在欲界修起八禪，則是下界寄起上業。又在上界起邪見等，則是寄起下界不善。又如初禪婆伽梵王語諸梵眾：「汝但住此，我能令汝盡老死邊。汝等不須詣瞿曇所。」亦是寄起欲界不善。又諸梵等，見佛禮拜發言讚歎，則是寄起欲界善業。問曰：上界邪見等心是無記法，云何說言下界不善？《成實》釋言「經說邪見是苦因緣，其猶苦報，所有四大一切皆苦。邪見如是，云何無記？是不善故，繫屬欲界。」又《成實》中，三界之果亦得寄受。如上二界報欲盡時，心生憂惱。此之惱苦，繫屬欲界，上界寄受。又經中說「洗僧之福，得生梵世。」亦是上界寄受欲果。又經中說「修慈因緣，正生梵世，後生欲界身心無惱。」亦是欲界寄受上報。大乘法中，同《成實》說，一切諸業，皆得寄起、悉得寄受，乃至正報亦是寄受，非直殘氣（此四門竟）。

Next is distinguishing the characteristics of binding according to location. According to the Abhidharma, karma bound to the desire realm is initiated only in the desire realm, and when receiving retribution it is also in the desire realm. Karma bound to the form realm is initiated in the desire and form realms, but when receiving retribution it is only in the form realm and does not extend to other places. Karma of the formless realm is initiated universally in all three realms, but when receiving retribution it must be in the formless realm. Question: Why can higher karma be initiated in a lower realm, but a body in a higher realm does not initiate lower karma? The explanation says: Because the planes of the realms are severed. When born with a body in a higher realm, the dharmas of lower planes are severed; therefore when above, one does not initiate lower karma. Question: If karma bound to the desire realm is experienced only in the desire realm and not in other places, why does the sūtra say: 'The merit of bathing the Saṅgha leads to birth in the Brahmā world'? Bathing the Saṅgha is the scattered good of the desire realm; how could it be experienced in a higher realm? The explanation says: The causes and conditions of the merit of bathing the Saṅgha guide the arising of dhyāna; therefore one is born in the Brahmā world. It is not that the merit of bathing the Saṅgha directly and personally produces birth there. The sūtra speaks with reference to distant conditions, and therefore says that bathing the Saṅgha leads to birth in the Brahmā world. Another question: If dhyāna is karma of a higher realm and is experienced only in a higher realm and not in a lower realm, why does the sūtra say: 'Cultivating benevolence brings primary retribution in the Brahmā world, and later birth in the desire realm without affliction of body or mind'? How can you say it is not experienced in a lower realm? The explanation says: The substance of benevolence is karma of a higher realm and is experienced only in a higher realm. As for what the sūtra says about later being born in the desire realm with a body free from affliction: when cultivating benevolence, one's preparatory expedients before and after cause body and speech to be gentle and not afflict sentient beings; these expedients are wholesome [deeds] of the desire realm, and therefore one is born in the desire realm free from physical and mental affliction. If according to the Tattvasiddhi, karma bound to the three realms arises within its own plane, but may also be initiated by transference in another realm. For example, cultivating and initiating the eight dhyānas while in the desire realm is initiating higher karma by transference in a lower realm. Furthermore, initiating wrong views and the like in a higher realm is initiating unwholesome [karma] of a lower realm by transference. Moreover, just as the Bhagavant King of the first dhyāna told the Brahmā host: 'You should simply stay here; I can cause you to exhaust the limits of old age and death. You need not go to Gautama's place'—this is also initiating unwholesome [karma] of the desire realm by transference. Furthermore, the various Brahmās, seeing the Buddha, bowing, and uttering words of praise, is initiating wholesome karma of the desire realm by transference. Question: Are not minds with wrong views and the like in higher realms indeterminate dharmas? How can you say they are unwholesome [dharmas] of a lower realm? The Tattvasiddhi explains: 'The sūtra says that wrong views are causes and conditions of suffering; they are just like retributions of suffering, in that all four great elements are completely suffering. Wrong views being like this, how could they be indeterminate? Because they are unwholesome, they are bound to the desire realm.' Furthermore, in the Tattvasiddhi, the fruits of the three realms may also be experienced by transference. For instance, when retributions in the upper two realms are about to end, distress and grief arise in the mind. This distressing suffering is bound to the desire realm, yet it is experienced by transference in the higher realms. Furthermore, the sūtra says: 'The merit of bathing the Saṅgha leads to birth in the Brahmā world'—this is also experiencing a desire-realm fruit by transference in a higher realm. Furthermore, the sūtra says: 'Through the causes and conditions of cultivating benevolence, one is primarily born in the Brahmā world, and later born in the desire realm without physical or mental affliction'—this is also experiencing a higher retribution by transference in the desire realm. In the Mahāyāna teaching, in accordance with what the Tattvasiddhi says, all types of karma can be initiated by transference and can all be experienced by transference; even primary retributions are experienced by transference, not merely lingering traces (here ends the fourth section).