摩訶止觀 8.169

8.169

破法遍者，若《阿毘曇》云：「業謝入過去，得繩繫屬，行人，未來受報。」《成實》云：「業從現在入未來，未來受報。」今觀此業，業若過去，過去已謝故，云何有業？業若未來，未來未有，云何有業？業若現在，現在念念不住；念若已去，即屬過去；念若未至，即屬未來；即起即滅，何者現在？若言去時有業名現在者，去時是業？去者是業？為當去時去？去者去？現在既無，業亦叵得。三世推檢，橫竪搜求，善惡諸業俱不可得，畢竟清淨。而言善惡業者，但以世間文字假名分別，不可聞名而謂為實。所以者何？本求理實，不求虛名。虛名無性，雖強分別，如指虛空。業無作、受，三諦俱寂，故名「破法遍」也。

As for pervading refutation of dharmas: if, as the Abhidharma says, 'Karma ceases and enters the past, and the rope of acquisition binds it to the practitioner, who will experience retribution in the future.' The Satyasiddhi says, 'Karma enters the future from the present, and retribution is received in the future.' Now, contemplating this karma: if karma belongs to the past, since the past has already ceased, how can there be karma? If karma belongs to the future, since the future does not yet exist, how can there be karma? If karma belongs to the present, the present does not abide from thought-moment to thought-moment; if a thought-moment has already passed, it belongs to the past; if a thought-moment has not yet arrived, it belongs to the future; arising and perishing immediately, what is the present? If one says that while passing away there is karma that is called the present, is the passing-time karma? Is the goer karma? Does passing occur at the passing-time, or does the goer pass? Since the present does not exist, karma is also unobtainable. Examining throughout the three times and searching horizontally and vertically, all karmas, good and evil, are unobtainable and ultimately pure. What is called good and evil karma is merely differentiated through worldly provisional designations of words and letters; one must not hear the name and take it to be real. Why is this? Originally one seeks the reality of the principle, not empty names. Empty names lack intrinsic nature; although forcibly differentiated, it is like pointing at empty space. Karma has neither maker nor receiver; the three truths are all serene; hence it is called 'pervading refutation of dharmas.'