釋禪波羅蜜次第法門 3.35

3.35

Furthermore, a dharma without characteristics is the meaning of emptiness; emptiness has no arising or perishing, so how could it be called karma? If one says that the empty and characteristicless can induce an effect, the three unconditioned dharmas should also induce an effect. Since that cannot be, how can one say that karma is without characteristics and yet can induce an effect? Through various such causes and conditions, karma cannot be apprehended; one should know that this karma does not exist. If karma cannot be apprehended, how can one say that all aggregates, bases, and elements are born from internal karmic causes? Nor are they born from external conditions: if retribution definitely existed from conditions, then whenever yin and yang unite, there should always be a retributive effect and all dharmas such as the aggregates, bases, and elements. If so, they would not await karma upholding consciousness to arrive before there is birth; hence we know they are not born from external conditions. If it is claimed that because causes and conditions combine, retributive effects and dharmas such as the aggregates and bases are born: if there were birth within the cause and condition individually, upon combining there should be two births; if each has no birth, upon combining how could there be birth? If it is claimed that there is birth apart from causes and conditions, this is not so. Even birth from causes and conditions is untenable, how much more so birth without causes and conditions? If there were birth without causes and conditions, the meaning of cause and effect would be ruined: people in the world who do good would receive unwholesome retribution, people who do evil would receive wholesome retribution, and there should also be no cultivation of the Path. This would destroy mundane cause and effect of good and evil, and is called great wrong view.