宗鏡錄 49.59

49.59

Answer: They all transform from consciousness; they are provisional designations. The treatise says: "This correct principle is profound, wondrous, and beyond words; words such as 'cause' and 'effect' are all provisional designations. Observing that present phenomena have the function of projecting what is subsequent, one provisionally establishes a future effect, and relative to it, speaks of a present cause. Observing that present phenomena have the characteristic of repaying what came before, one provisionally establishes a past cause, and relative to it, speaks of a present effect. 'Provisional' means that the present consciousness manifests in the semblance of those characteristics. Such causes and effects are clear in principle and import, far removed from the two extremes, and accord with the Middle Way. All wise people should cultivate and train in accordance with this." The commentary says: "Now it clarifies that the intrinsic characteristics of all phenomena are beyond words. That is to say, observing the three times, there are only present phenomena. Observing these present phenomena, they have the function of being able to lead to and produce future effects. Although future effects do not exist, present phenomena have the function of leading to them. 'Function' means capacity. A practitioner investigates and sees that upon present phenomena there is this functional capacity; observing the effect of these phenomena, the mind accordingly transforms into the appearance of the future. This resembles the future, but is actually the present; thus one provisionally speaks of this transformed future, naming it the 'future effect.' Relative to this provisional, future-to-exist effect, one speaks of the present phenomenon as a 'cause.' This future effect is provisionally transformed by observing the function of the present phenomenon. Its cause is also like this: observing that this present phenomenon has the characteristic of repaying what came before—namely, the transformed characteristics of ripening and the like—one observes that from which it arose, and can transform it into the past; it is not truly past, but is the present. One provisionally speaks of what is transformed as a present phenomenon, and relative to this provisional, once-existed past cause, speaks of the present as an effect. But in reality, what is observed is neither cause nor non-cause, neither effect nor non-effect. For instance, regarding the cause: because its nature is beyond words, it is not truly a cause; because it has capacity, it is not definitely a non-cause. The effect is also like this."