宗鏡錄 75.17

75.17

Answer: Dependent on the support of one's merits, the retributions are not uniform. When superior merits support consciousness, the objective realm is vast; when inferior merits support consciousness, the marks are minute. The *Xianshi jing* says: Mahauṣadha further said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, when sentient beings cast off their bodies, how are they born among the heavens, and even how are they born in the hells and the like?" / The Buddha said: "Mahauṣadha, at the time of death, for sentient beings supported by meritorious karma, they discard their original sight and obtain celestial subtle sight. With celestial subtle sight, they see the six desire heavens, and down to the six destinies. They see their bodies shaking; they see heavenly palaces, as well as the Delightful Garden, the Mixed Flower Garden, and so forth, even as if sleeping yet not sleeping, peacefully giving up their lifespan. As they are about to give up their lifespan, a heavenly father and heavenly mother sit together on one seat. In the hands of the heavenly mother, a flower spontaneously emerges. Seeing the flower, the heavenly mother turns to tell the heavenly father, 'This is exceedingly auspicious and meritorious, a rare and superior fruit! Heaven should know now: the joy of welcoming a son will soon arrive.' The heavenly mother then shakes and plays with the flower with both hands. While she is playing with the flower, [the being's] life comes to an end. The markless consciousness casts off the sense faculties, grasps the karma of the objective realms, casts off the elements (dhātus), and grasps the affairs of the elements. It shifts into its retribution, just like mounting a horse—discarding one and mounting another; like the sun-stone drawing forth light; like wood generating fire; and like the moon's reflection appearing in clear water. When consciousness is supported by good karma, shifting into heavenly retribution, like the pulse-wind moving, it quickly takes lodgement inside the flower. The heavenly father and heavenly mother sit together and gaze upon it. For seven days, the desire-wind of nectar blows upon the flower. With jewelled earrings adorning the body, glittering and shining brilliantly, a heavenly child, clear and pure, appears in the heavenly mother's hand." / Mahauṣadha said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, how does the formless consciousness, relying on the power of causes and conditions, give rise to that which has form? How does that which has form abide within causes and conditions?" / The Buddha said: "Mahauṣadha, it is like the combination of pieces of wood striking each other to generate fire: this fire cannot be found within the wood, nor can it be found if the wood is removed. Fire is born from the harmony of causes and conditions; if causes and conditions are incomplete, the fire does not arise. If one searches for the characteristics of fire within the wood and the like, one finds it cannot be seen. Yet everyone sees fire come forth from wood. In this way, Mahauṣadha, relying on the harmony of the causes and conditions of parents, consciousness produces a body with form. Within the body with form, consciousness cannot be found; and apart from the body with form, neither is there any consciousness. / Mahauṣadha, it is like fire when it has not yet emerged: the characteristics of fire do not appear, nor is there any sensation of warmth—all characteristics are absent. In this way, Mahauṣadha, if there is not yet a body, the consciousness's feeling, conception, and formations do not appear at all. / Mahauṣadha, it is like seeing the solar disc shining brightly, yet ordinary persons do not see the sun's substance—whether it is black, white, yellow-white, or yellow-red, none of them can know. Only through its functioning—heating, illuminating, rising, setting, and orbiting—do they know that there is a sun. Consciousness is also like this: through its various functionings, one knows that consciousness exists." / Mahauṣadha said to the Buddha: "What are the functionings of consciousness?" / The Buddha said: "Mahauṣadha, sensation, perception, conception, formations, reflection, anxiety, and distress—these are the functionings of consciousness. Furthermore, good and unwholesome karma perfumes it to become seeds, and its functioning manifests consciousness." / Mahauṣadha said to the Buddha: "How is it that once consciousness separates from the body, it immediately receives another body? When consciousness has cast off the old body and has not yet received the new body, at that precise moment, what mark does consciousness take on?" / The Buddha said: "Mahauṣadha, suppose there is a man, long-armed and valiant, wearing sturdy armour, riding a horse swift as the wind into the battle array. When weapons clash, his mind is confused and he falls from his horse, yet with swift martial skill, he immediately leaps back up. Consciousness casting off the body and immediately receiving a body is also like this. Again, it is like a fearful person who sees the enemy, becomes terrified, and flees on horseback; consciousness, supported by good karma, seeing the heavenly parents sitting together on the same seat, quickly takes lodgement to be born there, also like this. / Mahauṣadha, as you asked, when consciousness has cast off the old body and has not yet received the new body, at that precise moment, what mark does consciousness take on? Mahauṣadha, it is like a person's reflection appearing in water: it has no substantiality to be grasped, yet its hands, feet, face, eyes, and various shapes are no different from the person. Substance and physical activity are entirely absent in the reflection; it has neither cold nor heat, nor any sensations, nor fatigue. It lacks physical aggregates and great elements, and has no spoken words, nor sounds of suffering or joy. The mark of consciousness having cast off the old body and not yet received the new body is also like this. Mahauṣadha, this is how one supported by good fruits is born among the heavens." / Mahauṣadha said to the Buddha: "How does consciousness take birth in hell?" / The Buddha said: "Mahauṣadha, those who practice evil karma enter hell. You should listen attentively. Mahauṣadha, sentient beings here who have accumulated unwholesome roots, at the time of their life's end, generate this thought: 'My present body is dying; I am abandoning my parents, relatives, and loved ones,' experiencing immense distress. They see the various hells and see their own bodies destined to enter them; they see their feet above and their heads inverted downward. They also see a place of pure blood on the ground. Having seen this blood, their minds develop a craving for it. Due to this craving mind, they are immediately born in hell. Through the causal power of rotten, foul water and putrid filth, consciousness takes lodgement therein. For example, in foul, stinking places—spoiled curds, spoiled liquor, and various stenches—worms are born due to these causes. Those who enter hell and take birth relying on foul things are also like this." / The *Prajñāpradīpa-śāstra* states: "Concerning the continuity from death-existence to birth-existence, it is like the transmission of scriptures, the passing of a lamp, the pressing of a seal, the appearance of an image in a mirror, an echo in the sky, the reflections of the sun and moon in water, a seed producing a sprout, or a person seeing sour fruit and salivating. Thus, when the subsequent aggregate arises in continuity, there is no intermediate existence going back and forth, conveying this to that. Therefore, the wise should understand it in this way." / Therefore we know that consciousness appears dependent on karma, and objective realms arise following citta. Who forged the sharp blades on the Mountain of Swords? It was not someone else who caused the flowers to bloom on the waters of virtue. Discerning the fruit, one knows the cause; seeing the branches, one recognizes the root. Hence it is said: citta can make a buddha; citta makes sentient beings; citta makes the heavenly realms; citta makes the hells. When citta is differentiated, a thousand distinctions contend to arise; when citta is level, the dharmadhātu is completely serene. When citta is ordinary, the three poisons entangle it; when citta is noble, the six supernatural powers are unhindered. When citta is empty, the one path is pure; when citta exists, ten thousand realms cross in profusion. Like a valley echoing sound—a forceful voice brings a fierce reverberation; like a mirror reflecting a form—a bent shape casts an indented reflection. / By this we know that the ten thousand practices stem from citta; everything depends on oneself. If the internal is empty, the external will never be solid; if the external is fine, the internal will never be coarse. A good cause will ultimately encounter good conditions; evil conduct can hardly escape evil realms. Treading on clouds and mists and drinking sweet nectar are not bestowed by another; lying in smoke and flames and devouring pus and blood are entirely of one's own making. They are not produced by heaven, nor do they emerge from earth; it is solely the very first thought that brings about this ascent or descent. / If you desire peace and harmony without, merely cultivate tranquillity within. When citta is empty, the realm is quiescent; when a thought arises, dharmas are born. When water is turbid, waves are dark; when the pool is clear, the moon is bright. The essential of cultivation does not go beyond this. It may be called the gate of all subtleties, the treasury of all spirits, the root of ascent and descent, the source of misfortune and fortune. Just rectify your own mind; why doubt other realms? / For this reason, apart from the sinful action, meritorious action, and unmoving action of sentient beings, there is ultimately no karmic retribution of suffering and joy in the three realms. If apart from the seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing of sentient beings, how could there be the objective realms of the aggregates, bases, elements, and so forth? As the *Mahāprajñāpāramitāsūtra* says: The Buddha said, "Whether dreaming or awake, necessarily within the dharmas of seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing, there is the operation of discriminative wisdom. Due to this, defilement arises, or purity arises. If there are no dharmas of seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing, there is no operation of discriminative wisdom, nor is there defilement or purity." / Therefore we know that dreaming and waking are consciousness-only; defilement and purity stem from citta. This is the source honoured by former sages and later scholars alike, and pointed to identically by thousands of sūtras and ten thousand treatises. As a verse in the *Laṅkāvatārasūtra* says: / Sentient beings, vases, and the like, / All their various appearances, / Though internal and external differ, / All arise from citta. / If only not a single thought arises, the various conditions naturally cease. Hence it is said: "When not a single thought of the mind arises, the six faculties are completely without fault." And it is also said: "When one mind does not arise, the ten thousand dharmas are without blame." / Nowadays, people loathe birth and worry about old age; as they think, so they act. Casting off delusion and casting off the body, karmic fruits are constantly renewed. If one can comprehend birth as unborn and know delusion as non-delusion, with a single thought citta is quieted, and ten thousand worries are together dissolved. It is like what is said: fearing shadows and fearing footprints, the more one runs, the more exhausted one becomes; but by sitting upright in the shade of a tree, the footprints vanish and the shadow disappears. Thus we know that realizing citta is just cessation—there is no other method. / As the ancestral master said: "Everything stems from citta; heterodoxy and correctness lie within oneself. Not thinking of a single thing is precisely the original citta. The wise can know this; there is no other practice." Therefore our fundamental teacher said: "This matter can only be known by me alone."