宗鏡錄 75.9

75.9

Answer: For example, upholding the five precepts attracts the attainment of a human body: this is general retribution karma. Due to having anger, forbearance, and the like in the causal stage, within that general human retribution there are beauty and ugliness: these are called particular retribution karma. In Yogācāra (Weishi), these are also called leading karma and fulfilling karma. What can attract the eighth [consciousness], leading forth the vipāka fruit, is therefore called leading karma. What can attract the sixth [consciousness], fulfilling the vipāka fruit, is called fulfilling karma. The Abhidharmakośa-śāstra also says: 'One karma leads to one rebirth; many karmas can complete it. Just like painting a figure: first sketching the outline, and afterwards filling in the various colours,' and so forth. However, the volition (cetanā) capable of creating that leading karma must arise from the sixth, the manovijñāna. The volition capable of creating that fulfilling karma arises from the five [sense] consciousnesses. Yet the five consciousnesses have no grasping and cannot instigate or moisten [rebirth]; hence, they do not err regarding principle, and having no deliberation, they cannot [independently] create karma. Although they create fulfilling karma, it is not through their own capacity; they can only perform it because they are led by the mind (manas). Therefore the Sāgara-nāgarāja-paripṛcchā-sūtra says: 'At that time the World-Honoured One addressed the dragon king Sāgara: "Those who rely on the world produce diverse conditions; their mental activities differ, and their sins and merits vary. For this reason, their places of rebirth are distinct. Dragon King, just look upon this great assembly and the great ocean: their manifold forms and appearances are not the same. All these appearances are painted by the citta. Moreover, citta has no form and cannot be seen. All dharmas are deceitful like this. Manifesting characteristics due to delusion, they are entirely without a master. In accordance with what they do, each experiences it themselves. Just as a painter originally has no image already made, so too are all dharmas: inconceivable, naturally like magical illusions, they are all made by the citta."' The Wen Shi Jing (Bathhouse Sūtra) says: 'The Buddha said: "Observe the types of gods and humans in those three realms—their high and low, long and short, the greatness or paucity of their merit and virtue: all are due to the unequal application of mind in prior lifetimes; hence what they receive is distinct and not the same."' The Prajñāpradīpa-śāstra says: 'As a verse in the Abhidharma says: / "The volition guarding one's own body and speech, / and that which gathers others in, / has the dharma of loving-kindness as its seed / and can obtain fruits present and future." / What is called "volition" refers to the ability to tame oneself, stay far from unrighteousness, and the volition associated with this citta; hence it is called "volition". "Gathering others in" refers to giving, kind speech, and rescuing those who are afraid; because by such means one is able to gather others in, it is called "gathering others in". "Loving-kindness" refers to citta; citta is precisely called dharma, and it is also the seed. The "seed" is also called the cause. A cause for what? It is the cause for the fruit. What kind of fruit? It is the fruit of the present and the future. Why is citta called the seed? Because it can give rise to the karma of body and speech, it is called the seed. Again, as a treatise verse says: / "Just as the continuity of sprouts and so on / arises from a seed, / and from this the fruit is born, / without a seed there is no continuity." / Commentary: This means that from the sprout grows the stem, up to the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits, each having its own characteristic. Although the seed perishes, through the arising of continuity it gradually reaches the fruit. If apart from the seed, the continuity of sprouts and so on would not transmigrate. For this reason, what is its meaning? Therefore the treatise verse says: / "The seed has continuity; / from continuity there is the fruit. / First the seed and afterwards the fruit: / neither interrupted nor eternal." / Commentary: How is it not interrupted? Because the continuity of the seed abides. How is it not eternal? Because once the sprout arises, the seed is destroyed. Internal dharmas are also like this. As the treatise verse says: / "In this way, from the initial citta, / mental dharmas arise in continuity; / from this arises the fruit: / apart from citta there is no continuity." / Commentary: This means that the mind of loving-kindness or the mind of unloving-kindness is called karma. Although this citta perishes, it arises in continuity. That this fruit of continuity arises means that desirable and undesirable [states] have the characteristic of being experienced. If apart from citta, the fruit does not arise. Now we shall speak of the dharma of continuity; what is its meaning? Therefore the treatise verse says: / "From citta there is continuity; / from continuity there is the fruit. / Therefore karma precedes the fruit: / neither interrupted nor eternal." / Commentary: How is it not interrupted? Because the continuity can give rise to the fruit. How is it not eternal? Because it does not abide until a second moment.' Thus we know that the three karmas are difficult to guard against and must be protected in secret. The mind (manas) is a mass of suffering; the mouth is the womb of disaster. Only by closing the gates and guarding the fords can one cut off continuity. As the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says: 'In those hellish grounds, seeing the minions of Yama, they are bitterly rebuked with verses: / "The citta cannot be governed, / worse than a great blazing fire. / Swiftly moving, untameable, / it drags people to hell. / The citta is the most difficult to tame; / this fire is fiercer than fire. / Difficult to tame, swiftly moving, / hell within hell. / If a person lets citta be unchecked, / they walk into hell. / If a person can control the citta, / they will not suffer distress. / Desire is the foremost fire; / ignorance is the foremost darkness; / anger is the foremost foe: / these three hold sway over the world. / Formerly when you did evil, / your own citta deliberated and did it. / You originally did it with a deluded mind, / and now you suffer this evil retribution. / The mind delights in stealing others' goods, / secretly lying with others' wives, / constantly killing living beings: / deceived by your own citta. / Such sovereign karma / has brought you to this place. / This is your own past evil karma: / why do you groan and wail?" / Another verse says: / "Doing evil does not perish; / all evil has its retribution. / Evil is entirely obtained from action; / due to citta there is action. / Through citta one does evil; / through having citta there is retribution. / All is made by citta; / all has citta as its cause. / Citta can deceive sentient beings, / bringing them to evil places. / This evil place of hell / is the most miserable evil place."' As in the above sūtra passages, this is the evil citta attracting bitter fruits. As for a good citta attracting joyful fruits, it also says: 'Furthermore, monks, knowing karmic retribution, observe the dwelling place of the Garland-Bearing gods (Mālādhāra): down to its ground being soft, like fresh butter. When the gods walk, it yields beneath their feet, like cotton from the tula tree. At every dwelling place, as their feet step upon it, it flattens accordingly, as described before. Every jeweled tree emits light of wondrous colour; its radiance is like the sun, delightful and joyful. The flowers and leaves of the golden trees of wondrous colour are ever fresh, without withering or falling. Born of good karma, it cannot be described by metaphor. The sovereign power of morality is obtained through good karma, like a seal stamping an object. In this way the gods disport in gardens, forests, and lotus ponds; experiencing retribution from their own karma, there are superior, middling, and inferior, enjoying great play and pleasure. The physical characteristics of their own karma have lovely radiance; forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and tangibles gratify their desires with delight. Their bodies have neither sickness nor distress, neither hunger nor thirst; constantly indulging the five desires, they are never satiated. Mostly generating lustful desires, their minds are never full. If a god thinks of something, it is obtained according to thought, indestructible by others, sovereign and unhindered. Their minds are constantly joyful, and wherever they think of, they can reach; their transformed bodies follow their mind, large or small at will, vast, light, and supple. In the twinkling of an eye, they can travel hundreds of thousands of yojanas without the least fatigue, like wind moving through space, unobstructed. The gods are also like this, without fatigue. The majesty and virtue of a god's body are born from the citta, light, pure, and without defilement. Wherever they go, light and colour are as they wish; god sons and god daughters sport in joy.' Commentary: However, although good and evil come from the citta, and suffering and joy are not equal, this is first explaining cause and effect, so that one knows that a single thought is never mistaken. If discussed within the ultimate Path, neither is liberation. As the sūtra says: 'The gods of the Kalu-footed (Kāruṇika / Kāloda?) mount palaces of Jāmbūnada gold and enter the divine pleasure groves. Those groves are supple, and the voices of many birds harmonize sweetly. When the god sons have entered, a bird named Divine Voice—born of the same karma as the gods, due to the good karma of the gods—immediately speaks a verse: / "If there is someone who can perform / good karma that is cherished and joyful, / the karmic retribution of that person / is achieved as extremely dignified. / Having obtained the enjoyment of heavenly pleasures, / if they do not practice negligence, / from a joyful place obtaining a joyful place, / they will surely reach nirvāṇa. / All pleasures are impermanent; / they must ultimately come to an end. / Do not take these heavenly pleasures / as your own personal amusement. / These heavenly pleasures are impermanent; / when lifespan ends, they must fall away. / Having known this dharma, / ever seek the path of nirvāṇa. / All dharmas come to an end; / the high must also fall. / Conjunction must have separation; / all who have life return to death." / It also says: 'In this way, the monk, having observed heavenly pleasures with wisdom born of hearing, speaks a verse: / "The five sense faculties ever cherish and delight, / deceived and bewildered by objects of desire. / The fire of desire has never yet / for an instant been heard to be satiated. / In every single realm of objects, / everywhere one sees goddesses. / In all supreme sense realms, / the flame of desire blazes furiously. / Whether united or separated, / whether speaking or recollecting, / with goddesses as the cause and condition, / fire arises and burns the gods. / The nature of fire exists through combination; / without combination, it does not arise. / Whether combined or not combined, / the fire of desire constantly blazes. / Because causes and conditions are not combined, / when fire is distant, it does not burn; / yet the fire of desire has no distance or nearness: / it constantly burns loving sentient beings. / With the strength of the fuel of mental conceiving, / driven by wrong recollection, / the oil of craving is cast into the fire of desire, / burning up foolish people."' Therefore, having known that suffering and joy come from the citta and that such matters are not ultimate, one should cut off conception, dry up the fuel of the oil of craving, halt the wind of mindfulness, extinguish the fire of desire, guard and restrain the ground of the mind (manas), and constantly accord with tathatā, fulfilling the wonderful fruit of bodhi's constant joy. Therefore a sūtra verse says: 'If one has an upright and good mind, / ever observing in accordance with the Dharma, / they will not be driven by faults, / like sunlight dispelling darkness.' Another sūtra also says: 'Rather be a master of the citta than take the citta as your master. If you take the citta as your master, you follow the six destinies without returning; if you act as a master to the citta, you unite with the single Path and constantly return.' As Gengsangzi says: 'When the mind is level and correct, it is not lured by the external; this is called pure, and if it can endure, it becomes luminous; luminous, and if it can endure, it becomes empty; empty, then the Dao is complete and resides there.' Therefore the Akṣayamatinirdeśa-sūtra says: 'Constantly rectify one's citta, and do not esteem other pursuits.' Indeed, when the citta is constantly upright and straight, it is originally profound and empty; the complete Dao is this citta, and the citta is completely the Dao. Because of not realizing this, following the thinking mind, one is bound by external conditions and disordered by internal knots; thus one is directed to focus the will on oneness and not esteem other pursuits. The empty radiance naturally manifests; this is what is called returning to the source. Such an instruction can truly be called taking the practitioner by the hand, leading straight to the ocean of sarvajñā, ensuring they are not left solitary. If a person believes and accepts it, they can truly be called not stirring from defilement and instantly achieving right awakening.