萬善同歸集 3.57

3.57

答：「即生無生，所以無性。若云有生，為復自生？為他生？為共生？為無因生？若云自生，譬如自身，若非父母，云何得生？故云此身即父母之遺體，以過去業為內因，託父母體為外緣，內外因緣和合而有，即非自生。或云他生者，若無宿業自因，終不託胎，皆從自業而有；譬如外具水土，若無種子，決定不生。若共生者，因假緣成，何有自體之用？緣從因起，而無外助之能；因緣各無，和合豈有？如一砂無油，和眾砂而非有；一盲不見，聚群盲而豈觀？若無因生者，即石女生兒、龜毛作拂，有因尚無，無因豈有？又從有因而立無因，有因既無，無因亦絕。但了自他兩句無生，則四句皆破。既無自他，將誰作和合，及以無因有？四句自然宴寂。是知無生之生，幻相宛爾；生之無生，真性湛然。故《金剛三昧經》云：『因緣所生義，是義滅非生；滅諸生滅義，是義生非滅。』」

Answer: "Arising itself is non-arising, and for this reason there is no self-nature. If one says that there is arising, does it arise from itself? Does it arise from another? Does it arise from both? Or does it arise without a cause? If one says it arises from itself: taking one's own body as an example, without one's parents, how could it come to be born? Therefore it is said that this body is the bequeathed physical form of one's parents, taking past karma as the internal cause and relying on the parents' bodies as the external condition. Existing through the combination of internal and external causes and conditions, it does not arise from itself. If some say it arises from another: without one's own internal cause of past karma, one would ultimately not enter the womb; all exist from one's own karma. For example, externally there may be water and soil, but without a seed, nothing will ever sprout. If it arises from both: since the cause depends on conditions to be accomplished, how could it have the function of a self-entity? Conditions arise from the cause, yet have no capability of providing external assistance. When cause and condition lack [the power] individually, how could it exist in their combination? Just as a single grain of sand contains no oil, combining many grains of sand will still produce none; just as a single blind person cannot see, gathering a crowd of blind persons will hardly enable them to behold anything. If it arises without a cause, then a barren woman would bear a child and tortoise hair could be made into a whisk: when it does not exist even with causes, how could it exist without a cause? Furthermore, 'without cause' is posited in contrast to 'with cause'; since 'with cause' already does not exist, 'without cause' is also eliminated. Simply realizing that the two propositions of self and other are unarisen refutes all four propositions. Since there is neither self nor other, what would form a combination, or exist without a cause? The four propositions naturally become completely quiescent. Thus we know that arising that is non-arising has illusory appearances that are vivid and distinct; non-arising that is arising has a true nature that is clear and still. Therefore the Vajrasamādhi Sūtra says: 'The meaning of arising from causes and conditions is that this meaning is cessation and not arising; the meaning of ceasing all arising and ceasing is that this meaning is arising and not cessation.'"