廣弘明集 22.12

22.12

Of all beings possessed of sentience, none do not take pleasure in living. The paths of seeking life are uneven and diverse. Once they drift and migrate, their roads and paths diverge. In the span of a single thought, multiple conditions arise mutually. Between a single cause and a single fruit, discrepancies occur within. The nature of loving life is shared by the myriad species; endowed by nature, it is not established through conditions. Thus we know that taking pleasure in living is not causes and conditions, and causes and conditions are not taking pleasure in living. Although they both reside within the physical frame, each is a distinct entity. Since a single thought summons multiple conditions, the multiple conditions each arise in accordance with that thought. The two thoughts of good and evil are indeed different, yet both rely on external assistance; in this matter they follow a single principle. It is just as when, without water and without earth, the grain sprout will not grow. The nature of causes and conditions and that of consciousness are originally different; that cause and effect are unmistakable is indeed inevitable, yet when good and evil arise independently, they also meet with obstruction. Though said to arise independently, once arisen they become causes; internal causes and external conditions truly stem from this.