法苑珠林 68

English (machine translation) 68

Language: English

68.1

Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoshi of Ximing Temple

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Chapter 78: Karmic Causes (This contains five sections)

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Section on Expressing the Intent
Section on Karmic Causes
Section on the Ten Unwholesome Deeds
Section on the Ten Wholesome Deeds
Section on Citing Proofs

Those who wade into its stream clarify the river of craving and purify the five turbidities; those who lose sight of its cardinal principle shake the mountain of heterodoxy and give rise to the three hindrances. Reflecting quietly upon this principle, how could it be empty? Thus one knows that good arises from faith, and evil opens through heterodoxy. Therefore a single thought of evil can open the gates to the five unwholesome things, while a single thought of good can eradicate the calamities of accumulated kalpas. For this reason, goodness must be carved and polished with self-exertion, so that one may have the instruction of taking the mind as one's teacher; evil must be inspected, checked, and penalized for its faults, so that there may be a time of heartfelt repentance. Otherwise, one merely troubles oneself in vain with nourishing [the body] and futilely decorating a painted vase, which will in the end be crushed to powder in the yellow dust, meeting with agonizing torment in the nether regions. Leaving behind this white silk [record], may you inspect it and exert your will.

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Section Two: Karmic Causes

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As the Abhidharmasamuccaya states: Furthermore, there are four distinctions of karmas: black [karma] with black ripening, white [karma] with white ripening, black-and-white [karma] with black-and-white ripening, and neither-black-nor-white karma without ripening which can exhaust all karmas. Black karma with black ripening refers to unwholesome karma: because it is defiled, it has undesirable ripening. White karma with white ripening refers to wholesome karma of the tridhātu: because it is undefiled, it has desirable ripening. Black-and-white karma with black-and-white ripening refers to mixed karma of the desire realm, because wholesome and unwholesome are mixed. Neither-black-nor-white karma without ripening which can exhaust all karmas refers to the uncontaminated karmas during the path of expedient means and the path of uninterrupted progress: because the path of expedient means and the path of uninterrupted progress are the antidotes to those various karmas. 'Neither black' means it is free from the defilements of afflictions; 'white' means it is completely pure; 'without ripening' means it is opposed to saṃsāra; 'can exhaust all karmas' means that by means of uncontaminated karma, one permanently uproots the three kinds of contaminated karmas—black and so forth—together with the residual impressions of ripening.

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Moreover, the Upāsakaśīla-sūtra says: If, good man, there is a person who does not understand such karmic conditions, they will wander through birth and death for immeasurable lifetimes. Even if they are born in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception with a lifespan of eighty thousand kalpas, when their merits are exhausted they fall back into the three evil destinies. Therefore the Buddha told the good man: Of all painters, none surpasses the mind. The mind paints afflictions, afflictions paint karma, and karma paints the physical body.

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Furthermore, a verse from the Chapter on Karma in the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya-śāstra states:

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"Karma can adorn the world, / Across destinies and various places. / Therefore one should contemplate karma / And seek liberation to transcend the world. / Body, speech, and mind accumulate karma, / Remaining within existence upon existence. / That karma acts for the formations, / Adorning all kinds of bodies. / Bodily karma should be understood as twofold: / Namely, informative and non-informative. / Vocal karma is likewise, / While mental karma should be known as volition."

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Moreover, the Nirvāṇa-sūtra says: Good man, there are five kinds of causes. What are the five? The first is the generative cause (janma-hetu); the second is the conjunction cause (saṃyoga-hetu); the third is the abiding cause (sthiti-hetu); the fourth is the augmentative cause (vivṛddhi-hetu); the fifth is the remote cause (dūra-hetu). What is the generative cause? The generative cause is karma, afflictions, and so forth, as well as the seeds of external grass and trees; this is called the generative cause. What is the conjunction cause? It is like wholesome [dharmas] joining with a wholesome mind, unwholesome [dharmas] joining with an unwholesome mind, and neutral [dharmas] joining with a neutral mind; this is called the conjunction cause. What is the abiding cause? It is like a house not collapsing because there are pillars beneath it, or mountains, rivers, and trees being able to abide and stand because of the great earth. Internally, sentient beings are able to abide because of the four great elements and immeasurable afflictions; this is called the abiding cause. What is the augmentative cause? Because of the conditions of clothing, food, drink, and so forth, sentient beings are caused to grow. It is like an external seed: not being burned by fire and not being eaten by birds, it is able to grow. It is like various śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and others: relying upon preceptors and spiritual friends, they are able to grow. It is like children being able to grow because of their parents; this is called the augmentative cause. What is the remote cause? For instance, because of a mantra, spirits cannot harm [one], and poison cannot take effect; by relying upon a king, there are no thieves. It is like a sprout relying upon earth, water, fire, and wind, or like milk being churned by a person acting as a remote cause of ghee; like ignorance and form acting as remote causes of consciousness; or like the parents' essence and blood acting as a remote cause of a sentient being. Things like seasons are all called remote causes. Good man, the substance of nirvāṇa is not produced by these five causes. How could it be said that it is caused by the impermanent? All phenomena further have two kinds of causes: the first is the productive cause (kāraka-hetu), and the second is the illuminative cause (jñāpaka-hetu). It is like the potter's wheel and cord; this is called the productive cause. It is like a lamp illuminating an object in the dark; this is called the illuminative cause. Good man, great nirvāṇa does not proceed from a productive cause; it has an illuminative cause. The illuminative cause refers to the thirty-seven factors of awakening and the six pāramitās; these are called the illuminative cause. It also says: The three gates of liberation and the thirty-seven factors [of awakening] can act as the non-generative generative cause of all afflictions, and also act as the illuminative cause of nirvāṇa. Good man, being far removed from afflictions, one can clearly see nirvāṇa. For this reason, nirvāṇa has only an illuminative cause, and has no generative cause. It also says: If one is apart from these thirty-seven factors, one can never attain the true fruit of a śrāvaka, up to the fruit of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and one will not see the Buddha-nature and the fruit of Buddha-nature. For this reason, holy practice (brahmacarya) is precisely the thirty-seven factors. Why is this? The nature of the thirty-seven factors is not erroneous, and can destroy error; its nature is not wrong view, and can destroy wrong view; its nature is not fearful, and can destroy fear. Because its nature is pure conduct, it can cause sentient beings ultimately to perform pure brahmacarya.

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The commentary says: Although the above has cited sūtras and treatises to explain multiple types of karmic causes, when it comes to judging misdeeds, their weight has not yet been clarified. Therefore, the Upāsakaśīla-sūtra is specially cited to distinguish the differences in karma. There are four distinct cases: first, matching object with intention, which has four [variations]; second, differences in weight, which has eight [variations]; third, differences of upper, middle, and lower, which again has eight [variations]; fourth, based on the Sarvāstivāda treatises, differences between intentional and unintentional, which again has eight [variations]. When assessing misdeeds, all are completely subsumed. Thus the first [fascicle] of the sūtra says: There is heavy object with light intention; there is light object with heavy intention; there is heavy object with heavy intention; and there is light object with light intention. First, 'heavy object with light intention' is, for instance, killing one's parents without an evil mind. Second, 'light object with heavy intention' is, for instance, killing an animal with an evil mind. Third, 'heavy object with heavy intention' is, for instance, killing one's mother with an extremely evil mind. Fourth, 'light object with light intention' is, for instance, killing an animal with a slight mind.

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Second, such unwholesome karma further has eight kinds of differences in weight. What are the eight? 1. The preliminary preparation is heavy, while the fundamental action and the completion are light. 2. The fundamental action is heavy, while the preliminary preparation and the completion are light. 3. The completion is heavy, while the preliminary preparation and the fundamental action are light. 4. The preliminary preparation and fundamental action are heavy, while the completion is light. 5. The preliminary preparation and completion are heavy, while the fundamental action is light. 6. The fundamental action and completion are heavy, while the preliminary preparation is light. 7. The preliminary preparation, fundamental action, and completion are all heavy. 8. The preliminary preparation, fundamental action, and completion are all light. The object is identical, yet due to the power of the mind, one obtains heavy or light retribution. It is like the ten wholesome courses of karma having three aspects: first, the preliminary preparation; second, the fundamental action; third, the completion. If someone is able to diligently bow to and make offerings to their parents, teachers, preceptors, and virtuous people, inquiring after them with prior consideration and gentle words, this is called preliminary preparation. If, after completing the act, they can cultivate a mindful, joyful, and unregretful mind, this is called completion. Being focused and dedicated at the time of the action is called the fundamental action. As this is true of the ten wholesome acts, so it is of the ten unwholesome acts.

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Third, these ten courses of karma further have three grades: superior, middling, and inferior. Either the preliminary preparation is superior, the fundamental action is middling, and the completion is inferior; or the preliminary preparation is middling, the fundamental action is superior, and the completion is inferior; or the preliminary preparation is inferior, the fundamental action is superior, and the completion is middling (permuting these to make eight can be known by reference to the preceding).

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Fourth, according to the Sarvāstivāda treatises, preliminary preparation, fundamental action, and completion form eight propositions depending on whether they are intentional or unintentional; by analogy, this can be understood.

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Furthermore, as the Abhidharmahṛdaya-śāstra states: There are five kinds of fruits: 1. the fruition fruit (vipāka-phala); 2. the fruit of reliance (niśraya-phala); 3. the dominant fruit (adhipati-phala); 4. the fruit of personal effort (puruṣakāra-phala); 5. the fruit of disconnection (visaṃyoga-phala). If it is a wholesome contaminated dharma, it has either four fruits or five fruits: if it can sever the fetters, it has five fruits; if it does not rely on severing fetters, it has four fruits, excluding the fruit of disconnection. If it is an uncontaminated dharma, it has either four fruits or three fruits: if it can sever the fetters, among the four fruits it excludes the fruition fruit; if it does not sever the fetters, it excludes the fruition fruit and the fruit of disconnection. If among indeterminate dharmas, there are only three fruits, excluding the fruition fruit and the fruit of disconnection.

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Section Three: The Ten Unwholesome Actions

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First, explaining the arising of unwholesomeness with respect to the hells. According to the Abhidharma treatises, there are five courses of karma: 1. harsh speech, 2. frivolous speech, 3. covetousness, 4. malice, 5. wrong view. Among them, harsh speech, frivolous speech, and malice are in active operation in these three ways when they undergo suffering. Because they curse the hell wardens, harsh speech is in active operation. This harsh speech, being untimely, contrary to the Dharma, and improper, falls under frivolous speech. Their wrath at that time is malice. These three unwholesome actions are in active operation in the hells. If one speaks of covetous karma and wrong view, their possession exists in the mind but they are not in active operation. Because those coarse worldlings have not yet severed afflictions, covetousness and wrong view are possessed in their minds. Men and women in that place constantly undergo suffering individually; there are no men and women engaging together in sexual misconduct, so there is no active operation of this covetous mind. Because they constantly undergo suffering, their mental consciousness is dim and dull, unable to investigate whether cause and effect exist or not; therefore there is also no active operation of wrong view. The remaining [courses of karma]—killing, stealing, false speech, and divisive speech—do not operate in that place, which is entirely Avīci. If the hells do not have covetousness and wrong view as active courses of karma, why is it said that they possess these two? The answer is: as long as the mental factors of affliction have not yet been severed, although they are not in active operation, they are always inherently possessed. They are not like the corporeal karmas of the seven branches of body and speech, which are coarse actions and are only formed when initiated; where there is no execution, they are not said to be established. Therefore the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya-śāstra states: Because in the hells there is no mutual killing, there is no course of karma of killing. Because no property is taken, there is no course of karma of stealing. Because no women are held, there is no course of karma of sexual misconduct. Because of speaking with an altered thought it is called false speech; they have no altered thoughts, hence no false speech. Because they constantly desire to be separated, there is no divisive speech. Being oppressed by suffering, there is harsh speech. Because of speaking out of turn, there is frivolous speech. Covetousness and wrong view are possessed, but do not operate.

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Second and third, explaining that in the destinies of hungry ghosts and animals, the ten unwholesome actions are fully present, yet they lack the unwholesome restraint (asaṃvara) of the seven branches of body and speech. Question: Among animals today who do not understand speech, although they have sounds, do they constitute vocal karma? Answer: When they give rise to anger, the sounds they emit are distinct; although not articulate speech, they still constitute vocal karma. Therefore the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra says: Do the sounds of animals constitute vocal karma? Answer: Although there is no distinction of spoken words, because they arise from the mind, they are also called karma. It may also be said that those possessing all ten are mostly nāga kings, who understand the thoughts of human beings and therefore possess the ten courses of karma. The remaining dull animals can only possess the three bodily and three mental—six kinds; the remaining four are not complete, because their mouths do not understand speech. If based on the beginning of the kalpa, when animals understood human speech, then they also could possess the ten unwholesome actions.

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Fourth, explaining the arising of sinful actions among humans: Among humans there are the four continents. The people of the three directions—the south, Jambudvīpa; the east, Pūrvavideha; and the west, Aparagodānīya—arouse much evil and thus all possess the ten unwholesome actions. However, those of the east and west are lighter, while those of the south are the heaviest, because they possess the taking of unwholesome vows. If one discusses guilt with regard to the northern continent, Uttarakuru, that direction has only four unwholesome karmas: first, frivolous speech; second, covetousness; third, ill will; and fourth, wrong view. Because they have singing and chanting, they have frivolous speech. Covetousness, ill will, and wrong view are possessed in latency but do not manifest in action. Question: In the north they engage in sexual intercourse; why say there is no karmic path of sexual misconduct? Answer: In that direction there are no husbands and wives paired with each other; although they engage in sexual intercourse, there is no violation or seizing of another's partner, and thus there is no sexual misconduct. Question: Since they engage in sexual intercourse, covetous desire manifests in action; why then say it is only possessed in latency and does not manifest in action? Answer: Their arousal of sexual desire is not something that worldly conventions can regulate; although it frequently manifests in action, the sages declare it to be free of guilt. When the sexual act aroused by this covetous mind is not even a sinful karma and does not induce painful retribution, how much less could the covetousness in the inner mind that arouses it be so? It is like the covetous attachment between worldly husbands and wives, which is not prohibited. Question: Since the people of the northern continent engage in singing and chanting, which are contrary to the Dharma, this constitutes false speech; why not say they have the karma of false speech? Answer: Those people are pure and straightforward, without deceit or falsehood; they have no mind to deceive others, and therefore it is not false speech. Because their lifespans are fixed at a thousand years, there is no taking of life. As for the clothing and food of that direction, non-glutinous rice grows naturally from the earth and precious garments emerge spontaneously from trees; there is no ownership or stewardship, and therefore there is no stealing. Because those people are gentle and harmonious, they have no karmas such as divisive speech or harsh speech. Thus the Saṃyuktābhidharma-hṛdaya-śāstra states: 'Uttarakuru has four unwholesome karmic paths. Because lifespan is fixed, there is no taking of life. Because there is no attachment to property, there is no stealing. Because there is no holding of women as possessions, there is no sexual misconduct. Because there is no deceiving others, there is no false speech. Because they are always in harmony, there is no divisive speech. Because they are gentle, there is no coarse language. Because there is singing and chanting, there is frivolous speech. As for the mental karmic paths, although they are possessed in latency, they do not manifest in action.'

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Fifth, explaining the arising of sinful actions among the devas: In these six heavens of the desire realm there are killing, stealing, and so forth. Although the ten unwholesome karmas exist among them, they lack the seven kinds of unwholesome vows of body and speech. Thus the Saṃyuktābhidharma-hṛdaya-śāstra states: 'The six heavens of the desire realm have the ten karmic paths, apart from unwholesome vows. Although they do not harm other devas, they harm the other destinies: just as they harm the asuras, in which hands and feet are severed and grow back again, but if the head is cut off, they die. They seize from one another, and so forth, up to possessing all ten karmic paths.' There are also devas of meager merit who, lacking material resources, pilfer from one another; hence there is the karma of stealing. Or there are devas who disparage their own loved ones and sexually indulge with the beautiful devas of others; hence there is sexual misconduct. The remaining seven karmas are clear from the text and can be understood. As for the devas of the form and formless realms, according to the Abhidharma, there is no unwholesomeness. Yet in terms of the underlying principle, there are also slight unwholesomenesses of the three types of karma—namely, in their mental ground there are wrong pride and so forth, and faults of bodily and vocal karma such as in the first dhyāna, where the Bhagavān [Brahmā] king said to the assemblies of Brahmā, 'You may dwell here; I can cause you to exhaust the limits of old age and death; you need not go to Gautama.' The black-toothed bhikṣu went there and asked him, 'From what samādhi does the first dhyāna samādhi arise? From what samādhi does it cease?' The Brahmā king answered, 'I am the most venerable among all the Brahmā devas.' The black-toothed bhikṣu said, 'I did not ask about the Brahmā king's status of honor or lowliness; I only asked from what samādhi the first dhyāna samādhi arises, and from what samādhi it ceases.' He was unable to answer; he immediately grasped the Venerable One, pulled him outside the assembly, and said to him, 'I do not know from what samādhi the first dhyāna samādhi arises, or from what samādhi it ceases. How could you bear to humiliate me before the Brahmā assembly?' This was the unwholesome affliction of deceitfulness. Saying that the Buddha could not cause them to attain liberation was slander of the Buddha, frivolous speech, and harsh speech. In the higher realms there is only this deceitfulness, which initiates slight unwholesome karmas of body and speech. Yet they do not commit coarse harm or damage against others, because those born into the higher realms previously cultivated and attained meditative concentration, completely abandoning the coarse covetousness, ill will, and so forth of the desire realm; thus, receiving that retribution, they are still able to cultivate meditative concentration. Although they have afflictions, these are only minds of delusion: due to confusion about the path, they give rise to attachment, pride, and so forth, delighting in cultivating wholesome dharmas in the hope of surpassing others. These afflictions are suppressed by meditative concentration; therefore they do not harm things or oppose and damage one another. According to the Abhidharma, the afflictions of the higher realms are not unwholesome; they are said to be indeterminate. These subtle forms of covetousness and so forth can operate alongside a pure mind; although indeterminate, their essence is defiled. They are unlike the white, pure indeterminates such as resultant bodily pain or mental pleasure and deportment; therefore the treatises call them defiled indeterminates. Because they are defiled, they moisten karma to receive rebirth. If these afflictions did not moisten karma, the seeds of karma would be scorched and would never induce retribution, and sentient beings of the higher realms would not be reborn again. Because they can moisten karma, they obtain rebirth again. Question: Since the afflictions of the higher realms can moisten karma and moisten rebirth to obtain retribution, why are they not morally defined [as unwholesome]? Answer: Although the afflictions of the higher realms moisten karma, they only obtain the general retribution of receiving rebirth and nothing more. One does not directly experience pleasant fruit through this delusion, nor does one incur suffering; therefore they are indeterminate. They are unlike the unwholesome afflictions of the lower realm, which produce both general retribution and particular retribution of suffering.

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According to the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra, wrong views aroused in the upper two realms are all called unwholesome. As that treatise states: When a person in the form or formless realms regards that state as nirvāṇa, at the verge of death they see the intermediate state of the desire or form realm, and immediately give rise to wrong view, supposing that there is no nirvāṇa and slandering the unsurpassed Dharma. One should know that among them there is unwholesome karma. Furthermore, the treatise states that the wrong view of those upper realms is a condition for suffering. As a matter of principle, judged according to their stage, the minds of sentient beings in the upper realms are subtle, and what arises is slight, mostly failing to constitute karma; hence they are called indeterminate. If judged according to a general discussion, there is no impediment to some among them giving rise to coarse wrongness that constitutes unwholesomeness. What the Abhidharma states corresponds in principle to the former judgment; what the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra discusses corresponds in principle to the latter comprehensive view. Furthermore, viewed in terms of principle, those subtle afflictions all arise in opposition to principle, and are all unwholesome. Conforming to the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra, unwholesome and evil karma arises throughout all three realms, differing only in degree and whether it is gross or subtle.

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The commentary states: The preceding explanation of the places where various sinful actions arise based on the bodies of ordinary beings is now concluded. If one discusses noble ones such as srotāpannas and so forth: when emerging from meditative contemplation and lapsing into unmindfulness, they may potentially give rise to mental, slight unwholesomenesses, generating bad wishes and so forth. For those who still possess the fetters of desire, although covetousness and ill will are strong and somewhat resemble those of ordinary beings, they can only directly give rise to covetous desire, ill will, and pride; they do not further deliberate to give rise to a mind of wrong view, nor do they give rise to the intention to kill, steal, and so forth. If one relies on the Abhidharma, they may commit slight unwholesome karmas such as striking with fists among their associates. If one relies on the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra, even if an unwholesome thought moves body and speech, it does not constitute karmic retribution.

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Furthermore, the Maitreyapraśna-śāstra states: 'All evil dharmas of these ten unwholesome karmic paths arise from covetousness, ill will, and delusion. As for the taking of life arising on the basis of the three poisons: If it arises on the basis of a mind of covetousness, it is taking life for the sake of hide, meat, money, wealth, and so forth; this is called arising on the basis of covetousness. If it arises on the basis of a mind of ill will, it is killing an enemy with a mind of hatred, and so forth; this is called arising on the basis of ill will. If it arises on the basis of a mind of delusion: some people say that because killing snakes, scorpions, and the like brings suffering and affliction to sentient beings, there is no guilt in killing them; or as among the Persians and others, who say that killing elderly parents or those with grave illnesses incurs no sinful retribution; this is called arising on the basis of delusion. As for stealing arising on the basis of the three poisons: If it arises on the basis of a mind of covetousness, it is for oneself, or for another, or for food and drink, and so forth; this is called arising on the basis of covetousness. If it arises on the basis of a mind of ill will, it is stealing items from a hated person or things cherished by a hated person; this is called arising on the basis of ill will. If it arises on the basis of a mind of delusion: for instance, a brāhmaṇa says, "All things existing on the entire earth belong solely to me. Why? Because that king formerly bestowed them upon me; but because I had no power, other clans seized them from me for their own use; therefore, my taking them is merely taking my own property and is not called stealing"; this is called arising on the basis of a mind of delusion. As for sexual misconduct arising on the basis of the three poisons: If it arises on the basis of a mind of covetousness, it is giving rise to a lustful mind toward sentient beings, not practicing according to reality, and so forth; this is called arising on the basis of covetousness. If it arises on the basis of a mind of ill will, it arises with a mind of hatred toward the resources and livelihoods protected by another, or having sexual relations with the wives and concubines of an enemy, or with those loved by an enemy; this is called arising on the basis of ill will. If it arises on the basis of a mind of delusion: some people say, for example, that just as with a mortar and pestle, ripe flowers and fruit, food and drink, river water, roads, and the like, there is no guilt in engaging in sexual intercourse with women; or as among the Persians and others, who engage in incestuous misconduct with their mothers and the like; this is called arising on the basis of delusion.'

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As for false speech arising on the basis of the three poisons (these three are readily understood), divisive speech, harsh speech, and frivolous speech are likewise all of this nature: That which arises on the basis of a mind of covetousness is born based on the fetter of covetousness, followed by a second thought appearing in the present; this is called arising on the basis of covetousness. That which is born based on the fetter of ill will is called arising on the basis of ill will. That which is born based on the fetter of delusion is called arising on the basis of the fetter of delusion. One should know that covetousness, ill will, and wrong view are all likewise of this nature.

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Question: Why is it not explained which karmas definitively have or do not have the characteristics of manifest action, non-manifest action, and unmanifest action? Answer: Except for sexual misconduct, the other six karmas are all variable. What is the meaning of this? If one does it oneself, one accomplishes manifest karma and unmanifest karma. If one causes another to do it, there is only non-manifest action; there cannot be manifest action. In sexual misconduct, there is definitely manifest action; there cannot be non-manifest action. Why? Because this sexual misconduct is ultimately done by oneself; there is no causing another to do it. Therefore the sūtra asks: 'Can one accomplish the sin of taking life through an action that is not bodily?' It answers: 'Yes, just as when one verbally commands another to commit it, one accomplishes the sin of killing.'

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It also asks: 'Can one accomplish the sin of false speech through an action that is not vocal?' It answers: 'Yes, just as when one accomplishes the sin of vocal false speech through bodily action.'

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It also asks: 'Can one accomplish bodily and vocal karma through that which is neither bodily nor vocal karma?' It answers: 'Yes, as when relying on the angry mind of a seer; hence [it is based] solely on the physical body of the desire realm. In the paths of wholesome karma, there are definitively manifest and unmanifest actions. In the unoutflow precepts of dhyāna, there is no unmanifest precept. Why? Because they rely on the mind. The intermediate dhyāna is variable. If one performs bodily or vocal karma with a profound mind, an ultimately reverent mind, one accomplishes manifest karma and unmanifest karma. If one initiates bodily or vocal karma with a profound mind and the mind of fetters, one also accomplishes manifest karma and unmanifest karma. If one performs bodily or vocal karma with a mind that is neither profound nor ultimately reverent, there is only manifest karma and no unmanifest karma. If one initiates bodily or vocal karma with a mind of fetters that is not profound, there is likewise only manifest karma and no unmanifest karma. If one performs manifest karma through preparatory means and one's mind later feels remorse, there is only manifest karma and no unmanifest karma.'

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Question: Among the paths of karma, which are the antecedent concomitants and which are the subsequent concomitants? Answer: If one initiates the preparatory means of taking life—as when a butcher slaughters a sheep, whether buying it with goods, bringing it to the slaughterhouse, or striking the first blow, or two or three blows, while the sheep's life has not yet ceased—all such unwholesome karma is called the antecedent concomitants. With whichever blow severs its life faculty, at that very thought-moment all manifest karma and unmanifest karma are collectively called the fundamental karmic path. The subsequent physical bodily actions performed thereafter are called the subsequent concomitant karmas of taking life. This applies likewise up to frivolous speech, as should be understood. As for the remaining karmas of covetousness, ill will, and wrong view, there are no antecedent concomitants, because as soon as the mind first arises, it immediately accomplishes the fundamental karmic path.

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Furthermore, the ten unwholesome courses of action of body, speech, and mind all have preliminary and subsequent retinues. What does this mean? For instance, a person gives rise to the thought of wanting to terminate the life of this sentient being, and consequently proceeds further to terminate the lives of other sentient beings; or, wishing to sacrifice to the heavens, slaughters sentient beings and forthwith seizes another's possessions; or, wishing to kill that person, moreover commits sexual misconduct with his wife; having generated such a thought, he further causes that wife to kill her husband herself; and further, with various kinds of divisive speech, breaks up that person's relatives, and at no time is he truthful; regarding the spoiled possessions, he gives rise to greedy thoughts; toward that person, he again gives rise to angry thoughts; for the sake of killing that person, he generates such wrong views, increasing wrong views in order to cut off his life; and further wishes to kill his wife, sons, daughters, and so forth. In such sequential order, the ten kinds of unwholesome courses of action are fully completed. Such actions as these are called the preliminary retinue. One should know that all ten unwholesome courses of action are likewise like this.

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Furthermore, apart from the wholesome path, one does not cultivate the wholesome course of action by preparatory means. These preparatory means are because they are distant from the fundamental, and because they are distant preparatory means. Speaking of preparatory means: it is like that śrāmaṇera who, wishing to receive the full precepts, is led to the precept platform to pay homage to the feet of the assembly of monks, and then requests an upādhyāya and receives the three robes; when beginning to make the first motion (jñapti), and when making the second motion—all such are called the preliminary retinue. From the third motion until the completion of the formal act (karman), the active karma (vijñapti) arisen and the unmanifest karma (avijñapti) of that thought-moment—all these are called the fundamental course of action. Next, explaining the four dependencies up to not relinquishing [them], the wholesome conduct received, the active karma of body and speech, and the unmanifest karma—all such are called the subsequent retinue. Question: One should explain the fruits and the corresponding causes of the ten unwholesome courses of action. Answer: There are three kinds of fruit: first, the fruit of karmic retribution (vipākaphala); second, the fruit of conditioning habit (niṣyandaphala); third, the dominant fruit (adhipatiphala). Each single course of action possesses these three kinds. What does this mean? The complete ten unwholesome courses of action have inferior, middling, and superior [degrees]. If one is born in the hells, this is the fruit of karmic retribution. As for the fruit of conditioning habit: receding from the hells and being born among humans, on the basis of killing living beings there is the fruit of a short lifespan; on the basis of stealing there is the fruit of lacking the requisites of life; on the basis of sexual misconduct one cannot protect one's wife; on the basis of false speech there is the fruit of being slandered by others; on the basis of malicious speech one's retinue is broken up; on the basis of harsh speech one does not hear pleasant sounds; on the basis of frivolous speech one is not trusted by people; on the basis of original greed one's greedy mind increases; on the basis of original anger one's angry mind increases; on the basis of wrong views one's deluded mind increases. All such are called the fruits of conditioning habit. As for the dominant fruit: on the basis of those ten unwholesome courses of action, all external things have no vigor—namely, the terrain is uneven, there are sparrows, rats, hailstones, thorns, dust, foul odors, an abundance of snakes and scorpions, scarce and poor-quality grains, scarce and small fruits, as well as bitter fruits. All such are called the dominant fruit. Furthermore, there are similar fruits: as because the killer gives rise to various sufferings in the sentient beings harmed, because of those sufferings he is born in the hells and undergoes various sufferings; because he cut off another's life, later born among humans he obtains the retribution of a short lifespan; he cuts off another's warm touch, and therefore all external requisites of life have no fullness or measure. In all the ten courses of action in this way, one should know how to explain according to what is appropriate to the meaning. For example, plundering another's goods or committing sexual misconduct with another's wife, although not causing them severe, oppressing distress, yet ruins their mind, and therefore one receives punishment; although not causing ruin, and neither being angry nor using harsh speech, yet on account of an evil mind, one therefore incurs guilt.

68.32

Section Four: The Ten Wholesome [Actions]

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If distinguished according to the ten wholesome [actions], as stated in the Abhidharma: within that destiny of the hells, there are only the three wholesome courses of action belonging to the mental ground; yet they are only possessed (samanvāgata) but not active (samudācāra). The northern direction is also the same. All the rest fully possess the ten meanings. The text is clear and can be known.

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As the Treatise on the Sūtra of the Questions of Maitreya Bodhisattva states: When this bodhisattva practices the ten unwholesome courses of action, because of accumulating their causes and conditions, he falls into the three bad destinies; when he practices the ten wholesome courses of action, because of accumulating their causes and conditions, he is born among humans and devas.

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Furthermore, these superior ten wholesome courses of action, cultivated in conjunction with the contemplation of wisdom: if one's mind is narrow and inferior, one's mind is weary of the three realms, one is distant from great compassion, and because one penetrates by hearing sounds from another, through hearing sounds one's intention is liberated and one accomplishes the śrāvaka vehicle.

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Furthermore, these superior, pure ten wholesome courses of action are not heard from another; because one is self-awakened, one does not fully possess great compassion, yet penetrates the profound Dharma of causes and conditions and accomplishes the pratyekabuddha vehicle.

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Furthermore, these utmost superior ten wholesome courses of action are purely complete, one's mind is vast and immeasurable, and because one gives rise to compassion and pity for all sentient beings, one cultivates all types to make them pure and complete, and thus accomplishes the bodhisattva vehicle.

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Question: What is meant by the meaning of 'course of action' (karmapatha)? Answer: The seven actions of body and speech are the intrinsic characteristics themselves, which are named 'courses of action'. The remaining three are minds associated with mental activity. Furthermore, because those very actions can act as paths, they are named courses of action.

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Question: If actions being named paths means they can all give rise to the hells and so forth, why are the remaining three not courses of action? Answer: Like those seven actions, these three can act as their root; because of association, and because they cannot be like those actions, they are not named courses of action.

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Question: Drinking alcohol, eating meat, striking and slapping with fists and hands, and all laughing and jesting regarding all delicious flavors—such unwholesome deeds as these; and all bowing, making offerings, paying respect, and abstaining from drinking alcohol and so forth—such wholesome deeds as these: why are they not designated as courses of action?

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Answer: Abstaining from drinking alcohol and so forth is solely mental karma; it can give rise to the seven actions, but is not bodily or verbal karma; therefore it is not a course of action. If performed in association with the mind, it is also a course of action.

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Question: If that very action being able to act as a path is named a course of action, then all dharmas in relation to the mind would all be named courses of action. Why speak only of ten kinds of courses of action and not speak of immeasurable courses of action? Answer: Because of their preeminence and gravity. Because among all unwholesome and wholesome deeds the ten courses of action are grave, and the others are not grave, immeasurable [courses of action] are not spoken of. Furthermore, the seven actions are unequivocally extremely grave; the three of the mind are both light and grave; drinking alcohol and so forth are not so. For this reason, only ten are spoken of and named courses of action; the others are not spoken of and named courses of action.

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Question: As for abstaining from killing living beings, how should the characteristics of killing living beings and so forth be explained? Answer: Killing living beings has eight factors: first, intentional mind; second, another; third, definite or indefinite perception of a sentient being; fourth, doubtful mind; fifth, initiating preparatory means to terminate life; sixth, active performance (vijñapti); seventh, characteristic of non-action; eighth, characteristic of unmanifest [karma] (avijñapti). These are named the bodily karma of killing living beings; the karma of body, speech, and mind is named killing living beings.

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Question: Why is it named 'intentional mind'? Answer: If without an intentional mind the sin of killing living beings were constituted, then an arhat would not attain nirvāṇa. Because an arhat has cut off worldly causes, if he were to kill a sentient being without an acting mind, he should also be reborn in the world; but in fact that is not so. By this meaning, killing without an intentional mind does not incur sinful retribution.

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Question: Why is it named 'another'? Answer: Because it is not one's own life. If there is another person who can be killed, the person who can kill incurs the sin of killing living beings. Because one who kills oneself has no object that can be killed, cutting off one's own life does not incur bad retribution. Furthermore, when an arhat harms his own body and cuts off his own life, he is without sin. Why is that? Because he has already left behind angry thoughts and the like. Thus, killing oneself does not incur the sin of killing.

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Question: What is meant by 'definite or indefinite perception of a sentient being'? Answer: As for 'definite perception of a sentient being': for instance, if there are a hundred thousand people and one forms the intention among them definitely to kill a particular person, one incurs the sin of killing. If one kills another person, one does not incur the sin of killing. As for 'indefinite': because one abandons all, whichever one kills, one incurs the sin, because in that case it is not divorced from the perception of a sentient being.

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Question: Why is it named 'doubtful'? Answer: Killing a living being with a doubtful mind also incurs the sin of killing. Because that [being] is a sentient being, one also incurs the sin of killing; because of relinquishing the mind of loving-kindness and compassion, one incurs the sin of killing.

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Question: Why is it named 'initiating preparatory means to terminate life'? Answer: If the killer in that matter gives rise to an unwholesome thought, definitely wishing to cut off life and not having a mind of loving-kindness and compassion, and performs the preparatory means of killing, this is named 'initiating'.

68.49

Question: Why are they named 'active performance, characteristic of non-action, and characteristic of unmanifest karma'? Answer: 'Active performance' is the act performed. 'Non-action' is what is termed an act performed [through another]. Those acts performed arise together; although the active karma perishes, the wholesome and indeterminate dharmas continue in succession without interruption. As the sūtras state: There is a faithful person who cultivates ten kinds of merit; while walking, standing, sleeping, waking, and so forth, day and night merit constantly arises and merit increases. If, apart from bodily and verbal karma, there were no unmanifest [karma], how could distinct mental dharmas increase? Therefore, one should know that apart from bodily and verbal karma there exists unmanifest dharma. Furthermore, when one does not perform it oneself but causes another to perform the karma, if there were no unmanifest [karma], how could this be accomplished? If there were no unmanifest dharma, apart from the prātimokṣa there would also be no unmanifest precepts. Therefore, one should know that there exists unmanifest dharma.

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Question: What is meant by 'abstaining from stealing'? Answer: Stealing has nine factors: first, protected by another; second, the perception of that; third, doubtful mind; fourth, knowing it does not belong to oneself; fifth, desiring to seize; sixth, knowing it is another's property and giving rise to the thought of 'mine'; seventh, active performance; eighth, characteristic of non-action; ninth, characteristic of unmanifest karma. These are named the bodily karma of stealing.

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Question: What is meant by 'protected by another'? Answer: This clarifies taking things protected by another. Question: What is meant by 'the perception of that'? Answer: If one does not generate the perception of oneself and does not say 'it is my property', one does not incur sin; this is named 'the perception of that'.

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Question: What is meant by 'doubtful mind'? Answer: If there is doubt in the mind as to whether it is one's own property or another's property, and one must recognize both that property and another's property.

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Question: What is meant by 'knowing it does not belong to oneself'? Knowing it is another's property, giving rise to the thought that another accords with the perception of 'mine'.

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Question: What is meant by 'desiring to seize'? Answer: Giving rise to a mind to harm and deprive.

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Question: What is meant by 'knowing it is another's property and giving rise to the thought of mine'? Answer: If one does not see differently, whether taking in the dark, or taking in haste, or taking other property, or taking another's property, or taking with the perception of one's own property.

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Question: What are meant by 'active performance, characteristic of non-action, and characteristic of unmanifest karma'? Answer: These three are as explained previously under killing living beings.

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Question: How is 'abstaining from sexual misconduct' explained? Answer: Sexual misconduct has eight factors: first, a protected woman; second, the perception of that; third, doubtful mind; fourth, the proper path or improper path; fifth, unprotected; sixth, improper path and improper time; seventh, active performance; eighth, perception of unmanifest karma. These are named the bodily karma of sexual misconduct.

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Question: What is meant by 'a protected woman'? Answer: Namely, one protected by parents and so forth.

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Question: What is meant by 'the perception of that'? Answer: If one knows that woman is protected by parents and so forth, having the perception of such a woman, not the perception of an unprotected one.

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Question: What is meant by 'doubtful mind'? Answer: If one gives rise to a doubtful mind as to whether she is one's own woman or another's woman, whether protected by parents or an unprotected woman and so forth, each and every case constitutes sexual misconduct.

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Question: What is meant by 'proper path and improper path'? Answer: 'Proper path' is that which is a natural passage; 'improper path' refers to non-passages.

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Question: What is meant by 'that unprotected woman, improper path and improper time'? Answer: This is also named sexual misconduct.

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Question: What are meant by 'active performance, characteristic of non-action, and characteristic of unmanifest karma'? Answer: These three are as explained under killing living beings. However, the 'characteristic of non-action' here: in sexual misconduct there is no such dharma of non-action, because it must be accomplished through self-performance.

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Question: What is meant by 'abstaining from false speech'? Answer: False speech has seven factors: first, matters seen and so forth; second, inverted and non-inverted matters; third, doubtful mind; fourth, giving rise to the perception of concealing; fifth, active performance; sixth, characteristic of non-action; seventh, characteristic of unmanifest karma. These are named the verbal karma of false speech.

Linked texts (1)

法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese