法苑珠林 71.8

71.8

The exposition states: The names of these types of conduct are not spoken uniformly by the sages. As for transgressive conduct, various sutras sometimes call it 'dark-dark karma' and 'unwholesome karma.' As for ordinary persons' meritorious conduct, various sutras sometimes call it 'dark-bright karma' as well as 'wholesome karma.' Although the names are varied, the underlying nature of the conduct is not different. What is the nature of the conduct? As the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom states: killing and so forth are unwholesome karma; giving and so forth are wholesome karma. This refers to the two kinds of conduct: transgressive and meritorious. When it says 'killing and so forth,' 'and so forth' encompasses the ten unwholesome deeds, all equally called transgressive conduct. When it says 'giving and so forth,' 'and so forth' encompasses phenomenal karmas such as precepts and concentration, which are all worldly goods and collectively called meritorious conduct. Among these worldly goods, the eight meditative absorptions, when viewed in contrast to the distracted good of the desire realm, are called unmoving conduct. If viewed in contrast to the supramundane wisdom of the contemplation of principle, this abiding through conditioning on phenomenal things is called meritorious conduct. As when explaining the six perfections, all the meditative concentrations among the first five perfections are generally also called merit. However, the conduct of different people regarding transgressions and merits varies: some cultivate merit exclusively, some commit only transgressions, and there are also people who perform both transgressions and merits. Those who cultivate merit exclusively possess what is called a pure mind, practicing giving, precepts, and so forth to benefit others. Those who commit only transgressions are said to lack the moisture of compassion, moving body, speech, and mind solely to harm others. Those who combine transgressions and merits are those who, when cultivating merit, have an impure internal mind or concurrently harm living beings. This is the mixed karma of the desire realm; because it is not purely clean, it is also called impure. If we discuss transgressive conduct, it is coarse and evident, readily known. But if we discuss mixed karma in comparison with pure meritorious conduct, there are similarities and differences that are somewhat hidden and hard to know. That is, regarding all who cultivate merit, based on their external appearance, the faith and joy in their activities are identical; but based on their inner minds, whether for themselves or for others, their aims differ and their refinement or coarseness is unequal. Because all who cultivate merit are externally identical but internally different, there is the distinction between pure and mixed karmas. If one can tame the mind, show compassion, and pity living beings, then whatever is given or done will become great good. If one does not maintain mindfulness but contemplates characteristics while cultivating merit, being inwardly coarse and outwardly fine, it will only result in mixed karma. Although in accord with their foolish feelings they consider it surpassing the worldly, in principle it actually violates the Way, nor is it pure merit. Because when cultivating merit they do not contemplate the emptiness of beings, their inverted view of self is constantly active and pervades the three natures; all their actions correspond with inversion and are the nature of provisional grasping, and for this reason they violate the Way. Because with an unwholesome mind they mostly seek worldly retribution and also mostly seek fame, it is not pure merit. Because worldly people are mostly confused about this purity and mixture, I now briefly discuss it in particular, to enable people to recognize their conduct.