諸經要集 17.68

17.68

如正見經云。時佛會中。有一比丘。名曰正見。雖入法服有疑念言。佛說有後世生。至於人死皆無相報。何以知乎。此問未發佛已預知。佛告諸弟子。譬如樹本。以一核種四大包毓。自致巨盛牙葉莖節。展轉變易遂成大樹。樹復生果果復成樹。歲月增益。如是無數。佛告諸弟子。欲踧集華實莖節更還作核。可得以不。諸弟子言。不可得也。彼已轉變日就朽敗。核種復生如是無極。轉生轉易終皆歸朽。不可復還使成本核也。佛告諸弟子。生死亦如此。本由癡出展轉合成。十二因緣識神轉易。隨行而使更有父母。更受形體不復識故。不得還報。譬如治家洋石作鐵。鑄鐵為器。成器可還使作石乎。正見答言。實不可成鐵為石。佛言。識之轉徙住在中陰。如石成鐵。轉受他體如鐵成器。形消體易不得復還。故識稟受人身更有父母。已有父母便有六閉。一住在中陰不得復還。二墮所受身胞內。三初生迫痛忘故識想。四生墮地故所識念滅。更起新見想。五已生便著食念故識念斷。六從生日長大習所新無復宿識。佛言。諸弟子。識神隨作善惡。臨死隨行所見非故。身不可復還識故。面相答報也。未有道意無有淨眼。身死識去隨行變化。轉受他體何得相報也。譬如月晦夜陰。以五色物著冥暗中。千萬億人不能視物。若人把炬照之皆別五色。如愚癡人。暗蔽惡道未得慧眼。往來相報如月晦夜。欲視五色終不得見。若修經戒守攝其意。如持炬火別色。譬如無手欲書。無目欲視。暗夜貫針。水中求火。終不可得。汝諸弟子。勤行經戒深思生死。本從何來終歸何所。得淨結除所疑自解。正見聞已歡喜奉行。

As the Right View Sūtra says: At that time, in the Buddha's assembly, there was a bhikṣu named Right View. Though he had donned the Dharma robes, he had a doubting thought, saying: "The Buddha states that there is rebirth in future lives, yet when humans die, none return with a report. How is this to be known?" Before this question was voiced, the Buddha had already known it in advance. The Buddha told the disciples: "For example, consider the base of a tree: from a single seed kernel, nurtured and encompassed by the four great elements, it grows on its own to immense fullness, sprouting leaves, stems, and nodes, transforming step by step until it becomes a great tree. The tree again produces fruit, and the fruit again becomes trees, increasing over months and years in this way without number." The Buddha told the disciples: "If one wishes to press together the flowers, fruit, stems, and nodes to make them return to being the kernel again, can this be achieved or not?" The disciples said: "It cannot be achieved. They have already transformed and daily approach decay; the seed kernel is born again without limit in this manner. Transforming and changing, they ultimately all return to decay; they cannot be made to return to the original kernel." The Buddha told the disciples: "Saṃsāra is also like this. Originally arising from ignorance, it is compounded and completed step by step through the twelve links of dependent origination. The conscious spirit transforms and shifts; driven according to deeds, it takes other parents and receives another physical body, no longer recognizing the past, and thus cannot return to report. For example, consider a metalworker melting stone into iron and casting the iron into a vessel. Once the vessel is made, can it be made to become stone again?" Right View answered: "Indeed, iron cannot be made to become stone." The Buddha said: "The shifting of consciousness abiding in the intermediate existence is like stone becoming iron; receiving another body is like iron becoming a vessel. The form has dissolved and the body has altered, so it cannot return again. Thus, when consciousness receives a human body, it has other parents; and once it has parents, there are six blockages: First, abiding in the intermediate existence, it cannot return. Second, it falls inside the womb of the received body. Third, the agonizing pain upon initial birth makes it forget the thoughts of its former consciousness. Fourth, when born and falling to the ground, the memories of what it formerly knew are extinguished, and newly seen perceptions arise instead. Fifth, once born, it clings to thoughts of food, so thoughts of its former consciousness are severed. Sixth, from birth it grows up daily and becomes accustomed to what is new, no longer having past knowledge. The Buddha said: "Disciples, the conscious spirit acts according to good and evil. At the approach of death, what is seen according to one's actions is not the past; the body cannot return to its former consciousness, so how could it report face to face? Without the intent for the Way and without the pure eye, when the body dies and consciousness departs, it changes according to its actions and receives another body—how could they report to one another? For example, on the dark night of a new moon, if objects of five colors are placed in the deep darkness, thousands of millions of people would be unable to see the objects. But if a person holds a torch to illuminate them, all can distinguish the five colors. Like an ignorant person shrouded in the darkness of the evil destinies who has not yet attained the eye of wisdom, their coming and going to report to one another is like the dark night of a new moon: wishing to see the five colors, they ultimately cannot see them. If one cultivates the scriptural precepts and guards and collects one's mind, it is like holding a torch to distinguish colors. For example, wishing to write without hands, wishing to see without eyes, threading a needle in a dark night, or seeking fire in water—these can never be obtained. You disciples must diligently practice the scriptural precepts and deeply contemplate saṃsāra: from where did it originally come, and where will it ultimately return? When purity is attained and the fetters are eliminated, what was doubted will naturally resolve." Having heard this, Right View joyfully received and practiced it.