諸經要集 13.13

13.13

As the Nirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'Good sons, when a person renounces life and undergoes great suffering, surrounded by kinsmen wailing and lamenting, that person is panicked and terrified, knowing nowhere to turn for refuge or rescue. Although having the five sensory organs, there is no conscious perception; the limbs and joints tremble, unable to move themselves; the body is hollow and cold, and the warmth is about to be exhausted. One sees the signs of retribution for good and evil previously cultivated, like the sun on the verge of setting, when the shadows of mountains, hills, and mounds shift eastward, with no reason to go west. The fruit of sentient beings' karma is also like this: when this skandha ceases, that skandha arises in succession, just as when a lamp is produced, darkness is extinguished, and when darkness is extinguished, a lamp is produced. Good sons, it is like a wax seal stamping clay: when seal and clay unite, the seal is destroyed and the impression is formed. Yet that wax seal does not transform to exist in the clay, nor does it emerge from the clay, nor does it come from another place; due to the cause and condition of the seal, this impression is produced. When the present skandha ceases, the intermediate skandhas arise. This present skandha never transforms into the five intermediate skandhas; nor do the five intermediate skandhas arise of themselves, nor do they come from elsewhere. Due to the present skandhas, the intermediate skandhas arise. Just as a seal stamps clay, the seal is destroyed and the impression formed; though the names do not differ, the times are distinct. Therefore, I say that the five intermediate skandhas are not seen by the physical eye or the divine eye. In this intermediate state, there are three kinds of food: first, food of volition; second, food of contact; third, food of consciousness. Intermediate states are of two kinds: first, the fruit of wholesome karma; second, the fruit of unwholesome karma. Due to wholesome karma, one obtains wholesome conceptual thoughts; due to unwholesome karma, one obtains unwholesome conceptual thoughts. At the time when the parents unite in intercourse, one moves toward the place of taking birth in accordance with the causes and conditions of karma. One gives rise to lust toward the mother and anger toward the father; when the father's semen is discharged, one thinks it is one's own. Seeing it, one's mind rejoices and produces delight. Due to the causes and conditions of these three afflictions, the intermediate skandhas perish and the subsequent five skandhas arise, just as a seal stamps clay: the seal is destroyed and the impression formed. When born, the sense faculties may be complete or incomplete. When complete, seeing forms, one gives rise to greed; giving rise to greed, it is called craving. Giving rise to greed due to madness is called ignorance. Due to the two causes and conditions of craving and ignorance, the realms one sees are entirely inverted.'