坐禪三昧經 2.88

2.88

答曰：「雖無吾我，六情作因、六塵作緣、中生六識，三事和合故觸法生，念知諸業，由是去來，言說從是有生死。譬如日愛珠，因日、乾牛屎，和合方便故火出。五陰亦爾，因此五陰生，後世五陰出，非此五陰至後世，亦不離此五陰得後世五陰，五陰但從因緣出。譬如穀子中芽出，是子非芽亦非餘芽邊生，非異非一，得後世身亦爾！譬如樹未有莖節、枝葉、華實，得時節因緣華葉具足，善惡行報亦復如是！種子壞故非常、非一；芽、莖、葉等生故不斷不異；死生相續亦復如是！」

The answer is: "Although there is no self, the six sense faculties serve as causes, the six sense objects serve as conditions, and within them arise the six consciousnesses. Because of the conjunction of the three things, the dharma of contact arises, recalling and knowing various karmas; due to this there is coming and going, and speaking of there being saṃsāra on this basis. For example, with a sun-crystal jewel, conditioned by the sun, dry cow dung, and the expedient means of their conjunction, fire comes forth. The five aggregates are also like this: conditioned by the arising of these five aggregates, the five aggregates of a future life emerge; it is not that these five aggregates go to the future life, nor is it apart from these five aggregates that the five aggregates of a future life are obtained. The five aggregates merely emerge from causes and conditions. For example, a sprout emerges from a grain of seed: this seed is not the sprout, nor does the sprout arise from any other sprout; they are neither different nor one. Obtaining a body in a future life is also like this! For example, when a tree does not yet have trunk-joints, branches, leaves, flowers, or fruit, upon obtaining the seasonal causes and conditions, its flowers and leaves are fully provided; the retribution of wholesome and unwholesome actions is also like this! Because the seed is destroyed, it is not eternal and not one; because the sprout, trunk, and leaves arise, it is not severed and not different; the continuity of death and birth is also like this!"