Selected Lectures on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra)

Original text: 佛言大王。如是如是。愚痴异生。寡闻无智。于可意触。而生爱乐。心生染着。造如是业。身业三种。语业四种。意业三种。造作彼业。刹那迁谢。是业灭已。不依东方。南西北方。四维上下。中间而住。至命终时。见先所作。心想中现。如彼睡觉。忆梦中事。最后识灭。自业现前。

If the karmic affinity between sentient beings in past lives was very deep, then when they meet in this life, when the ālayavijñāna manifests the seeds, there will be a special feeling between them. Even without meeting face to face, merely by hearing a voice, or seeing writing and photographs, one can sense a certain affinity from past lives—whether a wholesome affinity or an unwholesome one. Without meeting or speaking, there is a peculiar feeling. Some people feel something special merely upon hearing a name.

For those who formed a very deep affinity with the Buddha in past lives, as soon as they hear the Buddha's name in this life, their inner emotions stir and the hairs on their body stand on end, indicating that they studied Buddhism for a long time in past lives and have a deep affinity with the Buddha. Those with profound affinity to the Buddha feel a strong resonance upon merely hearing the Buddha's name; they spontaneously study Buddhism, recollect the Buddha, bow to the Buddha, and praise the Buddha. Those who studied Buddhism only briefly in past lives have no particular reaction—it is all very plain. For example, this was the case with "Elder Anāthapiṇḍika" of the Jetavana monastery in India during the Buddha's time: as soon as he heard the Buddha's name, goosebumps rose all over his body as he walked along the road, his hairs standing upright. He was a Buddhist disciple with extremely deep roots of goodness; having just heard the Buddha's name, he wanted to hold a banquet to make offerings to the World-Honored One, and donated his Jetavana to the Buddha as the Buddha's monastery.

For some people, as soon as they begin to come into contact with the Buddhadharma, the seeds of studying Buddhism from past lives manifest completely; they quickly plunge headlong into the Dharma and no longer care about worldly affairs—this is the power of seeds. It is the ālayavijñāna that presents the matured karmic seeds; there are so many mysteries within this. By studying the Dharma one can know many truths. Without studying the Buddhadharma, one is so ignorant that one only knows how to create unwholesome karma; even after suffering the retribution and being at a loss, one does not know what happened, and there is no way to bring an end to the bitter karma of future lives. After unwholesome karma is created and ceases, the karmic seeds remain. The most frightening thing is the karmic seeds. We may try praying to our own ālayavijñāna not to record our unwholesome karmic actions, not to store unwholesome karmic seeds, and see whether it works? It is utterly useless, because the ālayavijñāna does not understand the language of sentient beings, does not know the content of mental thoughts, and lacks the discriminating functions of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. Therefore, the ālayavijñāna is pure and undefiled, impartial and incorruptible; so praying to Him is useless. One can only turn back and appeal to one's own mind—do not let one's mind be filled with greed, hatred, and delusion, and no longer create defiled karma out of greed, hatred, and delusion.