Commentary on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (48)

The wind element arises from nowhere and ceases without going anywhere

Original text: 大王。此风界相。生无所来。灭无所去。生时本空。灭时亦空。自性空故。无有男相。亦无女相。但唯言说。之所显示。如是风界。与风界性。皆不可得。唯佛正智。而能了知。

Explanation: Great King, regarding the mark of the wind element: when it arises, it comes from nowhere; when it ceases, it goes nowhere. This shows that when the wind arises, it is empty, and when it ceases, it is also empty—the self-nature of wind is itself empty. The wind element has no male mark, nor any female mark; having no male or female marks, the wind element is only revealed through verbal designation. The self-nature of the wind element is empty; it is merely displayed through words and speech—there is no substantial wind element. Therefore it is said that both the wind element and the nature of the wind element are utterly unobtainable; only the Buddha's wisdom, the Buddha's correct wisdom, can know and understand this principle.

Although the wind element itself has no male or female marks, if a person can create the karma of a man, he will be born with the material body of a man; if he creates the karma of a woman, he will be born with the material body of a woman. If a woman can create the karma of a true manly hero, in future lives she will transform into a male material body; if a man does the deeds of a woman and has the mind and nature of a woman, with the karmic seeds stored in the tathāgatagarbha, in future lives he will transform into a female material body. The retributive body transforms in accordance with karmic actions and karmic seeds; that which transforms is illusory and unreal—it is without self. The true dharma never changes; only the tathāgatagarbha is forever unchanging—it is the true mind, the body of suchness.