The Sūtra on Past Events, Volume Four

Original text: 吾从世尊。闻如是语。苾刍当知。一切世间。恶不善法。皆以无明。为其前导。而得生长。以无惭愧。为其后助。而不损减。所以者何。诸趣有生生老病死愁叹忧苦热恼等法。一切皆用无明为根。而得生长。既生长已。依之复能生起一切恶不善法。恶法既生由无惭愧。都无悔变。无悔变故。而不损减。 

Explanation: I heard such words from the World-Honored One: Bhikṣus, you should know that all unwholesome and evil dharmas in the world grow by taking ignorance (avidyā) as their antecedent guide; they all take the unwholesome mental factor of shamelessness and lack of remorse as their subsequent aid, so that these unwholesome and evil dharmas are not diminished. Why is this said? The dharmas of the various destinies—birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, worry, suffering, and distress—all grow with ignorance as their root. Once they have grown, relying upon it, all unwholesome and evil dharmas can further arise. Once evil dharmas have arisen, because of shamelessness and lack of remorse, there is no repentance or change; and because there is no repentance or change, they are not diminished. 

The ignorance that serves as the antecedent guide of all dharmas is of course the ignorance of the manas, and the unwholesome mental factors of shamelessness and lack of remorse are also the afflictive mental factors of the manas. If the manas gives rise to the mental factors of shame and remorse, feeling shame and repentance for the evil dharmas it has produced, then those evil dharmas will decrease and be eliminated. Therefore, the blame for all evil dharmas lies with the manas, with the ignorance and defiled afflictions of the manas. If the manas were not the sovereign consciousness of all dharmas, then in cultivation one would not need to concern oneself with the manas—whichever consciousness is the sovereign, attending to that one would solve the problem. 

Original text: 一切世间。善清净法。皆以慧明。为其前导。而得生长。以惭与愧。为其后助。而不损减。所以者何。明处其前。惭愧为后。能永断灭。诸趣有生生老病死。能超一切。愁叹忧苦热恼等法。能触如理。能得甘露。能证涅槃。是故汝等。应如是学。我当云何。永断无明。发起慧明。永断一切。诸趣有生生老病死。永超一切。愁叹忧苦热恼等法。触于如理。得于甘露。证于涅槃。汝等苾刍。应如是学。 

Explanation: All wholesome and pure dharmas in the world grow by taking the light of wisdom as their antecedent guide, and they take shame and remorse as the subsequent aid of wholesome dharmas, so that the wholesome dharmas continue to grow and are not diminished. Why is this said? Because the light of wisdom stands before the wholesome dharmas, and shame and remorse follow behind them; thus one can forever extinguish the birth, aging, sickness, and death of existence in the six destinies, transcend all dharmas of sorrow, lamentation, worry, suffering, and distress, touch upon the principle of suchness, obtain the nectar of immortality, and realize nirvāṇa. Therefore, you all should train in this way: How should I forever sever ignorance and give rise to the light of wisdom? How should I forever sever all the birth, aging, sickness, and death of existence in the six destinies, and forever transcend all dharmas of sorrow, lamentation, worry, suffering, and distress? How should I touch upon the principle of suchness, obtain the nectar of the Dharma, and realize nirvāṇa? You bhikṣus should train in this way. 

Original text: 尔时世尊。重摄此义。而说颂曰。 此世及后生生老病死等。贪爱等烦恼皆无明为根。 无明为大愚令久处生死。此世与他世高下趣往还。 最初有无明最后无惭愧。生长诸恶法堕众恶趣中。 故应勤精进离贪爱愚痴。发起智慧明断生死苦本。 

Explanation: At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse: The birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, and lamentation of this life and future lives, as well as afflictions such as craving and attachment, all arise with ignorance as their root. Ignorance is the greatest folly, causing sentient beings to remain in birth-and-death for a long time. The going and coming between the higher and lower destinies in this life and other lives is all due to ignorance. Sentient beings first have ignorance, and after evil dharmas have grown, they further lack shame and remorse, so all evil dharmas grow and strengthen, and in the end they fall into the evil destinies. Therefore, sentient beings should diligently and energetically practice, depart from the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, give rise to the light of wisdom, and sever the root of the suffering of birth-and-death.