Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (120)

Body Consciousness and the Karmic Formations of Body Consciousness Have Neither a Place of Coming Nor a Place of Going

Original text: 大王。无有少法。从于此世。得至他世。所以者何。性生灭故。大王。身识生时。无所从来。灭无所去。彼业生时。无所从来。灭无所去。初识生时。无所从来。灭无所去。何以故。自性离故。如是了知。身识身识空。自业自业空。初识初识空。若灭灭空。若生生空。了知业转。无有作者。亦无受者。但唯名相。分别显示。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, there is not a single dharma that can transmigrate from this life to the next life. Why is this said? Because the self-nature of all dharmas is constantly arising and ceasing; they do not exist permanently and enduringly. When the five aggregates perish at the time of death, all dharmas will cease. Great King, when body consciousness arises, it has no place of coming; when it ceases, it has no place of going. When karmic formations are created, the karmic formations have no place of coming; when the karmic formations cease, they likewise have no place of going. When the initial consciousness of the next life arises, it has no place of coming; when it ceases, it has no place of going.

Why do all dharmas have neither a place of coming nor a place of going? Because all dharmas are apart from all natures; the self-nature of all dharmas has no characteristics whatsoever; their intrinsic nature is empty and utterly unattainable. We should come to know body consciousness in this way, knowing that the self-nature of body consciousness is empty; come to know the karmic formations created by our own conscious mind in this way, knowing that the self-nature of karmic formations is empty; come to know the initial consciousness in this way, knowing that the self-nature of the initial consciousness is empty; come to know in this way that if all dharmas arise, their arising is empty, and if all dharmas cease, their ceasing is empty; at the same time, we should also know that in the creation and transmigration of karmic formations, there is no creator and no receiver—all dharmas are merely distinctions and manifestations of false appearances and names.