Commentary on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (120)

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 even the slightest dharma that transmigrates from this life to the next life. Why is this said? Because the self-nature of all dharmas is ceaselessly 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 the body consciousness arises, it comes from nowhere; when it ceases, it goes nowhere. When karmic formations are created, the formations come from nowhere; when the formations cease, they go nowhere. When the first consciousness of the next life arises, it comes from nowhere; when it ceases, it goes nowhere.

Why do all dharmas have neither a place of coming nor a place of going? Because all dharmas are free of all natures; the self-nature of all dharmas has no characteristics whatsoever; their intrinsic nature is empty and utterly unobtainable. We should come to know the body consciousness in this way, knowing that the self-nature of the body consciousness is empty; come to know the karmic formations created by our own consciousness in this way, knowing that the self-nature of karmic formations is empty; come to know the first consciousness in this way, knowing that the self-nature of the first consciousness is empty; and come to know in this way that if any dharma arises, its arising is empty, and if any dharma ceases, its ceasing is empty. At the same time, we should also know that in the creation and transmigration of karmic formations, there is neither a creator nor an experiencer; all dharmas are merely discriminated and displayed through false appearances and names.