The Dharma-Transmitting Gāthā of Viśvabhū Buddha

Original text: 假借四大以为身，心本无生因境有；

前境若无心也无，罪福如幻起也灭。

Explanation: The physical body of sentient beings is composed of the four great element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind. The eighth consciousness, in accordance with the karmic conditions of sentient beings, outputs the four great element seeds, and according to the different proportions of the four great elements, manifests the physical bodies of sentient beings, and sentient beings take the physical body composed of the four great elements as the self. The eighth consciousness that manifests sentient beings originally exists; it is not born afterward — it is the unborn dharma. He is formless and without appearance; by Himself alone He cannot manifest. He is always together with the various states of the five aggregates that He Himself manifests; when states appear, there is His existence. Therefore, if sentient beings wish to recognize Him and find Him, they must seek Him among the various states and deluded conditions.

If the various states of the five aggregates disappear — sentient beings' eyes do not see forms, ears do not hear sounds, noses do not smell scents, the mind does not think of dharmas, and the consciousness-mind has all ceased — then the eighth consciousness has no way to manifest upon form, sound, scent, taste, touch, or dharma, and there is no consciousness-mind to come and recognize the eighth consciousness, so the eighth consciousness temporarily remains in seclusion. Since the physical body is created by the four great elements and the consciousness-mind is illusory, the karmic offenses and merits created by the five aggregates are also illusory. Phenomenally they seem to exist, but in reality they are unborn; no real karmic offenses or merits exist. Therefore, offenses and merits are all empty, without self and without possession of self.