Selected Lectures on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (21)

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 empty. The wind element has no male mark and no female mark; having neither male nor female mark, yet when the wind element forms a material body, the distinction of male and female marks appears, so male and female marks are also empty and illusory. 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 unobtainable; this principle can only be known by the Buddha's wisdom, by the Buddha's correct wisdom.

Although the wind element itself has no male or female mark, if a person can create the karma of a man, he will be born with a male material body; if he creates the karma of a woman, she will be born with a female material body. If a woman can create the karma of a true manly man, in a future life she will transform into a male material body; if a man does the deeds of a woman and has the mind-nature of a woman, the karmic seeds are stored in the tathāgatagarbha, and in a future life he will transform into a female material body. The retributive body transforms according to karmic actions and karmic seeds; that which transforms is illusory, not real, and is without self. The true dharma never changes; only the tathāgatagarbha is forever unchanging—it is the true mind, the body of suchness.