Madhyamaka Treatise (Zhong Lun), Fascicle One
若言業決定，而自有性者，
If one says karma is definite and has a nature of its own,
受於果報已，而應更復受。
then after receiving retribution, it should be received again.
若諸世間業，從於煩惱生，
If worldly karmas arise from afflictions,
是煩惱非實，業當何有實？」
and these afflictions are not real, how can karma be real?"
第一義中諸業不生。何以故？無性故。以不生因緣故則不滅，非以常故不滅。若不爾者，業性應決定有。若業決定有性則為是常，若常則是不作業。何以故？常法不可作故。復次若有不作業者，則他人作罪此人受報，又他人斷梵行而此人有罪，則破世俗法。若先有者，冬不應思為春事，春不應思為夏事。有如是等過。復次作福及作罪者則無有別異，起佈施持戒等業名為作福，起殺盜等業名為作罪。若不作而有業，則無有分別。復次是業若決定有性，則一時受果報已復應更受。是故汝說以不失法故有業報，則有如是等過。復次若業從煩惱起，是煩惱無有決定，但從憶想分別有。若諸煩惱無實，業云何有實？何以故？因無性故業亦無性。
In the first principle, karmas do not arise. Why? Because they have no nature. Because of the cause and condition of non-arising, they also do not cease, and it is not that they do not cease because they are permanent. If not so, the nature of karma would definitely exist. If karma definitely had a nature, that would be permanent; if permanent, it would be unmade karma. Why? A permanent dharma cannot be made. Furthermore, if there were unmade karma, then one person would make sin and another would receive retribution, and another would break the holy life and this person would be guilty, which would destroy worldly dharma. If it already existed beforehand, winter should not be thought of as the work of spring, nor spring as the work of summer. There are such faults. Furthermore, making merit and making sin would have no difference: raising karma such as giving and keeping precepts is called making merit, and raising karma such as killing and stealing is called making sin. If there were karma without doing, there would be no distinction. Furthermore, if this karma definitely had a nature, then after receiving retribution at the same moment it should be received again. So what you say, that there is karmic retribution because of the non-loss dharma, has this kind of fault. Furthermore, if karma arises from afflictions, these afflictions are not definite and exist only through recollection and discrimination. If the afflictions are not real, how can karma be real? Why? Because there is no nature, karma too has no nature.
問曰：若諸煩惱及業無性不實，今果報身現有，應是實。
The questioner said: If afflictions and karma have no nature and are unreal, the present retribution body that appears before us should be real.
答曰：
The answerer said:
「諸煩惱及業，是說身因緣；
"Afflictions and karmas are said to be the causes and conditions of the body;
煩惱諸業空，何況於諸身。」
if afflictions and karmas are both empty, how much more these bodies."
諸賢聖說煩惱及業是身因緣，是中愛能潤生，業能生上中下好醜貴賤等果報。今諸煩惱及業，種種推求無有決定，何況諸身有決定果？隨因緣故。
The sages say that afflictions and karma are the causes and conditions of the body: among them craving can moisten and give rise to birth, and karma can give rise to retributions of high, middle, and low, good and ugly, honored and humble, and so on. Now afflictions and karma, searched for in various ways, have no definiteness; how much more could the bodies have a definite fruit? It is only according to causes and conditions.
問曰：汝雖種種因緣破業及果報，而經說，有起業者。起業者有故，有業有果報。如說：
The questioner said: Although you refute karma and retribution by various causes and conditions, the sutra says there is a person who gives rise to karma. Because there is a person who gives rise to karma, there is karma and retribution. As it says:
「無明之所蔽，愛結之所縛，
"Covered by ignorance, bound by the knot of craving,
而於本作者，不即亦不異。」
with regard to the original maker, it is neither identical nor different."
《無始經》中說，眾生為無明所覆、愛結所縛，於無始生死中往來，受種種苦樂。今受者於先作者，不即是、亦不異。若即是，人作罪受牛形，則人不作牛、牛不作人。若異則失業果報，墮於無因，無因則斷滅。是故今受者於先作者，不即是、亦不異。
The Beginningless Sutra says: beings are covered by ignorance and bound by the knot of craving, go and come in beginningless birth and death, and receive various pains and pleasures. The person who now receives, with regard to the one who made it earlier, is neither identical nor different. If identical, a person who commits sin and takes the form of an ox would mean that the person does not make an ox and the ox does not make a person. If different, then the retribution of karma would be lost and fall into causelessness; causelessness is annihilation. So the one who now receives, with regard to the one who made it earlier, is neither identical nor different.
答曰：
The answerer said:
「業不從緣生，不從非緣生，
"Karma does not arise from conditions, and does not arise from non-conditions,
是故則無有，能起於業者。
and so there is no one who can give rise to karma.
無業無作者，何有業生果？
With no karma and no maker, where is the fruit that arises from karma?
若其無有果，何有受果者？」
If there is no fruit at all, where is the person who receives the fruit?"
若無業、無作業者，何有從業生果報？若無果報，云何有受果報者？業有三種：五陰中假名人是作者，是業於善惡處生，名為果報。若起業者尚無，何況有業、有果報及受果報者？
If there is no karma and no one who performs karma, where is the retribution that arises from karma? If there is no retribution, how can there be one who receives retribution? Karma is of three kinds: the person provisionally established among the five aggregates is the maker, and this karma arises in places of good and evil and is called retribution. If even the one who gives rise to karma does not exist, how much less do karma, retribution, and the one who receives retribution?
問曰：汝雖種種破業、果報及起業者，而今現見眾生作業受果報。是事云何？
The questioner said: Although you refute karma, retribution, and the one who gives rise to karma in various ways, now we directly see beings performing karma and receiving retribution. How about this matter?
答曰：
The answerer said:
「如世尊神通，所作變化人，
"Like a magical person made by the World-Honored One through spiritual powers,
如是變化人，復變作化人。
such a magical person again makes another magical person.
如初變化人，是名為作者，
The first magical person is called the maker,
變化人所作，是則名為業。
and what the magical person makes is called karma.
諸煩惱及業，作者及果報，
Afflictions and karma, makers and retribution,
皆如幻與夢，如炎亦如嚮。」
are all like illusions and dreams, like a mirage, and also like an echo."
如佛神通力所作化人，是化人復化作化人。如化人，無有實事但可眼見，又化人口業說法、身業佈施等，是業雖無實而可眼見。如是生死身作者及業，亦應如是知。諸煩惱者，名為三毒，分別有九十八使、九結、十纏、六垢等無量諸煩惱。業名為身、口、意業。今世、後世分別有善、不善、無記，苦報、樂報、不苦不樂報，現報業、生報業、後報業，如是等無量。作者名為能起諸煩惱業、能受果報者。果報名從善惡業生無記五陰，如是等諸業皆空無性，如幻如夢、如炎如嚮。
Like a magical person made by the Buddha through the power of spiritual powers, this magical person again makes another magical person. Like magical persons, they have no real substance and can only be seen by the eye; moreover, the verbal karma of a magical person's teaching and the bodily karma of giving and so on, although these karmas are not real, can be seen by the eye. In this way, the makers of birth-and-death bodies and their karma should be understood likewise. What is called afflictions are called the three poisons, divided into ninety-eight latent tendencies, nine fetters, ten entanglements, six defilements, and so on, immeasurable afflictions. Karma is called bodily, verbal, and mental karma. In this life and later lives there are distinguished good, not good, and indeterminate, retribution of suffering, retribution of pleasure, retribution of neither suffering nor pleasure, karma bearing fruit in this life, karma bearing fruit at birth, and karma bearing fruit later, immeasurable in this way. The maker is called the one able to give rise to the karma of afflictions and able to receive retribution. Retribution is called the indeterminate five aggregates arising from good and evil karma. Thus all karmas are empty and without nature, like illusions and dreams, like a mirage and an echo.
中論觀法品第十八(十二偈)
Madhyamaka-shastra, Chapter Eighteen: Examination of Dharmas (twelve verses)
問曰：若諸法盡畢竟空、無生無滅，是名諸法實相者，云何入？
The questioner said: If all dharmas are ultimately empty, unborn, and unceasing, this is called the true reality of dharmas; how does one enter it?
答曰：滅我我所著故，得一切法空。無我慧名為入。
The answerer said: Extinguishing the clinging to self and what belongs to self, one attains the emptiness of all dharmas. The wisdom of non-self is called entering.
問曰：云何知諸法無我？
The questioner said: By what do we know that dharmas are without self?
答曰：
The answerer said:
「若我是五陰，我即為生滅；
"If the self is the five aggregates, the self would become arising and ceasing;
若我異五陰，則非五陰相。
if the self is different from the five aggregates, it would not have the mark of the five aggregates.
若無有我者，何得有我所？
If there is no self, where is what belongs to self?
滅我我所故，名得無我智。
Extinguishing self and what belongs to self is called attaining the wisdom of non-self.
得無我智者，是則名實觀；
One who attains the wisdom of non-self is called one who observes as things are;
得無我智者，是人為希有。
one who attains the wisdom of non-self, this person is rare.
內外我我所，盡滅無有故，
When the self and what belongs to self, inside and outside, are completely extinguished and gone,
諸受即為滅，受滅則身滅。
the feelings cease, and when feelings cease the body ceases.
業煩惱滅故，名之為解脫，
When karma and afflictions are extinguished, it is called liberation,
業煩惱非實，入空戲論滅。
karma and afflictions are not real; entering emptiness, conceptual proliferation ceases.
諸佛或說我，或說於無我，
The Buddhas sometimes speak of a self and sometimes speak of no-self,
諸法實相中，無我無非我。
in the true reality of dharmas, there is neither self nor non-self.
諸法實相者，心行言語斷，
The true reality of dharmas: the activity of the mind and speech are both cut off,
無生亦無滅，寂滅如涅槃。
neither arising nor ceasing, still and extinguished like nirvana.
一切實非實，亦實亦非實，
All is real, not real, both real and not real,
非實非非實，是名諸佛法。
neither real nor not real; this is called the Dharma of the Buddhas.
自知不隨他，寂滅無戲論，
Self-knowing, not following others, still and extinguished, without conceptual proliferation,
無異無分別，是則名實相。
without difference and without discrimination, this is called true reality.
若法從緣生，不即不異因，
If a dharma arises from conditions, it is neither identical with the cause nor different from the cause,
是故名實相，不斷亦不常。
and so it is called true reality, neither cut off nor permanent.
不一亦不異，不常亦不斷，
Neither one nor different, neither permanent nor cut off,
是名諸世尊，教化甘露味。
this is called the taste of sweet dew taught by the World-Honored Ones.
若佛不出世，佛法已滅盡，
If a Buddha does not appear in the world, and the Buddha's teaching has already ended,
諸辟支佛智，從於遠離生。」
the wisdom of the pratyekabuddhas arises from seclusion."
有人說神，應有二種：若五陰即是神、若離五陰有神。若五陰是神者，神則生滅相，如偈中說。若神是五陰，即是生滅相。何以故？生已壞敗故。以生滅相故，五陰是無常。如五陰無常，生滅二法亦是無常。何以故？生滅亦生已壞敗故無常。神若是五陰，五陰無常故，神亦應無常生滅相；但是事不然。若離五陰有神，神即無五陰相，如偈中說。若神異五陰，則非五陰相，而離五陰更無有法。若離五陰有法者，以何相何法而有？若謂神如虛空，離五陰而有者，是亦不然。何以故？〈破六種品〉中已破，虛空無有法名為虛空。若謂以有信故有神，是事不然。何以故？信有四種：一現事可信；二名比知可信，如見煙知有火；三名譬喻可信，如國無鍮石喻之如金；四名賢聖所說故可信，如說有地獄、有天、有欝單曰。無有見者，信聖人語故知。是神於一切信中不可得，現事中亦無，比知中亦無。何以故？比知名先見故後比類而知，如人先見火有煙，後但見煙則知有火。神義不然，誰能先見神與五陰合，後見五陰知有神？若謂有三種比知：一者如本；二者如殘；三者共見。如本名先見火有煙，今見煙知如本有火。如殘名如炊飯，一粒熟知餘者皆熟。共見名如眼見人從此去到彼，亦見其去；日亦如是，從東方出至西方。雖不見去，以人有去相故，知日亦有去。如是苦樂憎愛覺知等，亦應有所依。如見人民，知必依王。是事皆不然。何以故？共相信先見人與去法合而至餘方，後見日到餘方，故知有去法。無有先見五陰與神合，後見五陰知有神，是故共相比知中亦無神。聖人所說中亦無神。何以故？聖人所說皆先眼見而後說，又諸聖人說餘事可信故，當知說地獄等亦可信。而神不爾，無有先見神而後說者，是故於四信等諸信中求神不可得，求神不可得故無，是故離五陰無別神。
Some say there is a spirit (atman), and there should be two cases: either the five aggregates are the spirit, or there is a spirit apart from the five aggregates. If the five aggregates are the spirit, then the spirit has the mark of arising and ceasing, as the verse says: if the spirit is the five aggregates, it has the mark of arising and ceasing. Why? What arises then decays. Because it has the mark of arising and ceasing, the five aggregates are impermanent. As the five aggregates are impermanent, arising and ceasing, the two dharmas, are also impermanent. Why? Arising and ceasing also decay once arisen, so they are impermanent. If the spirit is the five aggregates, and the five aggregates are impermanent, the spirit too should be impermanent, with the mark of arising and ceasing; but this is not so. If there is a spirit apart from the five aggregates, the spirit would have no mark of the five aggregates, as the verse says: if the spirit is different from the five aggregates, it is not the mark of the five aggregates; yet apart from the five aggregates there is no other dharma. If there were a dharma apart from the five aggregates, by what mark and what dharma would it exist? If one says the spirit is like space and exists apart from the five aggregates, this is also not right. Why? It has been refuted in the chapter Refuting the Six Kinds: space does not have a dharma called space. If one says that because there is faith, there is a spirit, this is not right. Why? Faith is of four kinds: first, what is directly before one can be believed; second, what is called inference can be believed, like seeing smoke and knowing there is fire; third, what is called analogy can be believed, like saying that where a country has no brass, one uses gold as a comparison; fourth, what is spoken by the sages can be believed, like saying there are hells, heavens, and Uttarakuru, and those who have not seen them know them because they believe the sages' words. This spirit cannot be found in any of these kinds of faith: it is not in what is directly present, and not in inference. Why? What is called inference is knowing through comparison what one has seen before, as a person who has seen fire with smoke before, and later seeing only smoke knows there is fire. The meaning of the spirit is not like this: who has seen before the spirit joined with the five aggregates, and later on seeing the five aggregates knows there is a spirit? If one says there are three kinds of inference: first, like the original; second, like the remainder; third, commonly seen. Like the original: having seen fire with smoke before, now seeing smoke, one knows there is fire as before. Like the remainder: like cooking rice, when one grain is cooked one knows the rest is cooked. Commonly seen: like the eye seeing a person go from here to there and also seeing him go; the sun is also like this, rising in the east and reaching the west. Although the going cannot be seen, because the person has the mark of going, one knows the sun also has going. In the same way, pain, pleasure, hatred, love, awareness, and the like should have a basis. Like seeing the people, one knows they must depend on a king. None of these is right. Why? Faith in common marks is that one has seen before that a person and the dharma of going combine and arrive elsewhere, and later seeing the sun arrive elsewhere, one knows there is a dharma of going. There is no case where one first saw the five aggregates join with a spirit and later on seeing the five aggregates knew there was a spirit, so in common-mark inference there is also no spirit. In what the sages say there is also no spirit. Why? What the sages say is all first seen with the eyes and then spoken; moreover, since the sages' words on other matters can be believed, one should know that their words on hell and the like can also be believed. But the spirit is not like this; there is no case where a spirit was first seen and then spoken of. So when one seeks a spirit in the four kinds of faith and the like, one cannot find it; since seeking it one cannot find it, it does not exist. Therefore apart from the five aggregates there is no separate spirit.
復次〈破根品〉中見、見者、可見破故，神亦同破。又眼見麁法尚不可得，何況虛妄憶想等而有神，是故知無我。因有我故有我所，若無我則無我所，修習八聖道分，滅我我所因緣故，得無我無我所決定智慧。
Furthermore, in the chapter Refuting the Faculties, seeing, the seer, and what is seen are refuted, and the spirit is refuted together. Moreover, even the coarse dharmas seen by the eye cannot be found, so how much more is there a spirit in false recollection and the like; thus one knows non-self. Because there is a self there is what belongs to self; if there is no self there is no what belongs to self. By cultivating the eightfold noble path and extinguishing the causes and conditions of self and what belongs to self, one attains the definite wisdom of no-self and no what belongs to self.