Causality

[Causality is neither real nor unreal, neither non-existent nor not non-existent. A single thought can shake the ten directions of the universe for immeasurable eons; a single moment of pure thought can purify the karmic actions of body, speech, and mind from beginningless time. Samsara (the cycle of reincarnation) is neither existent, nor non-existent, nor both.]

The core of cosmic reality, the function of consciousness, and the nature of existence—the statement "Causality is neither real nor unreal, neither non-existent nor not non-existent" eloquently expounds the cosmological view of "dependent origination and empty nature" (緣起性空, Pratītyasamutpāda-śūnyatā).

The concept "not real" (*非實*) means that although the law of cause and effect manifests within the phenomenal world, it is not an independent, eternal, and unchanging entity. Its operation depends on the convergence of countless conditions. Its fundamental nature is empty (*śūnya*), devoid of any intrinsic self-existence (*svabhāva*). To cling to it as "real" is to fall into a rigid fatalism.

However, it is also "not unreal" (*非虛*). While the nature of causality is empty, its effects are undeniably real. Good causes yield good results, and evil causes yield evil results. This law is clearly observable and unfailingly precise in the relative world. To deny its function is to fall into nihilism.

Ultimately, the concept "neither non-existent nor not non-existent" (*非無非非無*) further deepens this understanding, breaking the dichotomy between "existence" and "non-existence." It points out that causality is neither absolute nothingness nor absolute reality. It transcends the categories definable by language and conceptual thought, existing as a dynamic, interdependent principle of dependent origination that can only be realized through direct practice and experience.

The pivot of all this is our present "single moment of a pure mind" (*一念之清淨心*). The phrase "A single thought can shake the ten directions of the universe for immeasurable eons" reveals the immense power of consciousness. Every thought of yours, no matter how subtle, is an emission of energy that resonates with the entire energy field of the cosmos. Its influence spreads like ripples through infinite space and time, planting new seeds in the chain of causality. This is the principle that "when the mind arises, all phenomena arise" (*心生則種種法生*).

Since a single thought possesses such tremendous creative power, it follows that "a single moment of pure thought can purify the karmic actions of body, speech, and mind from beginningless time." When this single thought reaches a state of ultimate purity—a state of awareness that is unstained, unattached, and non-discriminating—its power is equally infinite. This pure mind is like an intense light that can instantly illuminate and dispel the darkness of karma accumulated through greed, hatred, and ignorance over countless eons. This is not a physical elimination of past deeds. Rather, the awakened mind of the present moment transforms the very nature of the karmic seeds, preventing them from ripening into fruits of suffering. One transforms from a slave of karma into its master. This is the essence of "when the mind is pure, the land is pure" (*心淨則國土淨*).

Finally, the principle "Samsara is neither existent, nor non-existent, nor both" (*輪迴非有有亦非有無*) is identical to that of causality. It is said to be "non-existent" (*非有*) because within the cycle of rebirth, there is no truly real, eternal "I" or "soul" that is being reincarnated. The five aggregates (*skandhas*) that constitute the "self" are, by nature, impermanent and in a state of momentary arising and ceasing. Yet, it is also "not non-existent" (*亦非無*), because the continuous stream of life forms, driven by the force of karma, is an observable phenomenon. To deny reincarnation is to deny the continuity of causality.

Therefore, Samsara is neither absolutely existent nor absolutely non-existent. It is a life phenomenon that manifests based on the coming together of causes and conditions and the continuity of karmic force. When your thoughts are consistently pure and yet you do not attach to that purity, you can transcend the fetters of Samsara, for you understand that the very "self" that was bound was, from the beginning, an illusion of continuity created by volitional actions.