One Hundred and Eighty-Nine Fates
This page completes the sūtra's first fascicle. It carries the third and final wheel-mark — six wheels, eighteen numbered faces, cast three times and summed to reach one of one hundred and eighty-nine possible readings spanning present circumstance, past origin, and future destiny — together with the sūtra's own warning against practicing this method for profit, and the closing instruction for anyone whose every cast comes back unfavorable.
Six Wheels, and Why They All Come From One
「善男子！若欲占察三世中受報差別者，當復刻木為六輪。於此六輪，以一二三、四五六、七八九、十十一十二、十三十四十五、十六十七十八等數，書字記之。一數主一面，各書三面，令數次第不錯不亂。當知如此諸數，皆從一數而起，以一為本。如是數相者，顯示一切眾生六根之聚，皆從如來藏自性清淨心一實境界而起，依一實境界以之為本。所謂依一實境界故，有彼無明。不了一法界，謬念思惟，現妄境界，分別取著，集業因緣，生眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意等六根。以依內六根故，對外色、聲、香、味、觸、法等六塵，起眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意等六識。以依六識故，於色、聲、香、味、觸、法中，起違想、順想、非違非順等想，生十八種受。
「若未來世佛諸弟子，於三世中所受果報，欲決疑意者，應當三擲此第三輪相，占計合數，依數觀之，以定善惡。
"Good son! If you wish to divine the distinctions in retribution received across the three times, you should further carve six wheels of wood. On these six wheels, inscribe the numbers one, two, three; four, five, six; seven, eight, nine; ten, eleven, twelve; thirteen, fourteen, fifteen; and sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. Each number governs one face; each wheel has three faces so inscribed, so that the numbers proceed in order without error or confusion. Know that all these numbers arise from the number one, taking one as their root. This pattern of numbers shows that the whole cluster of the six faculties of every sentient being arises from the one real realm of the pure, intrinsically clean mind of the tathāgatagarbha, and takes this one real realm as its root. That is to say: because of this one real realm, there is that ignorance which fails to understand the single dharma-realm, gives rise to mistaken thought, manifests a false and deluded realm, discriminates and grasps at it, and accumulates the causes and conditions of karma, thereby producing the six faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Because these inner six faculties depend on this, they meet the outer six objects of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental phenomena, giving rise to the six consciousnesses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Because these depend on the six consciousnesses, in the midst of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental phenomena, there arise the perceptions of what is contrary, what is agreeable, and what is neither contrary nor agreeable, giving rise to eighteen kinds of feeling.
"If disciples of the Buddha in ages to come wish to settle their doubts about the retribution received across the three times, they should cast this third wheel-mark three times, tally the total of the numbers cast, and, according to that total, observe and determine good or evil."
This is the one place in the whole sūtra where the divination method and its philosophical foundation are stated in a single breath, and Zhixu's Xuanyi leans on this passage more than any other to prove the two are not really two separate teachings joined by convenience. He treats the sūtra's own claim — that every number on these six wheels ultimately traces back to one — as a literal argument, not a decorative flourish: "一與一為二，二與一為三，三與一為四，四與一為五，乃至展轉無窮，無不從一起也" ("one and one make two, two and one make three, three and one make four, four and one make five, and so on without end — there is nothing that does not arise from one"), and then reads the sūtra's own account of how ignorance first divides the one real realm into a seer and a seen — "so that one becomes two" — as the same operation described abstractly: number itself, not just karma, is what delusion does to what was never actually divided.
He takes open aim at a rival cosmology in passing: the classical Chinese correlative reading of numbers, in which "Heaven's one gives birth to water, and Earth's six brings it to completion," mistakes as an external fact about the universe what is really a description of one's own mind — "不知吾心一念妄動，故不覺從一有五，非心外果有天也" ("not realizing that it is one's own mind's single deluded stirring that brings five out of one without their noticing, they fail to see that there is no 'Heaven' apart from the mind that could produce it"). On his reading, the wheel's eighteen numbered faces are not an arbitrary numerological convention borrowed from folk practice; they are the sūtra's own diagram of exactly how six faculties, six objects, six consciousnesses, and eighteen kinds of feeling — the entire machinery of ordinary experience — unfold, in strict order, from a single undivided root the sūtra names the tathāgatagarbha, the one real realm this whole collection turns to directly in Part 4.
One Hundred and Sixty Readings of the Present
「如是所觀三世果報善惡之相，有一百八十九種。何等為一百八十九種？一者，求上乘得不退。二者，所求果現當證。三者，求中乘得不退。四者，求下乘得不退。五者，求神通得成就。六者，修四梵得成就。七者，修世禪得成就。八者，所欲受得妙戒。九者，所曾受得戒具。十者，求上乘未住信。十一者，求中乘未住信。十二者，求下乘未住信。十三者，所觀人為善友。十四者，隨所聞是正法。十五者，所觀人為惡友。十六者，隨所聞非正教。十七者，所觀人有實德。十八者，所觀人無實德。十九者，所觀義不錯謬。二十者，所觀義是錯謬。二十一者，有所誦不錯謬。二十二者，有所誦是錯謬。二十三者，所修行不錯謬。二十四者，所見聞是善相。二十五者，有所證為真實。二十六者，有所學是錯謬。二十七者，所見聞非善相。二十八者，有所證非正法。二十九者，有所獲邪神持。三十者，所能說邪智辯。三十一者，所玄知非人力。三十二者，應先習觀智道。三十三者，應先習禪定道。三十四者，觀所學無障礙。三十五者，觀所學是所宜。三十六者，觀所學非所宜。三十七者，觀所學是宿習。三十八者，觀所學非宿習。三十九者，觀所學善增長。四十者，觀所學方便少。四十一者，觀所學無進趣。四十二者，所求果現未得。四十三者，求出家當得去。四十四者，求聞法得教示。四十五者，求經卷得讀誦。四十六者，觀所作是魔事。四十七者，觀所作事成就。四十八者，觀所作事不成。四十九者，求大富財盈滿。五十者，求官位當得獲。五十一者，求壽命得延年。五十二者，求世仙當得獲。五十三者，觀學問多所達。五十四者，觀學問少所達。五十五者，求師友得如意。五十六者，求弟子得如意。五十七者，求父母得如意。五十八者，求男女得如意。五十九者，求妻妾得如意。六十者，求同伴得如意。六十一者，觀所慮得和合。六十二者，所觀人心懷恚。六十三者，求無恨得歡喜。六十四者，求和合得如意。六十五者，所觀人心歡喜。六十六者，所思人得會見。六十七者，所思人不復會。六十八者，所請喚得來集。六十九者，所憎惡得離之。七十者，所愛敬得近之。七十一者，觀欲聚得和集。七十二者，觀欲聚不和集。七十三者，所請喚不得來。七十四者，所期人必當至。七十五者，所期人住不來。七十六者，所觀人得安吉。七十七者，所觀人不安吉。七十八者，所觀人已無身。七十九者，所望見得覩之。八十者，所求覓得見之。八十一者，求所聞得吉語。八十二者，所求見不如意。八十三者，觀所疑即為實。八十四者，觀所疑為不實。八十五者，所觀人不和合。八十六者，求佛事當得獲。八十七者，求供具當得獲。八十八者，求資生得如意。八十九者，求資生少得獲。九十者，有所求皆當得。九十一者，有所求皆不得。九十二者，有所求少得獲。九十三者，有所求得如意。九十四者，有所求速當得。九十五者，有所求久當得。九十六者，有所求而損失。九十七者，有所求得吉利。九十八者，有所求而受苦。九十九者，觀所失求當得。一百者，觀所失求不得。一百一者，觀所失自還得。一百二者，求離厄得脫難。一百三者，求離病得除愈。一百四者，觀所去無障難。一百五者，觀所去有障難。一百六者，觀所住得安止。一百七者，觀所住不得安。一百八者，所向處得安快。一百九者，所向處有厄難。一百一十者，所向處為魔網。一百一十一者，所向處難開化。一百一十二者，所向處可開化。一百一十三者，所向處自獲利。一百一十四者，所遊路無惱害。一百一十五者，所遊路有惱害。一百一十六者，君民惡饑饉起。一百一十七者，君民惡多疾疫。一百一十八者，君民好國豐樂。一百一十九者，君無道國災亂。一百二十者，君修德災亂滅。一百二十一者，君行惡國將破。一百二十二者，君修善國還立。一百二十三者，觀所避得度難。一百二十四者，觀所避不脫難。一百二十五者，所住處眾安隱。一百二十六者，所住處有障難。一百二十七者，所依聚眾不安。一百二十八者，閑靜處無諸難。一百二十九者，觀怪異無損害。一百三十者，觀怪異有損害。一百三十一者，觀怪異精進安。一百三十二者，觀所夢無損害。一百三十三者，觀所夢有損害。一百三十四者，觀所夢精進安。一百三十五者，觀所夢為吉利。一百三十六者，觀障亂速得離。一百三十七者，觀障亂漸得離。一百三十八者，觀障亂不得離。一百三十九者，觀障亂一心除。一百四十者，觀所難速得脫。一百四十一者，觀所難久得脫。一百四十二者，觀所難受衰惱。一百四十三者，觀所難精進脫。一百四十四者，觀所難命當盡。一百四十五者，觀所患大不調。一百四十六者，觀所患非人惱。一百四十七者，觀所患合非人。一百四十八者，觀所患可療治。一百四十九者，觀所患難療治。一百五十者，觀所患精進差。一百五十一者，觀所患久長苦。一百五十二者，觀所患自當差。一百五十三者，所向醫堪能治。一百五十四者，觀所療是對治。一百五十五者，所服藥當得力。一百五十六者，觀所患得除愈。一百五十七者，所向醫不能治。一百五十八者，觀所療非對治。一百五十九者，所服藥不得力。一百六十者，觀所患命當盡。
"As for these observed marks of good and evil retribution across the three times, there are one hundred and eighty-nine kinds. What are the one hundred and eighty-nine kinds? First, one who seeks the highest vehicle attains non-retrogression. Second, the fruit one seeks will presently be realized. Third, one who seeks the middle vehicle attains non-retrogression. Fourth, one who seeks the lesser vehicle attains non-retrogression. Fifth, one who seeks the higher knowledges will accomplish them. Sixth, one who cultivates the four immeasurable states of mind will accomplish them. Seventh, one who cultivates worldly meditation will accomplish it. Eighth, one who wishes to receive the precepts will obtain the wondrous precepts. Ninth, one who has already received the precepts has them fully. Tenth, one who seeks the highest vehicle has not yet settled in faith. Eleventh, one who seeks the middle vehicle has not yet settled in faith. Twelfth, one who seeks the lesser vehicle has not yet settled in faith. Thirteenth, the person observed is a good friend. Fourteenth, what one hears is the true Dharma. Fifteenth, the person observed is a bad friend. Sixteenth, what one hears is not the true teaching. Seventeenth, the person observed has real virtue. Eighteenth, the person observed has no real virtue. Nineteenth, the meaning observed is not mistaken. Twentieth, the meaning observed is mistaken. Twenty-first, what one recites is not mistaken. Twenty-second, what one recites is mistaken. Twenty-third, the practice undertaken is not mistaken. Twenty-fourth, what one sees and hears is a good sign. Twenty-fifth, what one has realized is true and real. Twenty-sixth, what one has learned is mistaken. Twenty-seventh, what one sees and hears is not a good sign. Twenty-eighth, what one has realized is not the true Dharma. Twenty-ninth, what one has obtained is a false spirit's hold upon one. Thirtieth, what one is able to expound is a deceptive display of clever argument. Thirty-first, what one seems to know mysteriously is not human power. Thirty-second, one should first practice the path of contemplative wisdom. Thirty-third, one should first practice the path of meditative concentration. Thirty-fourth, what one has learned meets with no hindrance. Thirty-fifth, what one has learned is well-suited to one. Thirty-sixth, what one has learned is not well-suited to one. Thirty-seventh, what one has learned is a habit from a past life. Thirty-eighth, what one has learned is not a habit from a past life. Thirty-ninth, what one has learned is growing in goodness. Fortieth, what one has learned has few skillful means. Forty-first, what one has learned makes no further progress. Forty-second, the fruit one seeks is not yet obtained at present. Forty-third, one who seeks to leave home will be able to go. Forty-fourth, one who seeks to hear the Dharma will receive instruction. Forty-fifth, one who seeks a sūtra text will obtain it to recite. Forty-sixth, what one is doing is the work of Māra. Forty-seventh, what one is doing will be accomplished. Forty-eighth, what one is doing will not be accomplished. Forty-ninth, one who seeks great wealth will have riches in abundance. Fiftieth, one who seeks office will obtain it. Fifty-first, one who seeks long life will have their years extended. Fifty-second, one who seeks worldly immortality will obtain it. Fifty-third, in one's studies, much will be attained. Fifty-fourth, in one's studies, little will be attained. Fifty-fifth, one who seeks a teacher or friend will have their wish fulfilled. Fifty-sixth, one who seeks a disciple will have their wish fulfilled. Fifty-seventh, one who seeks their parents' well-being will have their wish fulfilled. Fifty-eighth, one who seeks a son or daughter will have their wish fulfilled. Fifty-ninth, one who seeks a wife or concubine will have their wish fulfilled. Sixtieth, one who seeks a companion will have their wish fulfilled.
Sixty-first, what one is anxious about will come to harmony. Sixty-second, the person observed harbors resentment in their heart. Sixty-third, one who seeks to be free of resentment will find joy. Sixty-fourth, one who seeks reconciliation will have their wish fulfilled. Sixty-fifth, the person observed has a joyful heart. Sixty-sixth, the person one thinks of will be met. Sixty-seventh, the person one thinks of will not be met again. Sixty-eighth, whoever one invites will come and gather. Sixty-ninth, what one hates will be left behind. Seventieth, what one loves and reveres will draw near. Seventy-first, those one wishes to gather will assemble in harmony. Seventy-second, those one wishes to gather will not assemble in harmony. Seventy-third, whoever one invites will not come. Seventy-fourth, the person one awaits will surely arrive. Seventy-fifth, the person one awaits will remain and not come. Seventy-sixth, the person observed will find peace and good fortune. Seventy-seventh, the person observed will not find peace and good fortune. Seventy-eighth, the person observed no longer has a body. Seventy-ninth, what one hopes to see will be seen. Eightieth, what one seeks after will be found. Eighty-first, one who seeks news will hear auspicious words. Eighty-second, what one seeks to see will not turn out as wished. Eighty-third, what one doubts is in fact true. Eighty-fourth, what one doubts is not true. Eighty-fifth, the person observed is not in harmony. Eighty-sixth, one who seeks to sponsor a Buddhist observance will obtain the means. Eighty-seventh, one who seeks offering-implements will obtain them. Eighty-eighth, one who seeks the means of livelihood will have their wish fulfilled. Eighty-ninth, one who seeks the means of livelihood will obtain only a little. Ninetieth, whatever one seeks will all be obtained. Ninety-first, whatever one seeks will not be obtained at all. Ninety-second, whatever one seeks will be obtained only a little. Ninety-third, whatever one seeks will turn out as wished. Ninety-fourth, whatever one seeks will be obtained quickly. Ninety-fifth, whatever one seeks will be obtained only after a long time. Ninety-sixth, whatever one seeks will instead bring loss. Ninety-seventh, whatever one seeks will bring good fortune. Ninety-eighth, whatever one seeks will instead bring suffering. Ninety-ninth, what one has lost, if sought, will be recovered. One hundredth, what one has lost, though sought, will not be recovered.
One hundred and first, what one has lost will return of itself. One hundred and second, one who seeks to escape calamity will be delivered from danger. One hundred and third, one who seeks to be free of illness will be cured. One hundred and fourth, in going, there will be no obstacle or difficulty. One hundred and fifth, in going, there will be obstacle and difficulty. One hundred and sixth, in dwelling, one will find peaceful rest. One hundred and seventh, in dwelling, one will not find peace. One hundred and eighth, the place one heads toward will bring peace and ease. One hundred and ninth, the place one heads toward holds calamity and difficulty. One hundred and tenth, the place one heads toward is a net of Māra. One hundred and eleventh, the place one heads toward is difficult to instruct and transform. One hundred and twelfth, the place one heads toward can be instructed and transformed. One hundred and thirteenth, the place one heads toward will itself bring benefit. One hundred and fourteenth, the road one travels holds no vexation or harm. One hundred and fifteenth, the road one travels holds vexation and harm. One hundred and sixteenth, ruler and people alike will suffer as famine arises. One hundred and seventeenth, ruler and people alike will suffer as much pestilence arises. One hundred and eighteenth, ruler and people alike will prosper as the land grows abundant and at ease. One hundred and nineteenth, a ruler without the Way brings the land to disaster and disorder. One hundred and twentieth, a ruler who cultivates virtue causes disaster and disorder to vanish. One hundred and twenty-first, a ruler who does evil will bring the land to ruin. One hundred and twenty-second, a ruler who cultivates good will restore the land. One hundred and twenty-third, what one avoids will let one pass beyond danger. One hundred and twenty-fourth, what one avoids will not free one from danger. One hundred and twenty-fifth, the place where one dwells, its people are at peace. One hundred and twenty-sixth, the place where one dwells holds obstacle and difficulty. One hundred and twenty-seventh, the community one relies on is not at peace. One hundred and twenty-eighth, a quiet, secluded place holds no difficulty at all. One hundred and twenty-ninth, a strange portent observed brings no harm. One hundred and thirtieth, a strange portent observed brings harm. One hundred and thirty-first, a strange portent observed — diligent practice brings peace. One hundred and thirty-second, a dream observed brings no harm. One hundred and thirty-third, a dream observed brings harm. One hundred and thirty-fourth, a dream observed — diligent practice brings peace. One hundred and thirty-fifth, a dream observed is auspicious and favorable. One hundred and thirty-sixth, a hindering disturbance observed will swiftly be left behind. One hundred and thirty-seventh, a hindering disturbance observed will gradually be left behind. One hundred and thirty-eighth, a hindering disturbance observed will not be left behind. One hundred and thirty-ninth, a hindering disturbance observed will be removed by single-minded practice. One hundred and fortieth, a difficulty observed will swiftly be escaped. One hundred and forty-first, a difficulty observed will be escaped only after a long time. One hundred and forty-second, a difficulty observed will bring decline and distress. One hundred and forty-third, a difficulty observed will be escaped through diligent practice. One hundred and forty-fourth, a difficulty observed — one's life will come to its end. One hundred and forty-fifth, an affliction observed is gravely out of balance. One hundred and forty-sixth, an affliction observed is the vexation of a non-human spirit. One hundred and forty-seventh, an affliction observed is joined with a non-human cause. One hundred and forty-eighth, an affliction observed can be treated and cured. One hundred and forty-ninth, an affliction observed is difficult to treat and cure. One hundred and fiftieth, an affliction observed will improve through diligent practice. One hundred and fifty-first, an affliction observed will bring long-lasting suffering. One hundred and fifty-second, an affliction observed will improve of itself. One hundred and fifty-third, the physician one turns to will be able to treat it. One hundred and fifty-fourth, the treatment given is the proper remedy. One hundred and fifty-fifth, the medicine taken will take effect. One hundred and fifty-sixth, the affliction observed will be removed and cured. One hundred and fifty-seventh, the physician one turns to will not be able to treat it. One hundred and fifty-eighth, the treatment given is not the proper remedy. One hundred and fifty-ninth, the medicine taken will not take effect. One hundred and sixtieth, the affliction observed — one's life will come to its end.
Zhixu's Shu divides these one hundred and eighty-nine readings into exactly the three groups the sūtra itself signals by its next two sections: one hundred and sixty numbers covering retribution in the present life (readings 1–160, immediately above), eleven covering the realm one has come from in a past life (161–171, the next section), and eighteen covering the destiny awaiting one after death (172–189, the section after that). He treats the sheer breadth of the first group — spanning everything from which vehicle one is fit to practice, through mundane concerns of wealth, office, marriage, and companionship, to the success of a specific medical treatment — as itself a piece of doctrine: the method makes no distinction in principle between a question about final liberation and a question about whether a particular physician can cure a particular illness. Both are simply retribution, arising from the same causes and conditions, and both are equally proper matters for the same wheel.
Eleven Origins, Eighteen Destinies
一百六十一者，從地獄道中來。一百六十二者，從畜生道中來。一百六十三者，從餓鬼道中來。一百六十四者，從阿修羅道中來。一百六十五者，從人道中而來。一百六十六者，從天道中而來。一百六十七者，從在家中而來。一百六十八者，從出家中而來。一百六十九者，曾值佛供養來。一百七十者，曾親供養賢聖來。一百七十一者，曾得聞深法來。
一百七十二者，捨身已入地獄。一百七十三者，捨身已作畜生。一百七十四者，捨身已作餓鬼。一百七十五者，捨身已作阿修羅。一百七十六者，捨身已生人道。一百七十七者，捨身已為人王。一百七十八者，捨身已生天道。一百七十九者，捨身已為天王。一百八十者，捨身已聞深法。一百八十一者，捨身已得出家。一百八十二者，捨身已值聖僧。一百八十三者，捨身已生兜率天。一百八十四者，捨身已生淨佛國。一百八十五者，捨身已尋見佛。一百八十六者，捨身已住下乘。一百八十七者，捨身已住中乘。一百八十八者，捨身已獲果證。一百八十九者，捨身已住上乘。
「善男子！是名一百八十九種善惡果報差別之相。如此占法，隨心所觀主念之事，若數合與意相當者，無有乖錯。若其所擲所合之數，與心所觀主念之事不相當者，謂不至心，名為虛謬。其有三擲而皆無所現者，此人則名已得無所得也。」
One hundred and sixty-first, one has come from the hell realm. One hundred and sixty-second, one has come from the animal realm. One hundred and sixty-third, one has come from the hungry-ghost realm. One hundred and sixty-fourth, one has come from the asura realm. One hundred and sixty-fifth, one has come from the human realm. One hundred and sixty-sixth, one has come from the heavenly realm. One hundred and sixty-seventh, one has come from a lay household. One hundred and sixty-eighth, one has come from monastic life. One hundred and sixty-ninth, one has come having once met a buddha and made offerings. One hundred and seventieth, one has come having once personally made offerings to the sages and worthies. One hundred and seventy-first, one has come having once heard the profound Dharma.
One hundred and seventy-second, having relinquished this body, one enters hell. One hundred and seventy-third, having relinquished this body, one becomes an animal. One hundred and seventy-fourth, having relinquished this body, one becomes a hungry ghost. One hundred and seventy-fifth, having relinquished this body, one becomes an asura. One hundred and seventy-sixth, having relinquished this body, one is born in the human realm. One hundred and seventy-seventh, having relinquished this body, one becomes a king among men. One hundred and seventy-eighth, having relinquished this body, one is born in the heavenly realm. One hundred and seventy-ninth, having relinquished this body, one becomes a king among the gods. One hundred and eightieth, having relinquished this body, one hears the profound Dharma. One hundred and eighty-first, having relinquished this body, one is able to leave home. One hundred and eighty-second, having relinquished this body, one meets a sage of the Saṅgha. One hundred and eighty-third, having relinquished this body, one is born in Tuṣita Heaven. One hundred and eighty-fourth, having relinquished this body, one is born in a pure buddha-land. One hundred and eighty-fifth, having relinquished this body, one soon beholds a buddha. One hundred and eighty-sixth, having relinquished this body, one abides in the lesser vehicle. One hundred and eighty-seventh, having relinquished this body, one abides in the middle vehicle. One hundred and eighty-eighth, having relinquished this body, one attains the realization of the fruit. One hundred and eighty-ninth, having relinquished this body, one abides in the highest vehicle.
"Good son! These are called the one hundred and eighty-nine kinds of mark distinguishing good and evil karmic retribution. In this method of divination, whatever matter one has fixed one's mind on observing, if the total cast corresponds to one's intention, there is no discrepancy or error. But if the total cast and summed does not correspond to the matter one had fixed one's mind on observing, it means one was not utterly sincere, and this is called a false and mistaken casting. And whoever, having cast three times, finds nothing at all appears, this person is called one who has already attained the attainment of nothing to attain."
Zhixu addresses directly the question this closing line seems to invite: if someone has already "attained the attainment of nothing to attain" — a description he identifies with an arhat's realization — why would such a person ever need to consult a wheel at all? His answer distinguishes two kinds of liberation: one who has attained the unconditioned wisdom of full liberation (俱解脫) genuinely has no further use for divination, but one who is liberated by wisdom alone (慧解脫) has attained cessation without the same depth of meditative mastery, and can, under sufficiently adverse conditions, still temporarily regress — he cites the case, reported elsewhere in the canon, of an arhat who came so close to falling back from his attainment seven times over that he finally took his own life rather than risk an eighth. Even a very high attainment, on this reading, is not immune to needing a genuine diagnostic tool; the wheel's value does not taper off once a practitioner has made real progress; if anything, what taper off are the more common causes of a false reading, since a mind that has already broken through self-grasping has correspondingly less left to obstruct its own sincerity.
Divining for Others, and the Sūtra's Warning Against Fortune-Tellers
「復次，善男子！若自發意，觀於他人所受果報，事亦同爾。若有他人不能自占，而來求請欲使占者，應當籌量觀察自心，不貪世間，內意清淨，然後乃可如上，歸敬修行供養，至心發願而為占察。不應貪求世間名利，如行師道，以自妨亂。又若內心不清淨者，設令占察而不相當，但為虛謬耳。
「復次，若未來世諸眾生等，一切所占，不獲吉善，所求不得，種種憂慮，逼惱怖懼時，應當晝夜常勤誦念我之名字。若能至心者，所占則吉，所求皆獲，現離衰惱。」
"Furthermore, good son, if one sets one's own intention to observe the retribution received by another person, the matter is handled just the same way. If another person, unable to divine for themselves, comes and asks to have it divined for them, one should first weigh and examine one's own mind — not coveting worldly gain, one's inner intention pure — and only then may one, as described above, take refuge, practice, make offerings, and with utmost sincerity make one's vow before divining for them. One must not covet worldly fame and profit, acting like one who plies a trade as a fortune-teller, and thereby hinder and confuse oneself. And if one's inner mind is not pure, then even if one performs the divination, it will not correspond to anything, and will simply be false and mistaken.
"Furthermore, if sentient beings of the ages to come find that everything they divine turns out unfavorable, that what they seek is not obtained, and they are beset by every kind of anxiety, distress, and fear, they should constantly and diligently call and recite my name, day and night. If they are able to do so with utmost sincerity, then what they divine will turn favorable, what they seek will all be obtained, and they will presently be freed from misfortune."
Zhixu reads the warning against "acting like one who plies a trade as a fortune-teller" (如行師道) as the sūtra closing the loop it opened at the very start of Part 1: a method built to dissolve doubt collapses into exactly the worldly practice it explicitly disowns the moment it is performed for a fee or for reputation — "邪人行正法，正法亦成邪故" ("when a corrupted person practices even a correct Dharma, that correct Dharma itself becomes corrupted by it"). The wheel-marks do not carry their own immunity to misuse; what keeps them from becoming ordinary fortune-telling is entirely the state of mind — free of worldly craving, inwardly clean — that the person casting them brings to the rite that precedes every throw.
On the closing instruction — recite the name until an unfavorable reading turns favorable — Zhixu draws the conclusion that follows from taking this seriously in the other direction as well: "准此，則所占雖吉，若恣情放逸，不更修善，亦當不久還受衰惱矣" ("by the same logic, even a favorable reading, if one grows indulgent and lax and stops cultivating good, will before long give way to misfortune again"). Neither a good cast nor a bad one is ever the end of the matter; both are simply information that returns the practitioner to practice — favorable results a summons to keep going, unfavorable ones a summons to sincere recitation and repentance, exactly as Part 1 said of the very first wheel.
Part 3 Complete — Fascicle One Closes
This closes Part 3, and with it the sūtra's first fascicle: the third and final wheel-mark, whose one hundred and eighty-nine possible readings the sūtra explicitly grounds in the same "one real realm" its own six-faculty cosmology derives from a single undivided root; its warning that this method curdles into ordinary fortune-telling the instant it is practiced for profit rather than sincerity; and its closing promise that a mind sincere enough can turn even a run of unfavorable readings around. Part 4 opens the sūtra's second fascicle and its true center of gravity — the "one real realm" the third wheel has already named, unfolded here as the sūtra's own account of mind-nature itself.
Continue to Part 4 — The One Real Realm →