Is the Mind in the Eyes?
Ānanda said to the Buddha, “Indeed, Your Holiness, since I do not see inside my body, my mind is not located there, and because the body and mind work together without separation, my mind is not outside my body either. Now that I think of it, I know just where the mind is.”
The Buddha said, “Where is it, then?”
Ānanda replied, “Since the mind sees nothing of what is inside but can see what is outside, I believe, upon reflection, that the mind is hidden in the eyes. The eye-faculty is like two transparent crystal cups over the mind – although the cups cover the mind, they do not obstruct the mind’s vision. In this way the mind can see and make discernments accordingly. So, my mind that knows yet does not see inside must be hidden in the eye-faculty, through which it gazes at what is outside the body, seeing clearly and without impediment.”
The Buddha said, “Let us assume the mind is hidden in the eyes, as you asserted in your analogy of the crystals. When someone places crystal cups over his eyes and looks at the mountains, the rivers, and all else on this great earth, does he see the crystal cups too?”
“He does, Your Holiness. He sees the crystal cups when he places them over his eyes.”
The Buddha then said, “If your mind can be compared to someone’s eyes being covered with crystals, then when you look at the world of perceived objects, why don’t you see your own eyes? Since you cannot see your eyes, how could you say that the mind that makes distinctions is concealed within the eye-faculty, like being covered by crystal cups? On the other hand, if you could see your eyes, your eyes would be part of your external surroundings. In that case your mind and eyes would not be able to work together to make distinctions. So, in either case, you’re stating what is impossible.”
阿難白佛言：世尊，如佛所言，不見內故，不居身內。身心相知，不相離故，不在身外。我今思惟，知在一處。佛言：處今何在。阿難言：此了知心，既不知內，而能見外。如我思忖，潛伏根裏。猶如有人，取琉璃碗，合其兩眼。雖有物合，而不留礙。彼根隨見，隨即分別。然我覺了能知之心，不見內者，為在根故。分明矚外，無障礙者，潛根內故。佛告阿難。如汝所言，潛根內者，猶如琉璃。彼人當以琉璃籠眼，當見山河，見琉璃不。如是，世尊，是人當以琉璃籠眼，實見琉璃。佛告阿難。汝心若同琉璃合。者當見山河，何不見眼。若見眼者，眼即同境，不得成隨。若不能見，云何說言此了知心，潛在根內，如琉璃合。是故應知，汝言覺了能知之心，潛伏根裏，如琉璃合，無有是處。
Buddha Mind 