Or Perhaps the Mind Has No Specific Location?
“World-Honored One,” Ananda said to the Buddha, “now I recall that in the past, when the Buddha turned the Dharma Wheel with four of the great disciples – Mahamaudgalyayana, Subhuti, Purna, and Sariputra, I have heard the Buddha say that the mind which has awareness and makes distinctions is located neither inside nor outside, nor in the middle; that it is located in none of the perceived places. So, I am wondering that maybe the mind has no specific location?”
The Buddha replied, “You say the mind is not located anywhere at all. But everything in the world – the space, the land, the waters, and all creatures that fly and walk — in fact, all things existing in this world do have specific locations.
“If the mind is located nowhere, then it is an absurdity — like a turtle with fur or a hare with horns. How could something that exists not have a specific location? Everything that exists has attributes. And everything that has attributes does have a location. Therefore, you should know that when you say the mind which knows and discerns has no specific location, you are stating what is impossible.”
阿难白佛言：世尊！我昔见佛与大目连、须菩提、富楼那、舍利弗四大弟子，共转法轮。常言：觉知分别心性，既不在内，亦不在外，不在中间，俱无所在 ；一切无着，名之为心。则我无着，名为心不？
佛告阿难：汝言觉知分别心性，俱无在者。世间虚空水陆飞行，诸所物象，名为一切，汝不著者，为在为无？无则同于龟毛兔角，云何不着？有不著者，不可名无 ；无相则无，非无则相，相有则在，云何无着？是故应知，一切无着，名觉知心，无有是处。
Buddha Mind 