The Five Aggregates
“Ananda, you are still not clear about the illusory appearances of all ephemeral phenomena which vanish right where they arise. These illusions in the shape of forms spring from their underlying nature, which is the wonderful Bodhi. So are the six portals (organs), the twelve ayatana (six sense organs and six sense data) and the eighteen realms of senses, which falsely arise from the mixture and union of causes and conditions and falsely vanish when the same causes and conditions are disconnected. They are but creation and destruction appearing and vanishing within the wonderfully bright, permanent, immutable, all-embracing Absolute Nature (Bhutatathata) of the Tathagata Store, wherein neither coming nor going, neither delusion nor enlightenment, and neither birth nor death can be found.
“Why do I say that the five aggregates/skandhas are fundamentally the wondrous nature of the Absolute Tathagata? Ananda, when a man looks at a clear sky with clear eyes, he sees only the void containing nothing. If for no particular reason he overstrains his gaze, then his seeing is disturbed, and he starts seeing flowers dancing in the sky.
“Ananda, these illusory flowers come neither from the void nor from his eyes. If they came from the void, they would return to it; if there were really such a coming and going of these flowers, the void would not be empty. If the void was not empty but was solid, then those flowers would not be able to appear or disappear in it. It is just like Ananda’s body, which cannot contain another Ananda.
“If the flowers came from the eyes, they should be able to return to the eyes, and they should be able to see things because they come from the faculty of seeing. In that case (that they had vision), then when they leave the eyes and go out to space, they should be able to turn around and see the organ of sight. If they didn’t have vison, then they would obscure the sky when they leave and obscure the eyes when they return.
“But as we know, when the man sees the flowers, his eyes are not obscured. Usually when people see the clear sky, they say their vision is clear, isn’t it? Therefore, you should know that the form skandha is unreal, for it is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.
“Ananda, when a man is in good health and his limbs are in good condition, he does not feel anything. But if suddenly, without any reason, he rubs his palms together, he feels coarseness or smoothness, cold or warmth. It is the same with the second aggregate, the feeling skandha. Such sensations come from neither the void nor his palms.
“If they came from the void, why would they be felt by his palms only and not by his body? If they came from his palms, they should not have waited for the palms to be brought together to be felt. Moreover, if they really come from his palms and are felt when the latter are brought together, then when they are separated, these sensations should re-enter the body, which should feel their re-entry.
“And they should also be felt by the mind as coming in and out, as if something going in and out of the body. If so, there would be no need to bring the two palms together in the first place, in order to feel these sensations. Therefore, you should know that the feeling/sensation skandha is unreal, for it is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.
“Ananda, if someone speaks of sour plums, your mouth will start watering, and if you think of walking above an overhanging cliff, your legs will start shivering. This is because of the third aggregate, the thinking skandha. The reaction to the mention of plums does not come from the plums, nor does it come from your mouth. If it came from the plums, it should be spoken of by the plum itself. If it came from the mouth, it should be your mouth which talks about it in the first place, and not through someone else. If it’s your ears alone hearing it, why the water does not come out of the ears? This is the same with your thought of walking above a cliff. Therefore, you should know that the thinking skandha is unreal, for it is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.
“Ananda, the fourth aggregate, the activity skandha, is like water which flows in a torrent endlessly over a fall. This flow does not come from the void nor is it due to the water; it is neither the water itself nor does it exist apart from the void and the water. If it were created by the void, boundless space would become an endless flow of water and the whole world would be submerged. If it were due to the water, then it should have its own form and location. And it is impossible for it to exist apart from the void and water, since space is all-embracing and there is no flow without water. Therefore, you should know that the activity skandha is unreal, for it is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.
“Ananda, the fifth aggregate, the consciousness skandha, is like the void in an empty pitcher with two holes. If someone blocks both holes and carries it to another location, the void does not go from one place to another. If the void travelled from one place to another, then the original place should lose some of its voidness, and on arriving elsewhere, one should see the void being poured out of it when the pitcher is opened and the holes are unblocked. Therefore, you should know that the consciousness skandha is unreal, for it is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.”
阿难！汝犹未明，一切浮尘诸幻化相，当处出生，随处灭尽，幻妄称相，其性真为妙觉明体。如是乃至五阴六入，从十二处至十八界 ，因缘和合，虚妄有生；因缘别离，虚妄名灭。殊不能知，生灭去来，本如来藏，常住妙明不动周圆妙真如性。性真常中，求于去 来迷悟生死，了无所得。
阿难！云何五阴，本如来藏妙真如性？
阿难！譬如有人，以清净目，观晴明空，唯一晴虚，迥无所有。其人无故，不动目睛，瞪以发劳。则于虚空 ，别见狂华，复有一切狂乱非相。色阴当知，亦复如是。阿难！是诸狂华，非从空来，非从目出。如是阿难！若空来者，既从空来，还从空入 ；若有出入，即非虚空。空若非空，自不容其华相起灭；如阿难体，不容阿难。若目出者，既从目出，还从目入 ；即此华性，从目出故，当合有见。若有见者，去既华空，旋合见眼；若无见者，出既翳空，旋当翳眼。又见华时，目应无翳，云何晴空 ，号清明眼？是故当知，色阴虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
阿难！譬如有人，手足宴安，百骸调适，忽如忘生，性无违顺。其人无故，以二手掌，于空相摩。于二手中 ，妄生涩滑，冷热诸相。受阴当知，亦复如是。阿难！是诸幻触，不从空来，不从掌出。如是阿难！若空来者，既能触掌，何不触身？不应虚空选择来触 。若从掌出，应非待合。又掌出故，合则掌知；离则触入，臂腕骨髓，应亦觉知入时踪迹。必有觉心，知出知入，自有一物身中往来，何待合知，要名为触？是故当知 ，受阴虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
阿难！譬如有人，谈说酢梅，口中水出；思蹋悬崖，足心酸涩。想阴当知，亦复如是。阿难！如是酢说，不从梅生，非从口入。如是阿难！若梅生者，梅合自谈，何待人说？若从口入，自合口闻，何须待耳？若独耳闻，此水何不耳中而出？思蹋悬崖，与说相类。是故当知 ，想阴虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
阿难！譬如暴流，波浪相续，前际后际，不相逾越。行阴当知，亦复如是。阿难，如是流性，不因空生，不因水有 ，亦非水性，非离空水。如是阿难！若因空生，则诸十方无尽虚空，成无尽流，世界自然俱受沦溺。若因水有，则此暴流，性应非水 。有所有相，今应现在。若即水性，则澄清时，应非水体。若离空水，空非有外，水外无流。是故当知，行阴虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
阿难！譬如有人，取频伽瓶，塞其两孔，满中擎空，千里远行，用饷他国。识阴当知，亦复如是。阿难！如是虚空非彼方来，非此方入。如是阿难！若彼方来，则本瓶中既贮空去，于本瓶地应少虚空 。若此方入，开孔倒瓶，应见空出。是故当知，识阴虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
Buddha Mind 