The Six Entrances of Illusions
“Further, Ananda, why do I say that the six entrances of illusions are fundamentally the Absolute Nature of the Tathagata Store? Although staring causes fatigue to the eyes, both the eye and the stress originate from Bodhi. And the seeing arises in the states of light and darkness, therefore it has no independent substance that exists apart from light and dark.
“Thus, Ananda, you should know that seeing comes from neither light nor dark, neither the organ of sight nor emptiness. Why? If it came from light, it would cease to exist when it is dark, and you would not see darkness. If it came from dark, it would cease to exist when there is light, and you would not see light. If it came from the sense organ, there would be no light and darkness, and the essence of perception would have no nature of its own. If it came from emptiness, it would also see the organ of sight, and would have nothing to do with entrance through the eyes. Therefore, you should know that entrance through the sight is false, and that it is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.
“Ananda, for example, if a person suddenly closes his ears with two fingers, he will hear sound in his head. Both the closing as well as the hearing come from Bodhi. And you should know that hearing comes neither from motion nor stillness, and neither from the ears nor emptiness. Why? Because if it came from motion, it would cease to exist when there is stillness and would not hear of stillness. If it came from stillness, it would cease to exist when there is motion and would not hear of motion. If it came from a sense organ, this faculty of hearing would have no self-nature since there would be neither stillness nor motion. If it came from emptiness, emptiness would then become hearing and no longer be emptiness. Therefore, you should know that entrance through the ears is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.
“Ananda, for example, suppose a person suddenly holds his breath, there will be a sensation of cold in his nose. Because of this sensation, he can distinguish ventilation from suffocation, and emptiness from fullness, and he can smell fragrance and odors. Both the breath-holding as well as the sensation of the nose originate from Bodhi. You should know that smelling comes neither from ventilation nor obstruction, and neither from the nose nor emptiness. Why? Because if it came from ventilation, it would cease to exist when there is obstruction. If it came from obstruction, it would cease to be clear and fail to come into contact with fragrance or odors. If it came from a sense organ, this faculty of smelling would have no self-nature since there would be neither ventilation nor obstruction. If it came from emptiness, emptiness would then have smell and no longer be emptiness. Therefore, you should know that entrance through the nose is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.
“Ananda, if for instance, a person repeatedly licks his lips with his tongue, he will have fatigue from the licking. If he is sick, he will experience a bitter taste; if he is healthy, he will have a subtle sweet taste. Sweetness and bitterness demonstrate the tongue’s sense of taste, which is usually tasteless in the absence of stirring. Both the fatigue and the taste are only illusion arising from Bodhi. The illusion is due to false externals such as bitterness or sweetness and then drawn into Alaya’s perception (Storehouse Consciousness) which is called taste. It has no independent substance apart from flavors such as sweetness, bitterness, and tastelessness. You should know that this perception of taste comes neither from the flavors, nor from the sense organ, nor from emptiness. Because if it came from flavors, it would vanish in the state of no-flavors. If it came from the tongue (which is originally neither sweet nor bitter nor tasteless), this faculty of tasting would have no self-nature. If it came from emptiness, the emptiness would then have taste and no longer be emptiness. Therefore, you should know that entrance through the tongue is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.
“Ananda, now suppose a person touches his warm hand with his cold hand. If the cold exceeds the warmth, his warm hand will become cold. If the warmth exceeds the cold, his cold hand will become warm. The sensation of warmth or cold is felt through the contact and separation of the two hands. The contact, the hands, and the feeling experienced are only illusion arising from Bodhi. The illusion occurs where there are false conditions of contact and separation, which is then drawn into Alaya’s perception called touch. It has no nature independent of conditions. You should know that this perception of touch comes neither from contact nor from separation, neither from sense organ nor from emptiness. If it came from contact, it would vanish in the state of separation. If it came from a sense organ, it would be free from other conditions, then the body that feels the conditions would have no self-nature. If it came from emptiness, the emptiness would feel the touch and no longer be emptiness. Therefore, you should know that entrance through the hands is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.
“Ananda, now again, suppose a person goes to sleep when he is tired. After a night of sound sleep, he awakens and tries to recollect what he experienced while asleep. He recalls some things and forgets others. This is the inverted process of such conditions as birth, stay, change, and death, which are continuously taken into the mind’s central system or inner intellect, each following the next without ever being overtaken. The mind and the experiences all originate from Bodhi. Through perceiving the false conditions such as birth and death, a sense of knowing covers all inner data, which cannot be reached either by seeing or hearing. This knowing has no substance of its own apart from the states of waking and sleeping, or from the conditions of birth and death. Thus, you should know that the organ of knowing comes neither from the states nor from the conditions, and neither from the organ nor from the emptiness. If it came from the waking state, it would cease to exist in the sleeping state. If it came from birth, it would cease to exist at death, then who will die? If it came from death, it would cease at birth, then who is living? If it came from the organ, then while the body experiences the waking and sleeping, the knowing would have no self-nature. If it came from emptiness, the emptiness would know everything and no longer be emptiness. Therefore, entrance through the intellect is neither causal nor conditional nor self-existent.
复次阿难！云何六入，本如来藏妙真如性？
阿难！即彼目睛，瞪发劳者，兼目与劳，同是菩提瞪发劳相。因于明暗二种妄尘，发见居中，吸此尘象，名为见性。此见离彼明暗二尘，毕竟无体。如是阿难！当知是见，非明暗来，非于根出，不于空生。何以故？若从明来，暗即随灭，应非见暗；若从暗来，明即随灭，应无见明。若从根生，必无明暗；如是见精，本无自性。若于空出，前瞩尘象，归当见根；又空自观，何关汝入？是故当知 ，眼入虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
阿难！譬如有人，以两手指，急塞其耳，耳根劳故，头中作声。兼耳与劳，同是菩提瞪发劳相。因于动静二种妄尘，发闻居中，吸此尘象，名听闻性。此闻离彼动静二尘，毕竟无体。如是阿难！当知是闻，非动静来，非于根出，不于空生。何以故？若从静来，动即随灭，应非闻动 ；若从动来，静即随灭，应无觉静。若从根生，必无动静；如是闻体，本无自性。若于空出，有闻成性，即非虚空；又空自闻，何关汝入？是故当知，耳入虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
阿难！譬如有人，急畜其鼻。畜久成劳，则于鼻中，闻有冷触。因触分别，通塞虚实，如是乃至诸香臭气。兼鼻与劳，同是菩提瞪发劳相。因于通塞二种妄尘，发闻居中，吸此尘象，名嗅闻性。此闻离彼通塞二尘，毕竟无体。当知是闻，非通塞来，非于根出，不于空生。何以故？若从通来，塞则闻灭，云何知塞？如因塞有，通则无闻，云何发明香臭等触？若从根生，必无通塞；如是闻机，本无自性。若从空出，是闻自当回嗅汝鼻；空自有闻，何关汝入？是故当知 ，鼻入虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
阿难！譬如有人，以舌舐吻，熟舐令劳。其人若病，则有苦味；无病之人，微有甜触。由甜与苦，显此舌根；不动之时，淡性常在。兼舌与劳，同是菩提瞪发劳相。因甜苦淡二种妄尘，发知居中，吸此尘象，名知味性。此知味性，离彼甜苦及淡二尘，毕竟无体。如是阿难！当知如是尝苦淡知，非甜苦来，非因淡有，又非根出，不于空生。何以故？若甜苦来，淡则知灭，云何知淡？若从淡出，甜即知亡，复云何知甜苦二相？若从舌生，必无甜淡及与苦尘；斯知味根，本无自性。若于空出，虚空自味，非汝口知；又空自知，何关汝入？是故当知 ，舌入虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
阿难！譬如有人，以一冷手，触于热手。若冷势多，热者从冷；若热功胜，冷者成热。如是以此合觉之触，显于离知；涉势若成，因于劳触。兼身与劳，同是菩提瞪发劳相。因于离合二种妄尘，发觉居中，吸此尘象，名知觉性。此知觉体，离彼离合违顺二尘，毕竟无体。如是阿难！当知是觉，非离合来，非违顺有，不于根出，又非空生。何以故？若合时来，离当已灭，云何觉离？违顺二相，亦复如是。若从根出，必无离合 违顺四相；则汝身知，元无自性。必于空出，空自知觉，何关汝入？是故当知，身入虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
阿难！譬如有人，劳倦则眠，睡熟便寤；览尘斯忆，失忆为忘。是其颠倒，生住异灭。吸习中归，不相逾越，称意知根。兼意与劳，同是菩提瞪发劳相。因于生灭二种妄尘，集知居中 ，吸撮内尘，见闻逆流，流不及地，名觉知性。此觉知性，离彼寤寐生灭二尘，毕竟无体。如是阿难！当知如是觉知之根，非寤寐来，非生灭有，不于根出，亦非空生。何以故？若从寤来，寐即随灭，将何为寐？必生时有，灭即同无，令谁受灭？若从灭有，生即灭无，谁知生者？若从根出，寤寐二相，随身开合 ；离斯二体，此觉知者，同于空华，毕竟无性。若从空出，自是空知，何关汝入？是故当知，意入虚妄，本非因缘，非自然性。
Buddha Mind 