The Seven Primary Elements
Ananda said to the Buddha, “I often hear the Tathagata talking about the mixture of conditions, saying that all transformations in the world are due to the uniting of four elements. Why does the Tathagata negate all concepts of spontaneity? I do not know how to understand it now. Please compassionately explain it in full to save all living beings from getting stuck in idle theories.”
The Buddha replied, “You have renounced the Small Vehicle Dharma of Voice Hearers and have resolved to diligently seek unsurpassed Bodhi. Therefore, I will show you the Supreme Truth. But why do you still bind yourself up in the false mind-patterns of worldly people? You are very learned, yet you are like someone who can talk about medicines but cannot distinguish real medicine from false ones when it is placed before you. Now listen attentively to what I am about to tell you, so that you all can cultivate the Great Vehicle, penetrate appearances, and attain Reality.
“Ananda, as you have said, when the four elements mix and fuse, they cause all kinds of transformation in the world. But they cannot mix and unite if it is against their nature, just like empty space cannot combine with form. Once they mix and unite though, they depend on each other for existence from beginningless to endless. In the process of transformation, they are subject to birth and death in endless succession, like the unbroken wheel of fire caused by a torch being spun in a circle.
“Ananda, the process is like water becoming ice and ice becoming water again.
“Now let us look at the element of earth, which ranges in size from the great earth to a tiny speck of dust. Then split this speck which is near to nothing and reduce it to the finest mote. Then split it again and again until it becomes the void. Ananda, if this mote can be reduced to nothing, you should know that form comes from the void.
“Now let us take the tinniest mote which is nearest to the void and see how much voidness should be mixed and united to produce it? We can then see that it is absurd to suppose that it can be done by uniting motes. A mote can be split and reduced to voidness, but how many particles of form should be fused together to create the void? The union of form with form produces form but not voidness, and the union of void with void produces voidness but not form. Besides, although form can be split up, how can emptiness be massed together?
“You simply do not know that the nature of form is emptiness, and the nature of emptiness is form – both form and emptiness are identical, arising from self-nature. Pure at its origin, the element of earth pervades the Dharma Realm and manifests in response to living beings’ individual capacity of knowing, in accordance with the laws of karma. Ignorant worldly people wrongly attribute its origin to causes, conditions, or to spontaneity. These delusions, which arise from the discriminating and reasoning processes of the conscious mind, are nothing but the child play of empty words.
“Ananda, fire has no nature of its own but exists because of external causes and conditions. When people in a town are about the prepare their meals, they hold up a speculum to obtain fire from the sun. Now let us look into your suggestion that the fire comes forth from mixing and uniting. Take our community as example, which consists of you, I, and other bhikshus. Though the group is one, each member has his own body, clan and name, like Sariputra is a Brahman, Uruvilva is a Kasyapa, and you, Ananda, comes from the Gautama clan.
“Ananda, suppose fire came from the mixture and fusion of the elements, when a mirror is held up to obtain fire from the sun, would the fire come from the mirror, or the moxa tinder, or the sun? If it came from the sun, not only it would burn the moxa in your hand, but it should also scorch all the trees. If it came from the mirror, the mirror should get melt and your hand should get burned. If it came from the moxa, why would you need the sun and the mirror? Look at the speculum held in the hand, the sun high up in the sky, and the moxa grown from the ground – they are very far apart and obviously don’t mix and unite with each other. And fire cannot exist by itself either, without an origin.
“You simply do not realize that both fire and emptiness arise from the self-nature, and they are identical with each other – that the element of fire is fundamentally pure, that it pervades the Dharma Realm and manifests because the minds of living beings make distinctions about things. You should know that fire is generated wherever a person holds a speculum to the sunlight, and that if mirrors are held up throughout the Dharma Realm, fire would spring up everywhere. To what extent it will be experienced is dictated by the laws of karma. Ignorant worldly people wrongly attribute its origin to spontaneity without realizing that it is their consciousnesses making all the discriminations and distinctions. These delusions, which arise from the discriminating and reasoning processes of the conscious mind, are nothing but the child play of empty words.
“Ananda, water is unstable by nature. It is either flowing or being still. Kapila, Chakra, Padma, Hasta, and all other great magicians in Shravasti often obtain water to mix with their drugs by holding up a crystal ball to the light of a full moon at midnight. Does the water come from the ball, the moon or the void?
“If the water came from the distant moon, it would also flow through all the grass and trees on its way to the crystal ball. Since no water drips from the trees, obviously the water does not descend from the moon. If it came from the crystal ball, it would flow regularly, not only when the moon is full. If it came from the void of space, which is boundless, it would then flow everywhere, submerging everything – how could living beings still walk on the earth, fly in the air, and swim in the water? Yet meanwhile it would be absurd to say that the water does not come from any source.
“You still do not know that in the Tathagata Store the nature of water is true emptiness, and the nature of emptiness is true water. Pure in its origin, it pervades the Dharma Realm. It accords with living beings’ minds, in response to their capacity to know. Thus water flows wherever crystal balls are used to collect it. Since water can come forth throughout the entire world, can there be any fixed place to which it is confined? It is experienced in accordance with the laws of karma. Ignorant worldlings wrongly attribute it to causes, conditions or spontaneity. These mistakes, arisen from the discriminations of the mind, are nothing but the play of language which has no real meaning.
“Ananda, the nature of wind is emptiness. It is neither always in motion nor always still. As you enter the great assembly, you always adjust your robe, and when the corner of it brushes the person next to you, that person can feel a slight breeze. Does this puff of wind come from the corner of your robe? Or does it arise from the space? Or does it come from the person next to you?
“If the wind arose from the corner of your robe, you would be then clad in the wind, and your robe would billow out and fly off your body. Yet as I am now expounding upon the Dharma in the midst of the assembly, my robe remains still. Look at my robe – it hangs straight down, where is the wind? There is nowhere in the robe for the wind to hide.
“If the wind came from space, then why wouldn’t it brush against the person when your robe did not move? Moreover, space is always present, so the wind should be constantly blowing if it came from space. Besides, since we don’t see any wind now, does it mean that the empty space ceases to exist as well? But if it’s something that came into being and then ceased to be, it wouldn’t be called space or emptiness in the first place, would it?
“Suppose the wind came from the person next to you, then it would be you rather than your neighbor feeling the breeze. Therefore, it cannot be the case either.
“To sum up – it is you who adjust the robe; it is your neighbor who feels the breeze; space itself remains still. From where then does the wind come from? Wind and space cannot mix with each other; the wind has got to have an origin of its own. You still do not know that in the Tathagata Store, the nature of wind is emptiness, and emptiness is wind, which is fundamentally pure and pervades throughout the Dharma Realm. The extent to which a living being realizes this depends on each individual’s capacity of understanding.
“Ananda, in the same way that when you move your robe a puff of wind arises, it can arise anywhere throughout the Dharma Realm. How could it be confined to one particular place? The extent to which a living being can experience it depends on each individual’s karma. People in the world, due to their ignorance, mistakenly suppose that the wind comes into being from causes and conditions or on its own. These mistakes arise from the reasoning processes of the conscious mind, which produces all kinds of constructs, distinctions and discriminations – they are merely empty wordplay, devoid of any real meaning.
“Ananda, the nature of space is emptiness, which has no shape. It is discerned only in the presence of form. For instance, when the Brahmins and all the clans build their homes in the city of Shravasti, which is far from the river, they have to dig wells to find water. When a foot of earth is removed, a foot of emptiness is discerned. When ten feet of soil are dug out, ten feet of emptiness are discerned. How much space is discerned depends on how much earth has been removed. Now, does the space in the well come into being out of the soil? Does it come into being because of the digging? Or does it come into being on its own?
“Ananda, suppose it came on its own without any cause, then why it didn’t show up before the well was dug? If it came out of the soil, then we should have seen it entering the well as the soil was removed. If it came about because of the digging, then the digging should have brought the emptiness out of the well along with the dirt. The soil that is removed is solid matter, while the space is insubstantial matter – they simply do not function on the same plane.
“Although the nature of emptiness is all-pervasive, it is basically unmoving. You should know that the true nature of earth, water, fire, wind, together with space, which we may consider as five primary elements, are completely interfused with each other, and are one with the Tathagata Store, fundamentally devoid of production and extinction.
“When we discussed the first four primary elements, Ananda, you didn’t understand that their source is none other than the Tathagata Store, so you still have to wonder where the fifth primary element space comes from. You still do not realize that in the Tathagata Store, the nature of space is emptiness, and emptiness is space. Pure at its origin, space pervades throughout the Dharma Realm. The extent to which a living being can realize this depends on the individual’s capacity of understanding.
“Ananda, when a place is dug and empty of earth, emptiness fills up that place. Likewise, when places in the ten directions are dug, emptiness fills up in the ten directions. Space is everywhere throughout the ten directions – it cannot be limited to one particular place. The extent to which a living being can experience it depends on each individual’s karma. People in the world, due to their ignorance, mistakenly suppose that space comes into being from causes and conditions or on its own. These mistakes arise from the reasoning processes of the conscious mind, which produces all kinds of constructs, distinctions and discriminations – they are merely empty wordplay, devoid of any real meaning.
“Ananda, one does not become visually aware unless space and visible forms are present. For instance, you are now in Prince Jetri’s Grove, where it is light in the morning and dark in the evening. When there is a full moon, it is bright at midnight; when there is no moon, it is dark. You can discern light and darkness because of your visual awareness. Now, Ananda, is your seeing identical to light, darkness and space? Or is it separate from them? Or are they the same yet different? Or are they neither the same nor different?
“If seeing were one with light, darkness, and space, then it would disappear when it is light, or it would cease to exist when it is dark, as light and darkness cancel each other out. Then again, once seeing ceased to exist, how could it perceive light or darkness? Besides, if light and darkness differ from each other, how could they form a unity with seeing in the first place?
“But if we say that seeing is separate from light, darkness, and emptiness, how could we then establish perception when those three qualities are absent? Without light, darkness, and space, how could your visual awareness come to exist? That wouldn’t seem right either.
“Further, since no boundary there is between seeing and space, how can we say they are not the same? On the other hand, since seeing always remains unchanged no matter it is light or it is dark, how can we say they are not different?
“You should examine this matter in great detail, investigate it minutely, contemplate it thoroughly. Light comes from the sun, and it is dark on a moonless night. We can see through space but not through earth. From what does our visual awareness arise? It cannot come into being on its own, without an origin. And it cannot mix with space either, since seeing has awareness, while emptiness is inanimate and insentient.
“Given that the faculties of seeing, hearing, and cognitive awareness are all-pervasive and unmoving, you should know that this consciousness and the stationary infinite space, as well as the moving elements earth, water, fire, and wind, are together known as the six primary elements, and completely interfused with each other, and all devoid of creation and cessation in the Tathagata Store.
“Ananda, your mind is so clouded that you have not yet realized that your seeing, hearing, and knowing are fundamentally the Tathagata Store. You should investigate deeply to see whether your vision awareness, your sound awareness, your touch awareness, and your cognition awareness are subject to creation and cessation or not – do they come into existence and cease to exist? Or do they neither come into being nor ever cease to be? Are they identical to each other or different? Or are they neither identical nor different?
“You still do not know that in the Tathagata Store the true nature of your vision is enlightenment, and the essence of enlightenment is your illuminating awareness. Fundamentally pure, it pervades throughout the Dharma Realm. The extent to which a living being can perceive this depends on their individual capacity of understanding. The same is true for the powers of hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and knowing, which all extend throughout the Dharma Realm. They fill up the entirety of emptiness in the ten directions throughout the Dharma Realm. How could they be limited to just one particular place?
“To what extent a being can experience this is in accord with their individual karma. Ignorant of this fact, people in the world mistakenly believe that awareness comes into existence out of causes and conditions or on its own. These mental distinctions and discriminations, arising from the reasoning processes of the conscious mind, are nothing but empty wordplays without real meaning.
“Ananda, the nature of consciousness has no source, but is a false manifestation based on the six organs and their objects. It comes into being in response to the six faculties and their activities. The manifestation is nothing but an illusion. Look around now at the assembly here. As you glance from one to another, whatever you see is like what is seen in a mirror – it simply stares back at you, without any distinction. However, your consciousness will make distinctions and identify them one by one, for example, as Manjushri, Purnamaitrayaniputra, Maudgalyayana, Subhuti, and Sariputra. Now, does this distinction-making faculty, this primary element consciousness, come from your seeing, or from the objects perceived? Or does it arise from emptiness? Or does it arise on its own without a cause?
“Ananda, suppose your consciousness came from seeing. But in the absence of light, darkness, form, and space, your eye-faculty would not function, then how could your consciousness arise? If your consciousness came from form, then in the absence of light or darkness (when you would not see objects and space), where would your consciousness arise from?
“Now suppose the consciousness came from space rather than form or eye-faculty. But in the absence of seeing and all things perceived (such as light, darkness, and form), how could consciousness arise? The same applies to hearing, touching, and knowing. Even if space could cause your consciousness to arise, how would you be able to make distinction about anything amid nothingness?
“As for whether consciousness comes forth on its own without a cause, let me ask you this – why doesn’t the moon start shining in the sun?
“You should look into this matter closely, investigate it in great detail. Seeing is a function of your eye-faculty. The perceived objects that appear in your environment have form, while space lacks form. Consciousness is active and the eye-faculty is still, so they do not mix. The same is true for consciousness and your ear-faculty, your nose-faculty, your body-faculty, and your cognitive faculty. Given that the primary element consciousness is not caused by any of these factors, you should know that the distinction-making eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness do not come from anywhere.
“So the true nature of consciousness and awareness, together with earth, water, fire, wind, and emptiness, which are called the seven elements, are completely pure and do not come from anything but perfectly interfused with each other in the Tathagata Store, fundamentally devoid of creation and extinction.
“Ananda, your mind is shallow, and your thoughts are too superficial. You simply do not know that inherent in the Tathagata Store there is a deep mind, which is bright and all knowing, and that enlightened brightness is your true consciousness. It is pure, tranquil and wondrous, pervading throughout the Dharma Realm. It encompasses all emptiness of the ten directions and beyond. How could it be confined to one particular location? To what extent a living being can experience it depends on their individual karma. Ignorant of this fact, people in the world try to assign its origin to causes and conditions or spontaneity. These are all limited distinctions and discriminations arisen from the reasoning processes of the conscious mind, merely empty wordplays devoid of real meaning.”
At that time, Ananda and everyone else in the Great Assembly were awestruck by such powerful teachings of the Buddha and felt that their bodies were emptied and minds opened. They were free of all concerns and impediments, realizing that their true consciousness extends to all ten directions, that they could see everything throughout the entirety of space as clearly as one might see a leaf in the palm of one’s hand, and that all things in the world are simply the luminous Buddha Mind that knows, and that this pure, pervading, perfect mind encompasses the entire universe.
Now looking back upon their own bodies born of their parents, they saw that the transient bodies are like dust motes drifting about everywhere in the emptiness, like bubbles floating on vast seas, appearing for a short while before vanishing without a trace, while the fundamental Buddha Mind – the light of the Buddha-nature is everlasting and never perishes.
Bowing to the Buddha with their palms placed together, they spoke verses in praise of the Buddha, for the sublime instructions they received:
“The Foremost Honored One, all-knowing and tranquil,
Surangama, the King of Mantras, most sublime in the world,
It extinguishes my distorted thoughts
Gathered in countless eons past.
So I no longer have to endure asamkhyeya eons
To attain the Dharma-body.
“Now I vow to reach enlightenment
And return as a Dharma-king
To rescue as many beings
As there are sand grains in the Ganges.
This firm resolve I offer in the myriad Buddha-lands.
By this may I repay the kindness shown me by the Buddha.
“I ask the Buddha to be witness as I take this vow
To enter first the murky realms of five turbidities,
If even just one being still has not become a Buddha,
Then I will not take the leisure of Nirvana.
“Greatest in valor and in power! The Most Compassionate One!
I pray you’ll now eradicate even the most subtle of my doubts
And lead me to quickly attain the supreme enlightenment,
And sit in the Bodhimanda of the worlds.
“Should even the vast emptiness shatter,
This Vajra Mind will never waver.”
阿难白佛言：世尊！如来常说，和合因缘，一切世间种种变化，皆因四大和合发明。云何如来，因缘自然 ，二俱排摈？我今不知斯义所属，惟垂哀愍，开示众生，中道了义，无戏论法。
尔时世尊，告阿难言：汝先厌离声闻缘觉诸小乘法，发心勤求无上菩提，故我今时，为汝开示第一义谛。如何复将世间戏论，妄想因缘，而自缠绕 ？汝虽多闻，如说药人，真药现前，不能分别。如来说为真可怜愍！汝今谛听！吾当为汝，分别开示，亦令当来修大乘者，通达实相。阿难默然，承佛圣旨。
阿难！如汝所言，四大和合，发明世间种种变化。阿难！若彼大性，体非和合，则不能与诸大杂和，犹如虚空不和诸色。若和合者，同于变化，始终相成，生灭相续 。生死死生，生生死死，如旋火轮，未有休息。阿难！如水成冰，冰还成水。
汝观地性，粗为大地，细为微尘。至邻虚尘，析彼极微，色边际相，七分所成；更析邻虚，即实空性。阿难 ！若此邻虚，析成虚空，当知虚空出生色相。汝今问言：由和合故，出生世间诸变化相。汝且观此，一邻虚尘，用几虚空 ，和合而有？不应邻虚，合成邻虚。又邻虚尘，析入空者，用几色相，合成虚空？若色合时，合色非空；若空合时，合空非色 。色犹可析，空云何合？汝元不知，如来藏中，性色真空，性空真色，清净本然，周遍法界；随众生心，应所知量。循业发现 。世间无知，惑为因缘及自然性；皆是识心分别计度，但有言说，都无实义。
阿难！火性无我，寄于诸缘。汝观城中，未食之家，欲炊爨时，手执阳燧，日前求火。阿难！名和合者，如我与汝，一千二百五十比丘，今为一众 。众虽为一，诘其根本，各各有身，皆有所生氏族名字。如舍利弗，婆罗门种；优楼频螺，迦叶波种；乃至阿难，瞿昙种姓。阿难 ！若此火性，因和合有，彼手执镜，于日求火，此火为从镜中而出？为从艾出？为于日来？阿难！若日来者，自能烧汝手中之艾 ；来处林木，皆应受焚。若镜中出，自能于镜出然于艾，镜何不镕？纡汝手执，尚无热相，云何融泮？若生于艾，何藉日镜光明相接，然后火生？汝又谛观：镜因手执，日从天来，艾本地生，火从何方游历于此？日镜相远，非和非合，不应火光无从自有 。汝犹不知，如来藏中，性火真空，性空真火，清净本然，周遍法界；随众生心，应所知量。 阿难！当知世人一处执镜，一处火生；遍法界执，满世间起。起遍世间，宁有方所？循业发现。世间无知，惑为因缘及自然性 ；皆是识心分别计度，但有言说，都无实义。
阿难！水性不定，流息无恒。如室罗城迦毗罗仙、斫迦罗仙，及钵头摩、诃萨多等诸大幻师，求太阴精，用和幻药 。是诸师等，于白月昼，手执方诸，承月中水。此水为复从珠中出？空中自有？为从月来？阿难！若从月来，尚能远方令珠出水，所经林木 ，皆应吐流。流则何待方诸所出？不流，明水非从月降。若从珠出，则此珠中，常应流水，何待中宵，承白月昼？若从空生，空性无边，水当无际，从人洎天，皆同滔溺 ，云何复有水陆空行？汝更谛观，月从天陟，珠因手持，承珠水盘，本人敷设，水从何方，流注于此？月珠相远，非和非合 ，不应水精，无从自有。汝尚不知，如来藏中，性水真空，性空真水，清净本然，周遍法界；随众生心，应所知量。一处执珠，一处水出；遍法界执，满法界生 。生满世间，宁有方所？循业发现。世间无知，惑为因缘及自然性；皆是识心分别计度，但有言说，都无实义。
阿难！风性无体，动静不常。汝常整衣，入于大众；僧伽黎角动及傍人，则有微风，拂彼人面。此风为复出袈裟角？发于虚空？生彼人面？阿难 ！此风若复出袈裟角，汝乃披风；其衣飞摇，应离汝体。我今说法，会中垂衣，汝看我衣，风何所在？不应衣中 ，有藏风地。若生虚空，汝衣不动，何因无拂？空性常住，风应常生；若无风时，虚空当灭。灭风可见，灭空何状？若有生灭，不名虚空；名为虚空，云何风出？若风自生被拂之面 ，从彼面生，当应拂汝；自汝整衣，云何倒拂？汝审谛观：整衣在汝，面属彼人，虚空寂然，不参流动；风自谁方鼓动来此？风空性隔，非和非合 ，不应风性，无从自有。汝宛不知，如来藏中，性风真空，性空真风，清净本然，周遍法界；随众生心，应所知量。阿难 ！如汝一人，微动服衣，有微风出；遍法界拂，满国土生。周遍世间，宁有方所？循业发现。世间无知，惑为因缘及自然性 ；皆是识心分别计度，但有言说，都无实义。
阿难！空性无形，因色显发。如室罗城，去河遥处，诸刹利种，及婆罗门、毗舍、首陀，兼颇罗堕、旃陀罗等 ，新立安居，凿井求水。出土一尺，于中则有一尺虚空；如是乃至出土一丈，中间还得一丈虚空。虚空浅深，随出多少。此空为当因土所出？因凿所有？无因自生？阿难 ！若复此空无因自生，未凿土前，何不无碍？唯见大地，迥无通达。若因土出，则土出时，应见空入；若土先出，无空入者，云何虚空因土而出？若无出入，则应空土 ，元无异因；无异则同，则土出时，空何不出？若因凿出，则凿出空，应非出土；不因凿出，凿自出土，云何见空？汝更审谛，谛审谛观 ，凿从人手，随方运转，土因地移，如是虚空，因何所出？凿空虚实，不相为用，非和非合，不应虚空，无从自出。若此虚空，性圆周遍，本不动摇，当知现前地水火风，均名五大，性真圆融，皆如来藏，本无生灭。阿难 ！汝心昏迷，不悟四大元如来藏。当观虚空，为出为入？为非出入？汝全不知，如来藏中，性觉真空，性空真觉，清净本然，周遍法界 ；随众生心，应所知量。阿难！如一井空，空生一井；十方虚空，亦复如是，圆满十方，宁有方所？循业发现 。世间无知，惑为因缘及自然性，皆是识心分别计度。但有言说，都无实义。
阿难！见觉无知，因色空有。如汝今者在祇陀林，朝明夕昏；设居中宵，白月则光，黑月便暗。则明暗等，因见分析。此见为复与明暗相，并太虚空，为同一体？为非一体？或同非同？或异非异？阿难 ！此见若复与明与暗，及与虚空，元一体者；则明与暗，二体相亡，暗时无明，明时无暗。若与暗一，明则见亡；必一于明，暗时当灭 ，灭则云何见明见暗？若明暗殊，见无生灭，一云何成？若此见精，与暗与明，非一体者，汝离明暗及与虚空，分析见元，作何形相？离明离暗，及离虚空，是见元同龟毛兔角；明 暗虚空，三事俱异，从何立见？明暗相背，云何或同？离三元无，云何或异？分空分见，本无边畔，云何非同？见暗见明，性非迁改，云何非异？汝更细审，微细审详，审谛审观：明从太阳，暗随黑月，通属虚空，壅归大地，如是见精，因何所出？见觉空顽，非和非合 ，不应见精，无从自出。若见闻知，性圆周遍，本不动摇。当知无边不动虚空，并其动摇地水火风，均名六大 ，性真圆融，皆如来藏，本无生灭。阿难！汝性沉沦，不悟汝之见闻觉知，本如来藏。汝当观此见闻觉知，为生为灭？为同为异？为非生灭？为非同异？汝曾不知 ，如来藏中，性见觉明，觉精明见，清净本然，周遍法界；随众生心，应所知量。如一见根，见周法界；听 、嗅、尝触、觉触、觉知，妙德莹然，遍周法界。圆满十虚，宁有方所？循业发现。世间无知，惑为因缘及自然性 ；皆是识心分别计度，但有言说，都无实义。
阿难！识性无源，因于六种根尘妄出。汝今遍观此会圣众，用目循历，其目周视；但如镜中，无别分析。汝识于中，次第标指：此是文殊 、此富楼那、此目犍连、此须菩提、此舍利弗。此识了知，为生于见？为生于相？为生虚空？为无所因，突然而出？阿难 ！若汝识性，生于见中。如无明暗，及与色空，四种必无，元无汝见；见性尚无，从何发识？若汝识性，生于相中，不从见生 。既不见明，亦不见暗，明暗不瞩，即无色空；彼相尚无，识从何发？若生于空，非相非见。非见无辨，自不能知明暗色空 ；非相灭缘，见闻觉知，无处安立。处此二非，空则同无，有非同物；纵发汝识，欲何分别？若无所因，突然而出，何不日中别识明月？汝更细详，微细详审 ，见托汝睛，相推前境；可状成有，不相成无。如是识缘，因何所出？识动见澄，非和非合；闻听觉知，亦复如是 。不应识缘，无从自出。若此识心，本无所从，当知了别，见闻觉知，圆满湛然，性非从所，兼彼虚空，地 水火风，均名七大，性真圆融，皆如来藏，本无生灭。阿难！汝心粗浮，不悟见闻，发明了知，本如来藏。汝应观此 ，六处识心，为同为异？为空为有？为非同异？为非空有？汝元不知，如来藏中，性识明知，觉明真识；妙觉湛然，遍周法界。含吐十虚，宁有方所？循业发现 。世间无知，惑为因缘及自然性；皆是识心分别计度，但有言说，都无实义。
尔时阿难及诸大众，蒙佛如来微妙开示。身心荡然，得无挂碍。是诸大众，各各自知心遍十方，见十方空，如观手中所持叶物。一切世间诸所有物，皆即菩提 ，妙明元心，心精遍圆，含裹十方。反观父母所生之身，犹彼十方虚空之中，吹一微尘，若存若亡；如湛巨海，流一浮沤，起灭无从。了然自知，获本妙心，常住不灭。礼佛合掌，得未曾有 ，于如来前，说偈赞佛：
妙湛总持不动尊 首楞严王世希有 销我亿劫颠倒想 不历僧祇获法身
愿今得果成宝王 还度如是恒沙众 将此深心奉尘刹 是则名为报佛恩
伏请世尊为证明 五浊恶世誓先入 如一众生未成佛 终不于此取泥洹
大雄大力大慈悲 希更审除微细惑 令我早登无上觉 于十方界坐道场
舜若多性可销亡 铄迦罗心无动转 舜若多性可銷亡 爍迦羅心無動轉
Buddha Mind 