Discriminative Perceptions Are Unreal
Having received the Buddha’s compassionate teaching, Ananda sobbed and said to the Buddha, “Upon hearing this profound instruction, I have now realized that the wonderful bright mind is fundamentally perfect; it is the eternally dwelling mind-ground. But it is my conditioned mind that I am using to contemplate this teaching reverently, which I dare not to recognize as the fundamental mind-ground. I pray that the Buddha will take pity on me and impart furthermore to eradicate my doubts by the roots and enable me to realize the Unsurpassed Way!”
The Buddha told Ananda, “Now you still listen to the Dharma with the conditioned mind, and so the Dharma becomes conditioned as well, that’s why you do not realize the Dharma-nature. It is as if someone points his finger at the moon to show someone else the moon – following the finger, that person should see the moon; but if he looks at the finger instead and takes it as the moon, he neither sees the moon nor the finger. Why? Because he mistakes the pointing finger for the bright moon.
“Not only does he miss out the finger, but also he fails to recognize light and dark. Why? He mistakes the substance of the finger for the nature of the bright moon, so he does not realize the natures of light and dark. The same is true of you. You take the sound of my speaking Dharma to be your mind. It is like mistaking the guest of an inn as the innkeeper: the guest who lodges overnight at an inn stops only temporarily before getting back on the road – he does not dwell in the inn permanently, whereas the innkeeper goes nowhere: he is the host of the inn.
“Likewise, if the mind you use listening to the sound really were your true mind, it would not go anywhere either. For, how could you explain that in the absence of sound, you would find this conditioned mind has no independent nature of its own? This applies not only to sound, but also to appearances of all sorts. Once being apart from forms, the conditioned mind has no independent attributes of its own.
“Even when the making of distinctions is totally absent, when there is neither form nor emptiness – the obscurity which Goshali and the others take to be the ‘profound truth’ – in the complete absence of causal conditions, the distinction-making nature of the mind ceases to exist. Since everything perceived by the mind returns to everything other than the mind, how could we say then, that the nature of this conditioned mind is not a guest, but the inn host?”
Ananda said, “If every state of our mind returns to something else as its source, then why does the wonderful, bright, original mind mentioned by the Buddha return nowhere? Please kindly enlighten us on this point.”
The Buddha said, “As you look at me now, the essence of your seeing is fundamentally bright. To make an analogy, if we take the profound bright original mind as the moon, the essence of your seeing is the second moon rather than its reflection. Now you listen carefully, for I am going to show you the place of no returning.
“Ananda, this great lecture hall is open to the east. It is flooded with light when the sun rises in the sky. It is dark at midnight during the waning of moon or when obscured by clouds or fog. Looking out through open doors and windows your vision is unimpeded; facing walls or houses your vision is blocked – your vision becomes conditioned in such places where there are forms of distinctive features. While in dull void, you can see only emptiness. And your vision will be distorted when the objects are shrouded in dust and vapor, otherwise you will perceive clearly if the air is clear.
“Ananda, bear all these transitory manifestations in mind as I now return each to its place of origin. The ‘light’ must return to the sun. For without the sun, there is no light; therefore, the light’s place of origin is the sun. ‘Darkness’ returns to the waning moon. ‘Penetration’ returns to the doors and windows. ‘Obstruction’ returns to the walls and buildings. ‘Conditions’ return to distinctions. ‘Emptiness’ returns to emptiness. ‘Dimness’ and ‘distortion’ return to the mist and haze. Bright ‘purity’ returns to clarity. And nothing that exists in this world goes beyond these kinds.
“Now, Ananda, to which of the eight states of perception does the essence of your seeing return? If it returned to brightness, you would not see darkness when there is no light. In fact, no matter what state of perception it is – whether light, darkness, or something else, your seeing would remain unchanged.
“If the essence of your seeing can be returned to a source other than you, it is clearly not you; if it cannot be returned anywhere, then it is nothing but you.
“This is why I know that your true mind is fundamentally perfect, bright, and pure. You yourself are confused and deluded. You miss what is fundamental, and you are caught in the turning wheel of the six paths, tossing and floating on the stormy sea of birth and death all the time. No wonder the Buddha says that you are the most pitiable of creatures.”
Ananda said, “Now I realize that the seeing-nature does not return to anything, but how can I be sure that it is my own?”
The Buddha replied, “I can see that at this point you have not yet attained the purity of no outflows, although you’re blessed by the Buddha’s spiritual strength and able to realize the first of dhyana heavens with such unobstructed clarity, just like Aniruddha being able to look at Jambudvipa as clearly as he might look at an amala fruit in his own palm.
“Bodhisattvas can see hundreds of thousands of realms. And the Buddhas of ten directions can see everything throughout the pure lands as infinite as dust motes. Living beings’ vision, however, does not go beyond a fraction of an inch.
“Ananda, as you and I now look at the palace where the four heavenly kings reside, and inspect everything that moves in the water, on the land, or in the air – some are dark, some are bright, in various shapes and appearances, yet all are nothing but dust before us – all are nothing but dualistic distinctions and obstructions.
“Among them you should distinguish which is the self and which is not. I ask you now to discern carefully, from what you see, which is the substance of the self and which is the appearance of things.
“If you take a good look at everything within the range of your vision, Ananda, extending from the palaces of the sun and moon to the seven gold mountains, all that you see is not you, but are things of different features in different lights. You see clouds floating, birds flying, wind blowing, dust rising, trees, plants, rivers, mountains, grasses, animals, people, all of which are things other than you.
“Ananda, all phenomena, near or far, have their own nature. Although each is distinctly different, they are seen by the seer with the same pure essence of seeing. Therefore, although all things have individual distinctions, the seeing-nature has no differences. That essential, wonderful brightness is most certainly your seeing-nature.
“Otherwise, if seeing were an object, then you should be able to see my seeing or not-seeing. When we both look at the same thing, you may say that you see my seeing, but when I’m not seeing, why can’t you see my not-seeing? Even if you could see my not-seeing, it clearly would not be the thing that I am not seeing. Since you do not see my not-seeing, it is clearly not a thing, therefore how could the seeing-nature not be you?
“Besides, if the seeing-nature were a thing, things would also see you when you see them. If we confuse substance and nature, you and I and everyone in the world would no longer be distinguishable.
“Ananda, when you see, it is you who see and not I, and your seeing-nature pervades everywhere you see – if it is not yours then to whom it belongs? Why do you doubt the true nature of your own seeing?”
Ananda said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, given that this seeing-nature is truly mine and does not belong to anything else, I am wondering why that when we stayed at the palace of the Four Heavenly Kings, admiring its supreme collection of jewels, this seeing-nature could extend to all lands of the Saha world. But now upon returning to this smaller abode, I only see the monastic grounds and the eaves and corridors in the central hall. It happens all the time – outside the room the seeing may pervade everywhere throughout the whole realm, but once inside it fills one room only, as if the seeing itself shrinks from great to small, although I know it’s been cut off by the walls and buildings … What I meant to ask is how I should interpret this?”
The Buddha replied, “All the aspects of everything in the world, be it big or small, inside or outside, are considered dust before you. The seeing never stretches or shrinks. Let’s take the example of a square container, in which a square of emptiness is seen. Is the squared emptiness in the container a fixed square shape, or is it not fixed? If it is a fixed square shape, when it’s put in a round container the emptiness would not be round. If it is not a fixed square shape, then in the square container it is not really a square of emptiness.
“The meaning we can take from it is thus: how do we define the location of our seeing? Ananda, if we want to make the shape of emptiness inside the container neither square nor round, all we need to do is getting rid of the container. Since emptiness has no shape, we never would have to do anything about the emptiness itself.
“If, as you said, your seeing seems shrink and become small when you enter a room, then when you look up and see the sun, is your seeing pulled out and reaching the surface of the sun? If your seeing is cut off by walls when you enter a room, then why we don’t see a joining when we drill a small hole in the wall?
“Ever since the beginningless time, all living beings have been mistaking themselves for phenomena and, having lost track of their original mind, their seeing is distorted by objects, and they end up having the scope of their observations confined by boundaries large and small.
“If you can turn things around like the Buddhas do, with the body being tranquil and the mind reuniting with the primordial light, you can then stay unmoving in the non-dualistic way. Even presiding only at the tip of a single hair, you may completely oversee the lands of ten directions.”
Ananda said, “If this seeing-essence is indeed my true nature and is now right in front of me, then what is my body? Up to this point, my body seems to be the one who really makes distinctions. But if it actually is my mind causing me to see, then the seeing-essence must be the true me, while the body is not me. Now again, we return to the previous question that if seeing is a thing, then the things I see would also be able to see me.”
The Buddha replied, “What you have just said – that the seeing is in front of you – is not a correct way to put it. If it’s in front of you, it would be something you could actually see, that it would have a location. Now sitting in the Jeta Grove, we can see the grove, the ponds, the halls, as far as the sun and moon, with the Ganges River before us. You may identify the dark one as the grove, the bright one as the sun, the obstructing as the walls, the transparent as emptiness, and so on to the grasses, the trees, even the finest of hair. Everything big or small all has appearance, yet you can’t exactly locate anything, since all phenomena are empty. If like you said, your seeing-essence is in front of you, then you should be able to point it out with a finger. Ananda, you must know that if the emptiness in front of you is your seeing, then how could it be empty? Or if a thing in front of you is your seeing, how could it be an external object, since your seeing-essence is your inherent nature?
“In this way, you can peel away the myriad appearances of all things, until you uncover the innermost essence of seeing, thus achieving perfect clarity beyond any doubt.”
Ananda said, “From where I am now in this multi-storied lecture hall, to the Ganges River in the distance, and the sun and moon overhead, everything my hand can point to, everywhere my eyes can see, all are objects and not the seeing-essence. It is indeed as the Buddha has said – not to mention someone like me who is merely a shravaka of the first stage, who still has outflows, even Bodhisattvas may not be able to peel away the myriad appearances before them and realize the essence of seeing.”
The Buddha said, “Exactly, exactly. It is as you said, there is no seeing-essence to be found within things. Whatever things you point to are merely objects, none is the seeing-essence. Now you and the Buddha sit in the Jeta Grove looking at the groves, gardens, the sun and moon, as well as all other various different appearances, and it is certain that the seeing-essence is not in anything you turn to. Now you may also have discovered what is not your seeing.”
Ananda said, “I can see clearly all over the Jeta Grove, yet I do not know among all these things what is not my seeing. Why? If trees were not my seeing, why would I see them? Yet if trees were my seeing, how could they also be trees? The same applies to everything else, including emptiness – if emptiness were not my seeing, why would I see it? If emptiness were my seeing, how could it also be emptiness? But then I consider it again and realize that among the ten thousand phenomena, down to the subtlest, nothing is not my seeing.”
The Buddha said, “Exactly, exactly.”
By now in the great assembly, upon hearing these teachings of the Buddha, those who had not yet reached the stage beyond learning were all stunned and could not comprehend it at all. They were agitated and taken aback, having lost what they previously had adhered to.
The Buddha, knowing people were anxious and uneasy, began to console Ananda and everyone in the great assembly: “Good people, what the supreme Dharma King says is true and real. He tells it as it is. He does not lie. He never deceives. He is not like Maskari Goshaliputra advocating his four kinds of non-dying theories that are deceptive and confusing. You should consider this attentively. It is not a disgrace to feel anxious and to implore.”
阿难承佛悲救深诲，垂泣叉手，而白佛言：我虽承佛如是妙音，悟妙明心，元所圆满常住心地。而我悟佛现说法音，现以缘心，允所瞻仰。徒获此心，未敢认为本元心地。愿佛哀愍，宣示圆音 ，拔我疑根，归无上道。
佛告阿难：汝等尚以缘心听法，此法亦缘，非得法性。如人以手指月示人，彼人因指，当应看月。若复观指，以为月体 ，此人岂唯亡失月轮，亦亡其指。何以故？以所标指，为明月故。岂唯亡指，亦复不识明之与暗。何以故？即以指体 ，为月明性；明暗二性，无所了故。汝亦如是！若以分别我说法音，为汝心者，此心自应离分别音，有分别性 。譬如有客，寄宿旅亭，暂止便去，终不常住。而掌亭人，都无所去，名为亭主。此亦如是！若真汝心，则无所去；云何离声 ，无分别性？斯则岂唯声分别心？分别我容，离诸色相，无分别性。如是乃至分别都无，非色非空；拘舍离等 ，昧为冥谛。离诸法缘，无分别性。则汝心性，各有所还，云何为主？
阿难言：若我心性各有所还，则如来说妙明元心，云何无还？惟垂哀愍，为我宣说。
佛告阿难：且汝见我，见精明元，此见虽非妙精明心，如第二月，非是月影。汝应谛听！今当示汝无所还地。阿难 ！此大讲堂，洞开东方。日轮升天，则有明耀；中夜黑月，云雾晦瞑，则复昏暗。户牖之隙，则复见通；墙宇之间，则复观壅 。分别之处，则复见缘；顽虚之中，遍是空性。郁[土＋孛]之象，则纡昏尘；澄霁敛氛，又观清净。阿难 ！汝咸看此诸变化相，吾今各还本所因处。云何本因？阿难！此诸变化，明还日轮。何以故？无日不明，明因属日，是故还日。暗还黑月，通还户牖，壅还墙宇，缘还分别，顽虚还空，郁[土＋孛]还尘，清明还霁。则诸世间，一切所有，不出斯类。汝见八种见精明性，当欲谁还？何以故？若还于明，则不明时，无复见暗 。虽明暗等，种种差别，见无差别。诸可还者，自然非汝；不汝还者，非汝而谁？则知汝心，本妙明净。汝自迷闷，丧本受沦，于生死中，常被漂溺。是故如来 ，名可怜愍！
阿难言：我虽识此见性无还，云何得知是我真性？
佛告阿难：吾今问汝！汝今未得无漏清净，承佛神力，见于初禅，得无障碍。而阿那律，见阎浮提，如观掌中庵摩罗果。诸菩萨等，见百千界 。十方如来，穷尽微尘清净国土，无所不瞩。众生洞视，不过分寸。阿难！且吾与汝，观四天王所住宫殿，中间遍览 水陆空行，虽有昏明种种形像，无非前尘，分别留碍。汝应于此分别自他，今吾将汝择于见中，谁是我体？谁为物象？阿难 ！极汝见源，从日月宫，是物非汝；至七金山，周遍谛观，虽种种光，亦物非汝。渐渐更观，云腾鸟飞，风动尘起，树木山川，草芥人畜，咸物非汝。阿难 ！是诸近远，诸有物性，虽复差殊，同汝见精，清净所瞩；则诸物类，自有差别，见性无殊。此精妙明，诚汝见性。
若见是物，则汝亦可见吾之见。若同见者，名为见吾；吾不见时，何不见吾不见之处？若见不见，自然非彼不见之相；若不见吾不见之地，自然非物，云何非汝？又则汝今见物之时，汝既见物，物亦见汝 ，体性纷杂；则汝与我，并诸世间，不成安立。阿难！若汝见时，是汝非我；见性周遍，非汝而谁？云何自疑汝之真性 ？性汝不真，取我求实。
阿难白佛言：世尊！若此见性，必我非余。我与如来，观四天王胜藏宝殿，居日月宫，此见周圆，遍娑婆国 。退归精舍，只见伽蓝，清心户堂，但瞻檐庑。世尊！此见如是，其体本来周遍一界，今在室中，唯满一室 。为复此见，缩大为小？为当墙宇，夹令断绝？我今不知斯义所在，愿垂弘慈，为我敷演。
佛告阿难：一切世间，大小内外，诸所事业，各属前尘；不应说言，见有舒缩。譬如方器，中见方空。吾复问汝 ！此方器中，所见方空，为复定方？为不定方？若定方者，别安圆器，空应不圆。若不定者，在方器中，应无方空 。汝言不知斯义所在，义性如是，云何为在？阿难！若复欲令入无方圆，但除器方，空体无方；不应说言，更除虚空 ，方相所在。若如汝问，入室之时，缩见令小。仰观日时，汝岂挽见，齐于日面？若筑墙宇，能夹见断；穿为小窦，宁无续迹？是义不然。一切众生 ，从无始来，迷己为物，失于本心，为物所转；故于是中，观大观小。若能转物，则同如来。身心圆明，不动道场 ，于一毛端，遍能含受十方国土。
阿难白佛言：世尊！若此见精，必我妙性，今此妙性，现在我前，见必我真，我今身心，复是何物？而今身心 ，分别有实；彼见无别，分辨我身。若实我心，令我今见；见性实我，而身非我？何殊如来，先所难言物能见我 ？惟垂大慈，开发未悟。
佛告阿难：今汝所言，见在汝前，是义非实。若实汝前，汝实见者；则此见精，既有方所，非无指示。且今与汝坐祇陀林，遍观林渠，及与殿堂，上至日月，前对恒河。汝今于我师子座前，举手指陈是种种相：阴者是林，明者是日，碍者是壁，通者是空，如是乃至草树纤毫 ；大小虽殊，但可有形，无不指着。若必其见，现在汝前，汝应以手，确实指陈，何者是见？阿难当知，若空是见，既已成见，何者是空？若物是见，既已是见，何者为物？汝可微细披剥万象，析出精明净妙见元，指陈示我 ；同彼诸物，分明无惑。
阿难言：我今于此重阁讲堂，远洎恒河，上观日月，举手所指，纵目所观，指皆是物，无是见者。世尊！如佛所说，况我有漏初学声闻 ，乃至菩萨，亦不能于万物象前，剖出精见，离一切物，别有自性。佛言：如是如是！
佛复告阿难：如汝所言，无有见精，离一切物，别有自性。则汝所指，是物之中，无是见者。今复告汝：汝与如来坐祇陀林 ，更观林苑，乃至日月，种种象殊，必无见精，受汝所指。汝又发明，此诸物中，何者非见？阿难言：我实遍见此祇陀林，不知是中 ，何者非见。何以故？若树非见，云何见树？若树即见，复云何树？如是乃至，若空非见，云何见空？若空即见，复云何空？我又思惟 ，是万象中，微细发明，无非见者。佛言：如是如是！
于是大众非无学者，闻佛此言，茫然不知，是义终始；一时惶悚，失其所守。如来知其魂虑变慑，心生怜愍，安慰阿难及诸大众：诸善男子！无上法王是真实语 ，如所如说，不诳不妄；非末伽黎，四种不死，矫乱论议。汝谛思惟，无忝哀慕！
Buddha Mind 