Visual Awareness Arises Neither on Its Own Nor From Causes
Ananda said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, it is truly as the Dharma King has said: the nature of Enlightenment pervades the ten directions – clear, everlasting, and by nature neither produced nor extinguished. How does it differ, then, from the concept of primordial profundity in the doctrine of Kapila, or from the teaching of the ascetics who throw ashes on themselves, or from other heretics who believe there is a ‘real self’ which pervades the ten directions?
“Also, in the past, the World Honored One gave a lecture on Mount Lanka explaining the principle thoroughly for the sake of Great Wisdom Bodhisattva and others: ‘Heretics always speak of natural existence, but I speak of causes and conditions, which is entirely different.’ Now as I look into this nature of Enlightenment, as self-existent, as beyond birth and death, and as apart from all falsehood and inversion, it seems to have nothing to do with either causes and conditions or the spontaneity advocated by others. Would you please expound on this point, so that we could realize the true Mind, the bright nature of Enlightenment?”
The Buddha said, “Now I have revealed the truth to you with such expedients, yet you do not awaken to it but mistake it for spontaneity. Ananda, if it were spontaneous existence, you would be able to distinguish the substance of such spontaneity. Now look into the wondrous seeing and see what is its self: Is it the bright light, the darkness, the emptiness, or the obstruction being itself?
“Ananda, if light is its self, you should not see darkness; if emptiness is its self, you should not see obstruction. Likewise, if darkness is its self, the nature of your seeing should cease to function when there is light, but why do you still see light?”
Ananda said, “Now I am certain that the nature of seeing is not spontaneous. I guess it is brought about by causes and conditions. But I am still not clear about it. Now I need the Tathagata to tell me how it accords with the nature of causes and conditions.”
The Buddha said, “You say it is due to causes and conditions. Let me ask you this: When you see things and the nature of seeing manifests itself – is it because of light that the seeing comes into existence? Or is it because of darkness, emptiness, or obstruction that the seeing exists? If it is light that brings it into existence, you should not see darkness; if it is darkness, you should not see light. It is the same with emptiness and obstruction.
“Moreover, Ananda, which of the conditions does the seeing derive from – light, darkness, emptiness, or obstruction?
“If it exists because of the condition of emptiness, you should not see obstruction; if it exists because of the condition of obstruction, you should not see emptiness. And it is the same with light and darkness. Therefore, you should know that the essential Bodhi is due to neither causes nor conditions, neither being nor nonbeing, neither reality nor unreality. It is identical with all things yet beyond all forms.
“How can you think of it, using your mind to make distinctions, and expressing it with frivolous terminologies that are based on worldly sophistries? That is like grasping at empty space with your hand – you will only succeed in tiring yourself out. How could empty space possibly be grasped!”
阿难白佛言：世尊！诚如法王所说：觉缘遍十方界，湛然常住，性非生灭。与先梵志娑毗迦罗所谈冥谛，及投灰等诸外道种，说有真我遍满十方，有何差别？世尊亦曾于楞伽山，为大慧等 ，敷演斯义：彼外道等，常说自然；我说因缘，非彼境界。我今观此，觉性自然，非生非灭，远离一切虚妄颠倒，似非因缘与彼自然 。云何开示，不入群邪，获真实心妙觉明性？
佛告阿难：我今如是开示方便，真实告汝，汝犹未悟，惑为自然。阿难！若必自然，自须甄明有自然体。汝且观此妙明见中，以何为自？此见为复以明为自？以暗为自？以空为自？以塞为自？阿难 ！若明为自，应不见暗；若复以空为自体者，应不见塞。如是乃至诸暗等相，以为自者；则于明时，见性断灭，云何见明？
阿难言：必此妙见，性非自然，我今发明是因缘生，心犹未明，咨询如来，是义云何合因缘性？
佛言：汝言因缘，吾复问汝！汝今因见，见性现前，此见为复因明有见？因暗有见？因空有见？因塞有见？阿难 ！若因明有，应不见暗；如因暗有，应不见明。如是乃至因空因塞，同于明暗。复次阿难！此见又复缘明有见？缘暗有见？缘空有见？缘塞有见？阿难 ！若缘空有，应不见塞；若缘塞有，应不见空。如是乃至缘明缘暗，同于空塞。当知如是精觉妙明，非因非缘，亦非自然 ，非不自然，无非不非，无是非是。离一切相，即一切法。汝今云何于中措心，以诸世间戏论名相，而得分别？如以手掌撮摩虚空， 衹益自劳，虚空云何随汝执捉？
Buddha Mind 