by Hsuan Hua
“In this way you should know that the eye-faculty is illusory. It does not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it come into being on its own.
B. The Ear-Faculty
“Ānanda, consider the example of a person who forcefully stops up his ears with his fingers. The strain exerted on the ear-faculty may cause a sound to be heard inside his head. What the ear-faculty perceives when it is under strain, and also the ear-faculty itself, come about through the strain placed on the awakened mind. The strain causes the distortion in perception.
“For hearing to take place, the illusory phenomena of sound and silence must enter the ear-faculty; this is what we call hearing. Apart from sound and silence, hearing has no ultimate basis. Understand it this way, Ānanda: what we call hearing does not take place because of sound or silence, nor because of the ear-faculty, nor because of space. Why? If it took place because of silence, it would cease once sounds were present, and so we would not hear sounds. If what we call hearing took place because of sound, hearing would cease in total silence, and we would not be aware of the silence.
“Further, hearing cannot take place because of the ear-faculty alone, because clearly there is a need for sound or for silence if hearing is to occur. It follows that the ear-faculty has no independent existence. Finally, if hearing took place because of space, then space would not be what we call space, because it would have the ability to hear. And if space could hear, what would hearing have to do with the ear-faculty?
“In this way you should know that the ear-faculty is illusory. It does not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it come into being on its own.
Hearing occurs through dependence on the two illusory perceived objects of sound and silence. Hearing and seeing are like magnets.... The eyes look at things and become unclean; the ears attract sounds and become unclean. Our true nature is fundamentally pure, but because the eye and ear attract unclean external objects, our true nature becomes unclean also. It is like inhaling cigarette smoke... which passes into the lungs, and although ordinary people cannot see into their own insides, the fact remains that the throat, windpipe, and lungs become coated with tar.... In the same way, sights and sounds are taken in and coat our true natures with a kind of tar that covers it over and obscures its light. As recorded in the Sixth Patriarch’s Dharma-Jewel Platform Sūtra,13 Shen Xiu said,
The body is a bodhi tree,14
The mind a mirror on its stand.
It must be wiped clean day and night,
So that no dust remains.
Actually, this verse is a fine expression of what needs to be done, but these are not the words of one who has become aware of his true nature. Great Master Shen Xiu’s verse describes practice at a stage prior to the seeing of one’s true nature. It likens practice to dusting a mirror over and over again to keep it clean.... After Shen Xiu composed this verse, the Sixth Patriarch, the Great Master Hui Neng, replied with the following verse:
There is no tree in bodhi.
The mirror needs no stand.
For really there is nothing.
Where could the dust alight?
Master Hui Neng was already enlightened, and so he no longer needed to do the work of dusting the mirror. (III, 31–2)
C. The Nose-Faculty
“Ānanda, consider the example of a person who, as he breathes in through his nose, continues to inhale sharply until at length the strain exerted on his nose-faculty gives rise to an illusory sensation of cold. As he experiences this sensation, he becomes aware of whether his nostrils are clear or blocked, and whether odors are pleasant or unpleasant or neither pleasant nor unpleasant. What the nose-faculty perceives when it is under strain, as well as the nose-faculty itself, come about through the strain placed on the awakened mind. The strain causes the distortion in perception.
“For smelling to take place, the illusory phenomena of openness or blockage in the nasal passages must be present in the nose-faculty; then what we call smelling can occur. Apart from openness and blockage, smelling has no ultimate basis. Understand it this way, Ānanda; what we call smelling does not take place because of openness or blockage, nor because of the nose-faculty, nor because of space.
“Why? If what we call smelling took place because the nasal passages are open, it would cease when they are blocked, and you would not be aware of the blockage. If it took place because of the blockage, it would cease once the nasal passages were open, and so you would not be aware of odors, whether they are pleasant, unpleasant, or neither pleasant nor unpleasant. Further, smelling cannot take place because of the nose-faculty, because clearly there is a need for openness in the nasal passages if smelling is to occur. It follows that the nose-faculty has no independent existence.
“Finally, if smelling took place because of space, then space would be able to smell the nose. Besides, if space were doing the smelling, what would smelling have to do with the nose-faculty?
“In this way you should know that the nose-faculty is illusory. It does not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it come into being on its own.
D. The Tongue-Faculty
“Ānanda, consider the example of a person who licks his lips repeatedly to the point that his tongue-faculty is subjected to strain. If he is sick, he will experience a bitter taste; otherwise the taste will seem slightly sweet. His experience of sweetness or bitterness demonstrates that the tongue-faculty is still active when no tastes are present. What the tongue-faculty perceives when it is under strain, as well as the tongue-faculty itself, come about through strain placed on the awakened mind. The strain causes the distortion in perception.
The Matrix of the Thus-Come One is bigger than anything else and contains everything. There is nothing it does not contain.... Where are we now? We are all in the Matrix of the Thus-Come One. “We haven’t seen what the Matrix of the Thus-Come One looks like,” you may say. In fact, you see it every day, but you don’t recognize it. In all your daily activities you are within the Matrix of the Thus-Come One. What your eyes see, what your ears hear — absolutely everything is within the Matrix of the Thus-Come One.... In China there is the saying, “I can’t tell what Mount Lu really looks like, because I myself am standing on Mount Lu.” (III, 41–2)
“For tasting to take place, the illusory attributes of sweetness or bitterness, or else an absence of flavor, must come into contact with the tongue-faculty; this is what we call tasting. Apart from sweetness and bitterness, and from the absence of flavor, tasting has no apparent basis. Understand it this way, Ānanda: what we call tasting does not take place because of sweetness or bitterness or the absence of flavor, nor does it take place because of the tongue-faculty, nor does it take place because of space.
“Why? If tasting took place because sweetness or bitterness is present, how would you become aware of an absence of flavor? If it took place because no flavor is present, it would vanish in the presence of a sweet or bitter taste. How then would you become aware of sweetness or bitterness? Further, tasting cannot take place because of the tongue-faculty, because there is clearly a need for a flavor such as sweetness or bitterness, or else the absence of flavor, if tasting is to occur. It follows that the tongue-faculty has no independent existence.
“Finally, if tasting took place because of space, then space would have the ability to taste, and space, not your tongue, would have awareness of flavors. If space were aware of flavors, what would tasting have to do with the tongue-faculty?
“In this way you should know that the tongue-faculty is illusory. It does not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it come into being on its own.
E. The Body-Faculty
“Ānanda, consider the example of a person who joins his hands together when one hand is warm and the other cold. If the cold hand is colder than the warm hand is warm, it will make the warm hand become cold, and if the warm hand is warmer than the cold hand is cold, it will make the cold hand become warm. With the exchange of war
mth and cold from the prolonged contact between the two hands, the person becomes aware of contact and, subsequently, separation. What the body-faculty perceives when it is under strain, as well as the body-faculty itself, come about through strain placed on the awakened mind. The strain causes the distortion in perception.
“What we call tactile awareness occurs when the illusory phenomena of contact and separation are felt by the body-faculty. This tactile awareness of contact and separation may be pleasant or unpleasant, but without them, tactile awareness has no ultimate basis. Understand it this way, Ānanda: what we call tactile awareness does not take place because of contact and separation, nor because of any pleasantness or unpleasantness of the sensation, nor because of the body-faculty, nor because of space.
“Why? If tactile awareness took place because of contact, how would you become aware of separation when contact ceased? By the same logic, it cannot take place because sensation is pleasant or because it is unpleasant. Further, tactile awareness cannot take place because of the body-faculty, because clearly there is a need for contact or separation and for pleasantness or unpleasantness if tactile awareness is to occur. It follows that tactile awareness has no independent existence.
“Finally, if tactile awareness took place because of space alone, then space would be aware of tactile sensations; then what would tactile awareness have to do with the body-faculty?
“In this way you should know that the body-faculty is illusory. It does not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it come into being on its own.
F. The Cognitive Faculty
“Ānanda, consider the example of a person who is tired and falls asleep. Having slept enough, he awakens and tries to remember his dreams. He recalls some elements of his dreams but cannot remember others. This succession of sleeping, waking, remembering, and forgetting is an example of the distorted stages of coming into being, abiding, changing, and perishing within the cognitive faculty. What we call the cognitive faculty engages in a habitual process of bringing into our awareness an orderly succession of mental objects. What the cognitive faculty perceives when it is under strain, as well as the cognitive faculty itself, come forth from the strain placed on the awakened mind. The strain causes the distortion in perception.
“In their two aspects of coming into being and perishing, unreal perceived objects accumulate in our cognitive awareness. The cognitive faculty is attracted to these internal mental objects. What we call cognitive awareness is this internal flow of visible objects, sounds, and so forth before they enter the mind’s ground.15 Apart from the fluctuation between sleep and waking, cognitive awareness has no apparent basis. Understand it this way, Ānanda: what we call cognitive awareness does not take place because of waking and sleeping or because of the coming into being and perishing of mental objects; nor does it take place because of the cognitive faculty, nor does it take place because of space.
“Why? If cognitive awareness took place because of waking, you would have no cognitive awareness when you were asleep, and then how could you experience sleep? By the same logic, cognition cannot arise because cognitive objects arise, since when those cognitive objects perish, the cognitive faculty would perish also. Nor can cognitive awareness take place because of the perishing of cognitive objects, since when cognitive objects subsequently arose, cognitive awareness would perish. What then would be aware of the objects that arose? Further, cognitive awareness cannot be present because of the cognitive faculty. Why? Although sleeping and waking are dependent on the body’s becoming active or dormant, yet apart from a state of sleep or waking, cognitive awareness has no more existence than a mirage of flowers in space. Finally, if cognitive awareness took place because of space, then space would be aware of cognitive objects. What then would cognitive awareness have to do with the cognitive faculty?
“In this way you should know that the cognitive faculty is an illusion. It does not come into being from causes and conditions, nor does it come into being on its own.”
The Twelve Sites Are the Matrix of the Thus-Come One
A. The Eye-Faculty and Visible Objects
“Moreover, Ānanda, how is it that, fundamentally, the twelve sites16 are the Matrix of the Thus-Come One, whose nature is the wondrous suchness of reality? Ānanda, look once again at the fountains, the pools, and the trees of the Prince Jetri’s Grove. What do you think? Does the presence of visible objects cause your eye-faculty to see? Or to the contrary, does the eye-faculty cause the visible objects to be present?
“Ananda, if the eye-faculty caused the presence of visible objects, then when you looked at an empty sky, in which no visible objects are present, all the visible objects that you were not looking at would have to disappear. If everything were to disappear, such that nothing were present, then how could we know what space is?17 The corollary supposition — that space is present because your eye-faculty is there to see it — can be similarly rejected.
“Suppose, on the other hand, that the presence of visible objects caused your eye-faculty to see. Then when you looked at empty space, in which no objects are present, your eye-faculty would no longer exist. If your eye-faculty no longer existed, nothing would be seen, and in that case, how could we know what visible objects are — or what space is?
“Therefore, you should know that the eye-faculty and visible objects, and space as well, have no real existence. These two sites — the eye- faculty and visible objects — are illusions. Fundamentally, they are not dependent on causes or conditions, and yet they do not come into being on their own.
B. The Ear-Faculty and Sounds
“Moreover, Ānanda, you have heard the beating of the drum in Prince Jetri’s Grove when a meal is ready. The assembly gathers, and then the bell is struck. The drumbeats and the peals of the bell each follow one upon another in clear succession. What do you think? Do the sounds come to the ear-faculty? Or to the contrary, does the ear-faculty go out to the sounds?
“Ānanda, suppose the sounds come to the ear. Then the situation could be compared to my going on my almsround in Śrāvastī so that I am no longer in Prince Jetri’s Grove. Now if sounds came to your ear in order for you to hear them, Ānanda, then neither Mahākāśyapa nor Mahāmaudgalyāyana — not to speak of the rest of the twelve-hundred-fifty elder monks — would hear the bell calling them to the meal. How would they know it was time to eat?
The Buddha says that when he goes to the city of Śrāvastī on his alms-rounds, he is no longer present in Prince Jetri’s Grove. One cannot be in two places at once. Thus, if the sound definitely goes to Ānanda’s ear, then neither Maudgalyāyana nor Kāśyapa would hear it. The Buddha is really not making sense here. Sound spreads out; everyone would have heard the bell despite what the Buddha is saying. He is deliberately trying to befuddle Ānanda just to see how Ānanda will answer. (III, 64)
“Ānanda, suppose that the ear-faculty goes out to a sound in order for you to hear it. Then the situation can be compared to my returning to Prince Jetri’s Grove so that I am no longer in Śrāvastī. If your ear-faculty went out to the drum in order to hear it, then you would not be able to hear the bell at the same time — nor would you be able to hear other sounds, such as the noise made by elephants, horses, oxen, and sheep. On the other hand, if no sounds reached the ear-faculty, you would not be able to hear either.
“Therefore, you should know that sounds and the ear-faculty have no real existence. These two sites — sounds and the ear-faculty — are illusions. Fundamentally, they are not dependent on causes or conditions, and yet they do not come into being on their own.
C. The Nose-Faculty and Odors
“Moreover, Ānanda, you can smell the sandalwood incense18 burning in a censer. A small pinch of this incense, once lit, can be smelled everywhere around Śrāvastī for a distance of a dozen miles. What do you think? Does the fragrance come into being from the sandalwood incense? Does it come into being from your nose-faculty? Or does it come into being from space?
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�Ānanda, suppose that the fragrance comes into being from your nose-faculty. If it comes into being because of the nose, then the nose must emit fragrance.19 But the nose is not made of sandalwood; how then could it produce the fragrance of sandalwood? Clearly, the fragrance must enter the nose in order for you to smell it. It makes no sense to say that you smell it when the fragrance comes out of the nose.
“Suppose that the fragrance comes into being from space. Since space is by nature everlasting and unchanging, a fragrance that came into being from space would therefore be ever-present. What need would there be then to burn the sandalwood in the censer?
“Suppose that the fragrance comes from the wood. Now, the fragrant wood gives off smoke when it is burned. For the nose to smell the smoke, the smoke must come into contact with the nose-faculty. Yet the fragrance has already spread a dozen miles in every direction long before the smoke itself has risen very far into the air.
“Therefore, you should know that sandalwood incense and the nose-faculty have no real existence. These two sites — the nose-faculty and odors — are illusions. Fundamentally, they are not dependent on causes or conditions, and yet they do not come into being on their own.
D. The Tongue-Faculty and Flavors
“Ānanda, to obtain your two daily meals,20 you and the others in the assembly take up your almsbowls. In them you may receive curds, cheese, or ghee, which are considered to have excellent flavors. What do you think? Do these flavors come into being from space, from the tongue, or from the food?
