The World of Black Boxes
Chapter Two The Shadow of Internal Manifestation
I. What Everyday Phenomena Are Shadows
All phenomena (dharmas) we contact and cognize are shadows of the internal manifestation within the black box. The so-called internal manifestation refers to the images manifested by the eighth consciousness at the subtle sense faculties based on the external manifestations of the six dusts. For example, when we sit on a bed, we are sitting on the shadow of the external bed, not truly sitting on the substantial external bed itself. That relatively real bed composed of the four elements (earth, water, fire, wind) cannot be contacted by our physical body at all; our body consciousness cannot touch the real external bed; only the eighth consciousness can contact the external substantial material phenomena (rūpa dharmas). Moreover, the external substantial material phenomena of the six dusts are collectively produced by the eighth consciousnesses of sentient beings with karmic affinity; they do not belong to us alone. All sentient beings with karmic affinity have a share in them.
Therefore, that external bed might also be sat on by others, or moved to someone else's home. However, the bed others sit on is the internal manifestation shadow manifested by their own eighth consciousness based on the external bed; similarly, it is not the relatively real external bed. The body consciousnesses of all sentient beings like us can only contact the shadow of the bed's internal manifestation. This shadow is an illusion, manifested individually by our own eighth consciousness based on the relatively real bed, for our exclusive experience. No one else can experience it no matter what. Only this shadow is private property; everything else is public property.
We feel that the bed we sit on is truly real, and we are genuinely sitting on it. In reality, it is merely a shadow, a composite of electrical signals formed by the four elements' subtle particles. Our body consciousness is merely contacting and feeling the shadow signals. Since beginningless kalpas, sentient beings have mistaken various shadows for reality, generating mental activities, discriminations, attachments, and delusions within them. In truth, all sensations are illusions. We feel the bed is hard, or soft, or comfortable, but those sensations of hardness and softness are illusions. They are feelings arising from our body consciousness and mental consciousness discriminating against the shadow; there is no substantial material phenomenon (rūpa dharma). It is like a monkey looking at the moon in the water, mistaking it for the real moon, and trying to scoop it up with its hand, only to find nothing.
Like a dog seeing its own reflection in a mirror, thinking it is another dog, and barking loudly to chase it away. Since beginningless kalpas, we have been similarly foolish, no different from that dog or monkey. The Buddha once gave an analogy: sentient beings chasing after the six dusts' realms are like a foolish dog chasing a thrown stone; as soon as someone throws a stone, it immediately runs after it. When the wind rustles the grass, the foolish dog, thinking something significant is happening, barks furiously towards the moving grass, unable to even distinguish a mere breeze. Therefore, the Buddha, pitying us, descended to the human world to teach us the Mahayana reality-dharma, enabling us to depart from all illusory appearances and return to the true mind of emptiness.
Similarly, when we sit on a chair, it is also contact with a shadow, generating illusory sensations. The sunlight we feel shining is also contact with the shadow of the external sunlight, generating illusory sensations of heat and warmth. All sensations are similarly false and unreal. In truth, we cannot contact the real sunlight, nor can we contact the real external breeze. What we contact are the images of sunlight and breeze manifested by the eighth consciousness; we never touch the real sunlight or breeze. Therefore, the feeling that the sunlight is warm and the breeze is comfortable—all these sensations are entirely illusions, false feelings. What the six consciousnesses can cognize are only images; then, based on these false images, they generate various illusory feelings. These feelings are hallucinations, and these hallucinations are certainly not real.
The external world of the six dusts appears real, as if substantial matter exists. However, that reality is only relative to the internal manifestation. The external material world is also produced by the eighth consciousnesses of sentient beings sharing collective karma, jointly projecting seeds of the four elements to manifest it. Its existence is also false existence, illusory existence; it is also unreal, merely illusory appearances manifested by the eighth consciousness. Moreover, it is an illusory appearance jointly produced by the eighth consciousnesses of all sentient beings with karmic affinity sharing the collective karma; the eighth consciousness of a single sentient being cannot manifest it alone.
The external world of the six dusts, the external material world, appears somewhat more real relative to the internal manifestation within the black box at the back of our brain; it is a substantial material world composed of the four elements. However, only the eighth consciousness can contact the substantial manifestation of matter composed of the four elements; the six consciousnesses and the seventh consciousness cannot contact it nor perceive it. For the seventh consciousness mind, the external world seems not to exist; what we can contact is merely an image.
Since beginningless kalpas, we have mistaken the internal manifestation for the external manifestation, for the real material world. Because we do not know that the internal and external manifestations are extremely similar, the internal manifestation appears very real. Therefore, when our body consciousness, eye consciousness, and the other six consciousnesses cognize these shadows, they mistake the shadows for reality, and thus ceaselessly discriminate and calculate regarding the shadows. Daily, we feel that we have truly eaten food and thus become attached to food; we have truly sat on a bed and thus become attached to the comfortable bed; we have truly drunk water and thus become attached to tasty drinks; we have truly felt the softness and lightness of clothes and thus become attached to clothing; we have truly seen and possessed jewels and thus become attached to gold, silver, and jewels. In reality, they are all shadows; we do not know they are all shadows of the internal manifestation.
II. The Principle of Shadow Formation
Why is everything we contact the internal manifestation, shadows within the black box? Let us explain from another perspective. External form dusts (rūpa-dhātu) have distance differences from our eye faculty. From the tip of the nose right before the eyes to form dusts very far away, the distance gap is enormous, and the time required to transmit to the external eye faculty differs. Although all are acts of the Tathāgatagarbha, the transmission is extremely fast, faster than the speed of light, yet there is still a time difference. Therefore, what the eye consciousness sees has a sequence; we would see closer form dusts first and distant ones later; it is impossible to see distant and near forms simultaneously. If what we see is the internal form dust within the subtle sense faculties' black box at the back of the brain, it would be different. As long as it is form dust within the black box, as long as the eye consciousness pays attention, it can see them simultaneously, regardless of distance or height.
Because the form dust within the black box is a shadow, all within the subtle sense faculties, with no distance from the eye's subtle sense faculty, as long as the eye consciousness contacts, it contacts all simultaneously. There is no seeing near forms first, then distant forms later. Therefore, what our eye consciousness sees are all shadows within the black box, not the substantial external form dust. After the eye consciousness and mental consciousness contact the internal form dust, they accept, receive, and cognize the internal form dust, confirming what form dust it is. Thus, we know what form dust it is, and moreover, know distant and near forms simultaneously. In reality, distance and nearness are illusory dharmas; there is no distance or nearness, merely illusions.
When our eyes see form dust, if we pay careful attention, are distant and near forms all taken in by the eyes together? Do all forms, distant, near, high, and low, enter our field of vision together? Forms within the visual field are seen simultaneously, though it also depends on where attention is focused. Unless our attention is concentrated only on a single point, or focused on very few form dusts, then we cannot see other form dusts. If attention is not focused on one point, we can see all other form dusts. This demonstrates that the form dust we see is the internal form dust already manifested by the eighth consciousness within the subtle sense faculties' black box. What we see is precisely this shadow.
Hearing sounds is also like this. Distant and near sounds are heard simultaneously. Sounds coming from the left, right, above, below, east, west, south, north—all directions—are all heard simultaneously. This indicates that what is heard is the shadow of the internal sound dust. In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Buddha said the ear faculty possesses complete merits of twelve hundred; sounds from all directions can enter the ear and be heard. Even with obstacles, sound can transmit through them. That is the eighth consciousness simultaneously transmitting sounds from all directions through the ear faculty into the subtle sense faculties of the brain, right there in the black box, forming the sound image of the internal manifestation.
Then the ear consciousness and mental consciousness manifest there. Thus, when the ear consciousness hears sounds, it can hear sounds from all directions simultaneously. From this, we should understand that the form dust we see and the sounds we hear are all from the past; what we cognize is all completed content of the past. Therefore, it is all virtual and unreal. When we then take action, take responsive measures, it is even a step later. This entire process of cognition and responsive behavioral actions are all after the fact, only able to change and influence the occurrence of the next step of events.
The sound of thunder in the sky is extremely far from the ear faculty; the buzzing sound in our head is extremely close to the ear faculty. Yet these sounds are heard simultaneously—that is the sound within the black box. The lightning in the sky is extremely far from the eye faculty; the fingertip an inch before the eyes is extremely close to the eye faculty. Yet, the eye consciousness also sees them simultaneously—that is the form dust within the black box. The distant sandalwood fragrance is extremely far from the nose faculty; the fragrant dust on the face is extremely close to the nose faculty. Yet the nose consciousness also smells them simultaneously—that is the fragrant dust within the black box. The sunlight in the sky is extremely far from the body faculty; the pain sensation in the head is extremely close to the body faculty. Yet the body consciousness also feels them simultaneously—that is the touch dust within the black box. These realms are all images of the internal manifestation within the black box at the back of the brain. When the consciousness mind contacts them, it can receive and cognize them all simultaneously.
From another perspective, all dharmas are dharmas within the Tathāgatagarbha, not beyond it. Within the Tathāgatagarbha, there is no distance; thus, there is no distance between dharmas. They are all manifestations of seeds from the Tathāgatagarbha. The six consciousnesses contacting the shadows of these dharmas are contacted simultaneously; there is no concept of distance or nearness. The Tathāgatagarbha extracts the subtle particles of the four elements from the external six dusts; it does not transmit them bit by bit according to worldly distances to the subtle sense faculties' black box. The Tathāgatagarbha does not discriminate distances; therefore, the worldly dharmas it manifests are false dharmas. Since the dharmas are not real, there is no such thing as distance, nearness, height, lowness, largeness, or smallness. The distance, nearness, height, lowness, largeness, and smallness seen by the six consciousnesses are false perceptions of the mind, wrong views, incorrect discriminations not in accordance with reality.
After cognizing the six dusts, everyone thinks what they cognized is the real realm of the six dusts, believing these six dusts are real. Thus, they generate feelings like greed and aversion towards the six dusts. After generating feelings, they begin to contemplate; after contemplation, they make choices, generating a decisive mind, deciding how to act. This series of mental factors (caittas) all arise and continue to operate repeatedly because the realm is mistaken as real. After the five universal mental factors arise in sequence, their order can change and repeat. The transformation of these mental factors is complex, depending on whether the contacted six dusts are interesting, whether they are easy to cognize clearly, whether they are important, etc.
III. Why the Perceived Six Dusts Are All Images Within the Black Box
Some people, upon seeing the issue of internal manifestation, do not believe that all phenomena they contact and cognize are shadows of the internal manifestation within the black box. They think that all phenomena they see are so real and reliable; they cannot possibly be shadows. This is because these shadows are too three-dimensional, too tangible, too vivid. Therefore, everyone feels that their walking, sitting, lying down, eating, drinking, defecating, and urinating are so real and actual; they feel that when they see forms and hear sounds, they are seeing real external scenery, hearing real external sounds, feeling real external sunlight. They do not understand how all this could be shadows? How could it be false?
If one recites the Diamond Sutra and sees the Buddha say, "All phenomena with marks are illusory," everyone can accept it and even recite it fluently. But if specifically analyzed, saying these six dusts are all shadows, all within the black box, therefore illusory, then it becomes hard to understand and accept. If explained too specifically, forcing one to face the actual issue, it becomes very difficult. When reciting the Buddha's words, one doesn't need to specifically understand or contemplate; one doesn't truly face these problems. Moreover, since it's the Buddha's teaching, they recite along with others, but in reality, they do not comprehend its meaning.
Because since beginningless kalpas, we have been accustomed to clinging to appearances, accustomed to inversion; it has long become a habit. Views are hard to correct immediately; it's hard to invert back again. We need to slowly change our cognition, gradually return to correct views. Now, let us take concrete examples for contemplation and observation, using specifics to observe that all six dust realms we contact are shadows within the black box.
For example, there is such a question: Someone asks: I go from place A to place B; everything experienced along the way, what I see, hear, feel, and know, is clearly so real. Places A and B are also so real. Whether it's the car, the plane, or walking, it's all so real. How can it all be shadows within the black box?
(1) First, let's talk about walking. When walking, all realms contacted by the six consciousnesses are the six dust realms within the black box. Firstly, because walking with two legs, the physical body constantly moves. Thus, all realms contacted by the six consciousnesses are constantly changing, even if the physical body does not move. During the process of walking, the scenery of the external manifestation constantly changes. This change includes all changes in the six dusts: changes in scenery on the form dust, changes in sounds on the sound dust, changes in smells on the smell dust, changes in tastes (sour, sweet, bitter, spicy) on the taste dust, changes in tactile sensations (cold, heat, touch, pain) on the touch dust, and various changes in thoughts and ideas in the mind.
The various sceneries we experience are constantly changing. However, our eye consciousness fundamentally cannot contact the real external scenery. Despite this, we still see various changing sceneries, so we think it is the constantly changing external substantial scenery. In reality, the external scenery is indeed constantly changing because the physical body is constantly moving, the contacted locations are constantly changing, and the scenery constantly shifts. Thus, the internal scenery, which is the shadow, dependent on the external scenery, must also constantly change.
But why can the body move from place A to place B? Why do the contacted locations constantly change? Why does the scenery constantly shift? This involves the secret operation of the Tathāgatagarbha, so it must regrettably remain undisclosed. Because the scenery of the external form dust is constantly changing, the Tathāgatagarbha, through the eye faculty, extracts subtle particles of various form dusts, transmits them into the black box, and manifests internal manifestation images there. Thus, the images change moment by moment, but what our eye consciousness sees changes bit by bit, not very quickly.
The scenery of the internal manifestation is constantly transforming; the eye consciousness and mental consciousness cognize it, and the mental consciousness thinks this scenery and its transformation are so real. In reality, these images are consistent with the relatively real external scenery, almost identical; we cannot distinguish truth from falsehood, inside from outside. It's like a three-dimensional dome movie; the people and things on the screen also seem real to us. Seeing someone on the screen coming at us with a knife, we subconsciously want to dodge. But upon calm comparison and thought, we remember it's not real, so we stay seated and continue watching. Seeing a car coming on the screen, we still subconsciously want to dodge; this is due to the habit of the mental faculty (manas) clinging to appearances. The calm analysis and comparison of the mental consciousness still cannot play a major role.
And the images of the internal manifestation within the black box are also three-dimensional, like a dome movie, so we feel very lifelike. Sometimes, when the TV show depicts a critical situation, we also take it very seriously. For example, seeing someone being chased by another, we feel anxious; at critical moments, we clench our fists, break out in cold sweat, tense our bodies. Sometimes, even knowing it's acting, we still get drawn in. How much more so in daily life, when we don't know that everything we contact are shadows within the black box—we are bound to take it even more seriously.
(2) Along the way from place A to place B, the sounds heard by our ear consciousness are all sounds within the black box. These sounds are constantly changing, shifting continuously. Why do they change? Because the external sound dust is constantly changing, due to the phenomena of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing. The existence of external sound dust is relatively real compared to the internal images; absolute real dharmas only belong to the Tathāgatagarbha. Every location has sounds from people, animals, vehicles, horses, wind, and various objects. As we pass each place, these sounds continuously transmit through the ear faculty into the subtle sense faculties, forming images. If the external form dust changes, the internal images will also change accordingly.
After hearing, we know there is this kind of sound here, that kind of sound there, and we feel these sounds are so real; the direction the sound comes from also seems so real. We know this is the wind sound from the south, that is the talking sound from the north, this is the car sound from the east, that is the dog barking from the west. In this place, all sound dusts transmit over; then moving to another place, all sound dusts also transmit over; the contacted sound dusts are constantly changing.
Then, external sound dusts must appear one after another continuously; our ear faculty must condition them one by one or simultaneously. After conditioning, the Tathāgatagarbha manifests the sound dust of the internal manifestation within the black box, also manifesting the direction, the degree of coarseness or fineness, almost identical to the external world. The mental consciousness then thinks the sound it hears is the substantial sound from a certain external place. With this mistaken knowledge and perception, it influences the mental faculty, making it think "I heard the real sound," "these sounds are real." Thus, it directs the mental consciousness to engage in various discriminations and calculations, continuously creating actions of body, speech, and mind.
Among these, the realm of mental objects (dharma dust) far exceeds that of sound dust. The cognition of the mental consciousness far exceeds that of the ear consciousness. Thus, without the cognition of the mental consciousness, the ear consciousness cannot cognize sound dust; the two rely on each other. The sounds we hear are all within the black box. Along this journey, the sounds of various vehicles, horses, people, animals, the universe, animals, wind, and human speech are all transmitted by the Tathāgatagarbha from the external sound dust, thus forming the internal sound dust within the black box. What we cognize are all the sounds within the black box.
(3) The scents smelled along the way are also like this. As the locations experienced differ, the smells emitted from each place differ. This shows that the external smell dust is constantly transforming. The smell dust transmits through the nose faculty, enters the subtle sense faculties, forms internal smell dust, becoming images within the black box. Thus, the nose consciousness and mental consciousness smell the internal smell dust. One scent after another continuously transmits over; as the passed locations differ, the transmitted scents differ, and the scents (smell dust) we smell also differ.
But the scents we feel are identical to the external ones, very vivid and three-dimensional, so we think what we smell is the substantial external smell dust; it is so real. It seems to come from a certain place—from a restaurant, from flowers, from trees, from a person—as if they are all real material scents. In reality, they are all internal smell dust scents within the black box; they are illusory.
(4) When eating with the mouth, as the external taste dust of food changes, the internal taste dust felt by our tongue consciousness and mental consciousness also constantly changes. Thus, we think we have eaten real food, tasted various real sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors; everything feels so real. In reality, they are all internal taste dust within the black box, all shadows. We feel the shadows are real because they are the same as the external taste dust—both are lively, very three-dimensional; we never perceive their falsity.
(5) The touch dust felt on our body along the way—the blowing of the breeze, the shining of warm sunlight, and other touch dust—are constantly changing. What we feel is also the internal touch dust within the black box. Because the external touch dust is constantly changing—the sunlight may become warmer as it shifts, or the temperature may lower, becoming cooler. Here it's a breeze, another place the wind is slightly stronger, yet another place has no wind; the hand may touch flowers, or trees, or some object—these external touch dusts are constantly changing.
Each kind of touch dust transmits through the body faculty, enters the subtle sense faculties, and the Tathāgatagarbha again extracts the four elements within the subtle sense faculties, manifesting one internal touch dust after another, becoming shadows within the black box. The sensations of the body consciousness and mental consciousness towards the shadows constantly change, making us feel all the sensations of our body are so real. When hot, we take off our coat; when cold, we add clothes; when tired, we rest; after resting, we continue walking. Although the body consciousness and mental consciousness feel so real, these touch dusts are, after all, shadows within the black box, dependent on the external touch dust of sunlight and breeze; they are not real.
All the realms we cognize are indeed within the black box; all six dust dharmas we contact are entirely within the subtle sense faculties. Because we cannot contact the external world; all external realms are material phenomena composed of coarse four elements; the six consciousnesses cannot contact them. The mind dharmas cannot contact coarse material dharmas; only the Tathāgatagarbha can contact coarse material dharmas because these material dharmas are all manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha using the four elements. The Tathāgatagarbha extracts subtle particles of matter's four elements to manifest finer material dharmas composed of the four elements.
The body consciousness cannot truly contact external touch dust; it cannot contact the land. Therefore, it also cannot truly move from place A to place B. The body consciousness cannot truly be in place A, nor truly in place B; it cannot truly do anything. All dharmas it cognizes and functions with are the internal touch dust within the subtle sense faculties. The places it contacts, A and B, all locations, are images within the subtle sense faculties' black box. The relatively real external land, sunlight, breeze, flowers, and trees—only the Tathāgatagarbha can contact them. Yet we feel as if we have truly contacted and perceived them.
(6) The objects the six consciousnesses face—one realm on the left, another on the right—are all manifested a second time by our own Tathāgatagarbha, appearing like reflections in a mirror based on external realms. The content cognized solely by the mental consciousness is directly manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha based on karmic seeds, such as recalling someone or something, fantasizing about something or objects, etc., subsequently generating feelings of pleasure, pain, or neutrality. Therefore, when we walk, it seems we have walked a long way from place A to B, from south to north, from east to west. In reality, we have not left the Tathāgatagarbha even half a step; our feet have not stepped on an inch of external land; they all tread on the shadow of the external land, or step on the secondarily illusory land. The body has not moved an instant; it is all the Tathāgatagarbha playing with itself; there is not a single external dharma to be attained.
We seem to be contacting all dharmas; we seem to be viewing one scenery after another; hearing one sound after another; smelling one fragrance after another from flowers and various scents dispersed in the air; feeling one ray of sunlight after another, one wisp of breeze after another blowing. Various realms change one after another constantly. Actually, no matter how it changes, through thousands of changes, it is all images within the black box, never leaving the black box.
Has the relatively real external realm changed? The external realm is also constantly changing. One form dust after another continuously appears; one sound after another continuously arises; one scent after another continuously wafts over. Because the external realm constantly changes, the internal realm follows suit and transforms; the six consciousnesses must continuously contact, cognize, and feel. What the six consciousnesses cognize are these secondarily manifested realms. Therefore, the internal images within the black box are based on the seemingly real external manifestations; without the external manifestation, there is no internal manifestation.
(7) The scenes of the external manifestation certainly change; it's just whether our five physical faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body) can condition them. For example, in a certain place, there truly is an external form dust mountain, but our eye faculty fundamentally cannot adhere to that mountain; it cannot actually contact that mountain, nor can that mountain come into the eye faculty. Yet we can see that mountain; this matter is truly marvelous when spoken of. Similarly, sound dust arises in a distant place, like thunder or bird calls; these sounds are also not close to the ear faculty, yet we clearly hear the thunder and bird calls; this matter is also very marvelous.
The round sun hanging high in the Trayastriṃśa Heaven is so distant from our body, yet our body faculty can often feel the touch of its radiant light—truly inconceivable. Distant sandalwood fragrance is so far from our nose faculty, yet our nose consciousness can still smell the sandalwood fragrance—also inconceivable. The six faculties have not actually contacted the external six dusts, yet the six consciousnesses can cognize the six dusts. What do these matters illustrate? They illustrate that what our six consciousnesses contact and cognize are all internal dusts manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha based on external dusts; they are images of external dusts, shadows within the black box; they are not real realm appearances; they are false appearances manifested secondarily by the Tathāgatagarbha.
(8) The manifestation of the six consciousnesses each has its own conditions. Among them, the manifestation of eye consciousness and ear consciousness requires that the eye faculty and external form dust have space, a gap; the ear faculty and external sound dust must also have space. Only then can the Tathāgatagarbha transmit material particles into the black box, manifesting internal manifestation form dust and sound dust. However, the nose, tongue, and body faculties have no spatial limitations; whether there is spatial distance or not, the Tathāgatagarbha can transmit material particles of the four elements, manifest images, and give rise to nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, and body consciousness to cognize the images within the black box. This means the external eye faculty cannot adhere to form dust; the external ear faculty cannot adhere to sound dust. But the external nose, tongue, and body faculties can adhere to and touch external smell dust, taste dust, and touch dust. Therefore, the external body faculty can contact external touch dust, but the internal five faculties can never contact the external five dusts; the five consciousnesses and six consciousnesses also cannot contact the external six dusts.
The body consciousness cannot contact external touch dust; what the body consciousness touches and cognizes must be the touch dust of the internal manifestation—the image of external touch dust—not the relatively real external touch dust. For example, the hand can touch flowers, grass, trees, but what the body consciousness on the hand feels must be the shadow of the flowers, grass, trees—images within the black box—not real external touch dust. Similarly, the external body faculty can contact the bed and chair of the external manifestation, but what the body consciousness feels must be the bed and chair of the internal manifestation within the black box—images. This point is very difficult to understand and figure out; the body consciousness and mental consciousness are very prone to mistakenly take all felt touch dust as real touch dust.
(9) We are sitting in this place (place A). Are there form dust and sound dust in the distant place B? Yes, distant place B has various form dusts, various sound dusts, but our eye and ear faculties cannot condition them. What the five faculties cannot condition, the Tathāgatagarbha cannot manifest corresponding internal manifestation shadow dusts; the six consciousnesses cannot cognize them. That is to say, with faculties but no dust, the cognizing consciousness cannot arise, nor can one know the dust forms. However, this does not prevent the mental faculty from knowing. When we arrive at place B, the eye and ear faculties can condition these form dusts and sound dusts. The Tathāgatagarbha, based on the eye and ear faculties, extracts subtle particles of the four elements from the external form dust and sound dust, transmits them to the black box to manifest shadow dust, manifesting the internal form dust and sound dust within the black box. Then we see the scenery of place B, hear the sounds of place B; the six consciousnesses cognize the six dust realms of place B.
We go from place A to place B. Along the way, did the body move? The external body faculty seems to have moved; two feet contact one patch of ground after another, constantly changing, driving the whole body forward continuously. Did the external scenery move? Superficially, it seems all moved, but actually, some moved and some did not. The ground seems to continuously move backward behind the body; actually, it is not moving; it is merely a false appearance compared with the body. Buildings and trees seem to continuously approach oneself, then move behind, away from oneself; actually, they did not move; it is also a false appearance compared with the body. Flying birds in the sky are moving; moving cars are moving; but these moving and non-moving scenes are all images within the black box; they are not real.
The movement of all these dharmas is a kind of illusory appearance; it is all false appearances of arising, ceasing, changing, and transforming within the black box; it is merely the arising, ceasing, changing, and transforming of the seeds of the four elements; never beyond the Tathāgatagarbha. For example, the movement of the ground: the ground itself does not move; it is fixed. It is just that our mental consciousness has an illusion, mistakenly feeling the ground is bit by bit moving backward behind us, mistakenly feeling buildings and trees are bit by bit approaching us, then bit by bit moving behind us. Similar illusions are extremely numerous. Since beginningless kalpas, sentient beings have lived in all kinds of illusions, never truly awakened.
(10) Our most serious illusion is taking all dharmas as real, taking dharmas within the black box as relatively real external dharmas, taking external dharmas as substantially existing dharmas. Thus, since beginningless kalpas, we have greedily clung without letting go. We also take the self-perceiving nature as real, clinging without letting go. Thus, karmic actions are continuous; suffering is continuous. Everything we can feel are dharmas within the black box; perception is perceiving dharmas within the black box; it is perceiving within the black box. The world we live in is essentially this big. All dharmas seem to be moving; essentially, they are not moving; silently, empty, all is Tathāgatagarbha.
For example, when we pass away and are reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, did the physical body truly get reborn? Did we truly go to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss? Is there truly an external Amitābha Buddha for us to see? The entire scenery of the Pure Land we contact, the entire six dust realms, are all within our subtle sense faculties' black box; we cannot contact external dharmas. Therefore, a Patriarch said: "Rebirth: birth is birth, but going is not going." There are many secret principles here. The Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is also our internal manifestation within the black box; it is shadow dust. Our six consciousnesses cannot contact the relatively real external Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; that substantial external Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss can only be contacted by our Tathāgatagarbha.
Similarly, it can be proven that sitting in a car is also like this. It's just that compared to walking, there is an additional car. Our body sits inside the car, adding the operation of the car. In reality, all this operation is a great secret. Although we feel we are sitting in the car, we are actually sitting on the shadow of the car within the subtle sense faculties in the black box, sitting inside that shadow; the shadow we feel is a false appearance. The car we see is also an image within the black box. We feel the car is continuously driving, continuously moving; that is also seeing the transformation of images within the black box; the internal manifestation car shadows are operating one after another, moving. Actually, movement is also a false appearance.
Similarly, taking a plane or a rocket follows the same principle. Whether seeing the form of the plane, hearing the sound of the plane, touching the plane's seat with the body or hand, smelling the scent inside the plane—all are images within the black box. There is no real plane for us to contact. We are all riding within the shadow of the relatively real external plane, riding within the plane in the subtle sense faculties, riding within the rocket in the black box. As long as it can be contacted, it is entirely images within the black box.
Then, has the external world changed? The external realm is also constantly changing. Sitting on the plane, all six dust realms corresponding to the external five faculties are constantly changing rapidly. Scenery is constantly changing rapidly; sounds continuously transmit over; various form dusts, various sounds, various scents continuously transmit over, also constantly disappearing and changing. Because the external six dusts are constantly changing, the internal six dusts we contact must follow and constantly transform, constantly change. Thus, all the changing six dusts we contact are false appearances, merely shadows. Essentially, did we move? We did not move; we are all active within the black box. The six consciousnesses continuously contact the shadows within the black box, continuously cognize the shadows within the black box. All six dust realms are also constantly changing within the black box; the consciousness mind can only contact various realms within the black box. The vast world we know is all here.
(11) Not only the seen form dust and heard sounds are images of the internal manifestation, all within the black box; everything felt by our body is also shadows of the internal manifestation. What the body consciousness perceives, even what the mental consciousness can perceive, are all shadows of the internal manifestation; all are the six dust realms within the black box; all are images manifested by the eighth consciousness; all are illusory and without substantiality. For example, what the body consciousness perceives: when sitting on a bed, knowing whether the bed is soft or hard; sitting on a sofa, knowing whether the sofa is soft or hard; feeling whether the body is comfortable. We feel these touch dusts are real, but they are actually not real. They are all discriminations against shadows; all are activities conducted within the black box. The external manifestation bed, sofa, and the soft/hard touch dust are not within the black box; only the eighth consciousness can contact them.
For example, when the foot is injured, if the transmission nerve at the back of the head responsible for transmitting body faculty touch dust is severed, the body consciousness will not feel pain. Even if the foot is completely severed, the body consciousness will not feel it, nor feel pain, and at this time, there is no body consciousness. Because the transmission nerve at the back of the head is severed, external touch dust cannot transmit through the body faculty's transmission nerve there. The eighth consciousness cannot manifest internal manifestation touch dust within the subtle sense faculties' black box, nor can it produce body consciousness and mental consciousness to cognize any situation regarding the foot. Because without body consciousness and mental consciousness, one cannot cognize the touch dust there; therefore, there is no pain sensation regarding the foot.
One of the channels for the body faculty touch dust to reach the subtle sense faculties is the area at the back of the neck. If this area is accidentally damaged, the whole body becomes paralyzed, the head droops down, and cannot be straightened. If the brain's subtle sense faculties are damaged, the channels for the external six dusts are cut off. The eighth consciousness cannot produce corresponding internal manifestation shadow dust; the six consciousnesses will not manifest; thus, they cannot cognize the six dusts. Actions of body and speech also cannot be produced anymore. Only the faint cognition of the isolated mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) remains, sustaining the existence of the life form, but perhaps not for long. If the external eye faculty is damaged, it cannot receive external form dust. If the internal eye faculty (i.e., the subtle sense faculty of the eye) is damaged, it cannot form internal form dust there. Thus, eye consciousness cannot arise to cognize form dust; then one cannot see forms. Similarly, the other faculties are the same. Therefore, what we cognize are the shadows of the internal manifestation within the black box.
(12) As long as a person can live, the damage to their subtle sense faculties' black box cannot be complete; it can only be partial. If completely damaged, the internal five faculties all become unusable; the five dusts cannot be produced. Then not only can the five consciousnesses not manifest, but the mental consciousness also cannot manifest; it cannot cognize the mental objects (dharma dust) on the five dusts. Thus, the mental faculty knows the five aggregates body cannot be used. It will certainly decide to leave the physical body and seek a new physical body for its use. Precisely because the subtle sense faculties are not completely damaged, leaving some parts usable, a person becomes a vegetative state or a paralyzed patient.
If we carefully observe a vegetative person, we find their body can still show some activities, some sensations. Because of this, the mental faculty thinks this body can still be used, so it does not leave the physical body. Since beginningless kalpas, the mental faculty has always been attached to the physical body; because of attachment, it refuses to abandon it. Only when absolutely necessary will it abandon it. These examples illustrate that the six dusts we cognize are images within the subtle sense faculties' black box; they are the internal manifestation formed by external six dusts transmitted through the transmission nerves; they are not real. However, merely knowing they are unreal, the habitual clinging of the mental faculty is hard to change. It requires us to cultivate corresponding concentration, through continuous careful observation, slowly enabling the mental faculty to realize the substantial nature of these dharmas. Thus, we will gradually subdue the mental faculty's self-attachment and attain liberation.
(13) The Black Box is the Stage
Amidst all changing realms, in truth, our mind has never moved; it has gone nowhere. It has always been within the black box, watching the coming and going of various realms and their unpredictable transformations, while making irrelevant responses. Like in cartoons and movies, there is no actual movement or stillness of scenery and characters; it is merely the rapid projection and playback of numerous pictures. Similarly, within the black box, the consciousnesses and realms have no movement or stillness; it is merely the rapid flashing of various pictures and scenes. The director is the mental faculty; the producer is the Tathāgatagarbha; the six consciousnesses are the actors and the audience. Therefore, what we watch are cartoons, dramas; there is nothing real to speak of. The five aggregates' act of watching is also directed; the director makes the six consciousnesses do whatever, and then the director is also involuntary, merely the head of the play at best. When the play ends and the music ceases, it too will exit the stage.
