Brief Discussion on Material Elements (Draft)

Twelve. When looking into a mirror, what is the relationship between the reflection in the mirror and the mirror itself? What is the relationship between the image within the mirror and the form outside the mirror?

The reflection in the mirror is the appearance perceived by the eye consciousness, the sound of one's own voice heard by the ear consciousness, the scent of oneself smelled by the nose consciousness, the taste particles within the mouth experienced by the tongue consciousness, the tactile particles felt within the body by the body consciousness, and the five aggregates of clinging discerned by the mental consciousness. This includes the subjective agency of the seventh consciousness and all its activities.

The perceiving nature of the five consciousnesses observable by the sixth consciousness, the perceiving nature of the seventh consciousness, the perceiving nature of the mental consciousness itself, and the objects of the five aggregates and six dust realms observed by the mental consciousness—all are reflections. Reflections are born from and manifested by the mirror; they are images transmitted by the mirror. The mirror truly exists eternally and indestructibly, while reflections arise and cease ceaselessly. Even when present, they are not truly existent; they are empty and illusory. The image and the form have a one-to-one correspondence—they resemble each other. The image is transformed from the form, originates from the form, and depends on the form to exist. The two are neither identical nor different; without the form, there is no image.