The Esoteric Significance of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra

Section Three: The Five Aggregates Are Illusory

I. Original Text: The Buddha said to Ānanda, “You still do not understand that all floating dust and various illusory manifestations arise right where they are and perish right where they are. These illusory and false appearances are called ‘characteristics,’ yet their true nature is precisely the wondrous awareness and luminous essence.”

Explanation: The Buddha said: Ānanda, you have not yet comprehended that all floating dust and the false appearances transformed through illusion arise right where they are and perish right where they arise. Illusory and false, they are unreal; thus they are called “characteristics.” Yet the true Dharma has no characteristics. The essence of these characteristics is indeed the fundamental awareness, the wondrous luminous substance.

Floating dust includes the external six dusts and the internal six dusts. After the external six dusts are manifested through illusion, when our six sense faculties contact them, the fundamental awareness manifests them once again, projecting them onto the subtle sense faculties (indriyas), giving rise to the six consciousnesses to make distinctions. This secondary transformation is even more illusory and unreal.

“Arising right where they are”: These floating dusts all arise from the wondrous awareness and luminous essence; they are born within the mind of the wondrous awareness and luminous essence, not outside the substance of the mind. Outside the substance of the mind, nothing exists. “Perishing right where they are”: When they cease, they also cease within the substance of the mind, not outside it. Even the lands of the Buddhas throughout the ten directions do not lie outside this substance of the mind; all are the One True Dharma Realm, the single true suchness nature. These illusory and false appearances are called “characteristics” because they have form and appearance. Yet the fundamental awareness that can transform these floating dusts is truly real, not illusory; it has no form, no appearance, and possesses no dharmic characteristic.

This “where” refers to the birthplace of all false dharmas — the Tathāgatagarbha. It is not elsewhere, nor is there any elsewhere; there is no dharma outside the Tathāgatagarbha. Then, based on karmic seeds and conditions, the Tathāgatagarbha outputs the seven great seeds, giving birth to the world of the five aggregates. When conditions are exhausted, the false dharmas cease, still ceasing within the Tathāgatagarbha, not elsewhere, nor is there any elsewhere. This is equivalent to dharmas arising without truly arising and ceasing without truly ceasing. The output of the seven great seeds is also without output; they do not leave the Tathāgatagarbha. Where could they be output to? Especially the output of the seeds of the seventh consciousness — where are they output to? Without the impulsion of the seventh consciousness, there would be no world of the five aggregates. The seventh consciousness is the foremost existence among false dharmas; apart from it, there are no other false dharmas whatsoever. Where does the seventh consciousness exist? Where does it cease when it ceases? All are within the Tathāgatagarbha, within the locus of the Tathāgatagarbha. All other illusory and false dharmas are likewise.

Ponder this matter; it is extremely interesting and even more meaningful. Originally, there is no dharma in the world, nor is there a world; there is nothing at all. If one sees a dharma, one sees the Tathāgatagarbha. If there is seeing, it is the seeing of the Tathāgatagarbha. What else is there? Nothing but the Tathāgatagarbha. All dharmas are utterly unobtainable, cannot be attained, absolutely cannot be attained.

What is called “arising”? Leaving the substance, the appearance of another thing, is called “arising.” No dharma leaves the Tathāgatagarbha; all are within the Tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, none have truly arisen. Since there is no arising, there is also no ceasing. All dharmas are originally the Tathāgatagarbha, neither arising nor ceasing. Thus it is also said that all dharmas are empty, without self-nature. What is the meaning of our constant busyness every moment?

To endure and accept this principle is to attain the patience of non-arising (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti) and the patience with the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti). The sixth consciousness (mano-vijñāna) can easily endure and accept this. The key is the seventh consciousness (manas). If the manas can endure and accept this, it is genuine realization. Complete and thorough realization is Buddhahood. Thinking about it seems easy, but putting it into practice requires three great asamkhyeya kalpas; it is extremely difficult. “Stretching out both legs to lie down, caring not for any affair.” Why be so leisurely? All dharmas have nothing to do with me, nor is there any “me.” All dharmas are at ease; I too am at ease. What is there to stir up in the world?

Original Text: “Similarly, extending to the five aggregates, the six entrances, from the twelve sense bases to the eighteen elements — all arise falsely due to the coming together of causes and conditions; they cease falsely due to the separation of causes and conditions. Yet beings are utterly unable to know that arising, ceasing, coming, and going are fundamentally the Tathāgatagarbha — eternally abiding, wondrously luminous, unmoving, perfectly pervasive, the wondrous true suchness nature. Within the true, eternal nature, seeking for coming and going, delusion and enlightenment, birth and death — nothing at all is obtainable.”

Explanation: The Buddha said: The same principle applies. Illusory and false dharmas extend to the five aggregates and the six entrances, from the twelve sense bases to the eighteen elements. All falsely arise due to the coming together of causes and conditions; when causes and conditions separate and no longer coalesce, they falsely cease. Yet sentient beings do not know that the arising, ceasing, coming, and going of these dharmas are fundamentally the eternally abiding, wondrously luminous, perfectly pervasive, serenely unmoving, wondrous true suchness nature of the Tathāgatagarbha, pervading all dharmas. Within the wondrous true suchness nature, seeking the coming and going of all dharmas, seeking the delusion, enlightenment, birth, and death of sentient beings — nothing at all is obtainable; fundamentally, nothing can be obtained, nothing exists.

The five aggregates: form, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness. The six entrances: the six sense faculties — eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind. The twelve sense bases: the six sense faculties plus the six sense objects. The eighteen elements: the six sense faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses. All these arise falsely due to the coming together of causes and conditions. The cause for the arising of the form aggregate is the karmic condition, the condition of parents, plus the clinging and grasping nature of the manas. The arising of the external six dusts is due to the karmic conditions of all sentient beings with affinities. The six sense faculties contact the six dusts, giving rise to the six consciousnesses. The arising of each of the six consciousnesses has its own conditions. Only when these conditions are complete do each of the eighteen elements arise; if conditions are incomplete, they cannot arise. This shows that the eighteen elements, dependent on conditions for their arising, are false.

When the six consciousnesses arise, the functions and activities of the five aggregates appear; the five aggregates are also conditioned. The Buddha said that with causes and conditions, the world aggregates; with conditions but no cause, it still cannot aggregate; the five aggregates and eighteen elements cannot be aggregated. The cause, the source of all dharmas, the five aggregates and eighteen elements, is the fundamental awareness, the wondrously luminous Tathāgatagarbha. When causes and conditions separate, the false phenomena disappear and perish, and the five aggregates and eighteen elements also perish. Yet sentient beings do not know that these floating dusts of arising and ceasing, the coming and going of the five-aggregate body, are fundamentally the eternally abiding, wondrously luminous nature of the Tathāgatagarbha.

The Tathāgatagarbha eternally abides without moving. Though unmoving, its substance pervades all Buddha lands throughout the ten directions, perfectly accomplishing all dharmas. All dharmas are the wondrous true suchness nature of the Tathāgatagarbha, which is also the Buddha-nature. Within the true and eternal true suchness nature, seeking the coming and going of the five aggregates, the arising and ceasing of all dharmas, the delusion and enlightenment of sentient beings, and birth and death — nothing at all is obtainable. Because all these dharmas are the wondrous true suchness nature; they are manifested and transformed by true suchness, false and empty, illusory; therefore, nothing at all is obtainable.

II. Original Text: The Buddha said to Ānanda, “How can the five aggregates fundamentally be the wondrous true suchness nature of the Tathāgatagarbha? Ānanda, it is like a person who, with clear eyes, gazes at the clear, bright sky — only a clear emptiness, utterly nothing. For no reason, this person stares fixedly without moving his eyes. From staring until fatigue arises, then in the empty sky he distinctly sees flying, madly dancing flowers, and all kinds of mad, disordered, nonexistent appearances. The form aggregate should be understood as likewise.”

Explanation: The Buddha said: Ānanda, how can the five aggregates fundamentally be the wondrous true suchness nature of the Tathāgatagarbha? Ānanda, it is like a person who, with clear eyes, gazes at the clear, bright, empty sky — only clear purity, nothing at all. This person, for no reason, stares fixedly without moving his eyes. After staring for a long time, the eyes become fatigued. Because of fatigue, hallucinations appear; he sees flowers flying madly in the empty sky, and all kinds of mad, disordered appearances that originally did not exist. These flower points and disordered appearances are not real things; they are illusory, false dharmas manifested through transformation. The form aggregate is also like these madly flying flowers — fundamentally nonexistent, an illusory, transformed, falsely existing dharma, an illusory appearance seen due to the delusion and confusion of sentient beings’ minds, without real substance.

Original Text: “Ānanda, these madly flying flowers do not come from the sky nor do they issue from the eyes. Ānanda, if they came from the sky, then since they come from the sky, they should also return into the sky. If they have an exit and an entrance, then it is not the nature of empty space. If empty space is not empty, it naturally would not allow the flower appearances to arise and cease, just as Ānanda’s body would not allow another Ānanda.”

Explanation: The Buddha said: Ānanda, these disordered flowers do not come from the empty sky nor do they issue from the eyes. Ānanda, the facts are thus: If the disordered flowers came from the empty sky, they should also cease by returning into the empty sky. If something could come out of and enter into the empty sky, then the empty sky could not be called “empty”; it would not be devoid of anything. The empty sky would become a substantive entity. If it were a substantive entity, it naturally would not allow these flower appearances to arise, cease, exit, and enter. Just like your body, Ānanda, it would not accommodate another Ānanda.

Original Text: “If they issue from the eyes, then since they issue from the eyes, they should also return into the eyes. Since the nature of these flowers issues from the eyes, they should possess the faculty of seeing. If they possess seeing, then when they leave, the flowers would be in the sky; when they return, they should see the eyes.

If they do not possess seeing, then when they leave, they would obscure the sky; when they return, they should obscure the eyes. Moreover, when the flowers are seen, the eyes should be free from obscurity. How then can it be called clear sky and clear eyes? Therefore, you should know that the form aggregate is empty and false, fundamentally not arising from causes and conditions nor from a self-nature.”

Explanation: If these disordered flowers issue from the eyes, they should also return into the eyes. Because they issue from the eyes, the nature of these flower points should be like the eyes, possessing the faculty of seeing. If the flowers possess the faculty of seeing, when they leave the eyes and go into the sky, and when they return from the sky, they should be able to see the eyes, but in reality, they cannot. Evidently, the flowers do not possess the faculty of seeing like the eyes. Therefore, it is said that the flower points do not exit and enter from the eyes.

If the flower points do not possess the faculty of seeing, when they leave the eyes, they would obscure the entire sky; when they return from the sky, they should obscure both eyes, and at that time, the eyes should see nothing. But in fact, this is not the case; the sky and the eyes are not obscured. Evidently, the flowers do not exit and enter from the eyes. Moreover, when the eyes see the disordered flowers, they should be free from fatigue and hallucination, yet it is precisely because the eyes are fatigued and hallucinating that they see disordered flowers. If it is due to fatigue and hallucination that disordered flowers are seen, how can it be called clear eyes and a clear sky? This shows that the disordered flowers do not exit and enter from the eyes.

In summary, the disordered flowers do not come from the sky nor do they exit and enter from the eyes. They come from nowhere and go nowhere; they are fundamentally illusory. Their nature is fundamentally not due to causes and conditions, nor is it a self-nature; it is the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha, the function and wondrous use of the Tathāgatagarbha. The form aggregate is likewise false, coming from nowhere, going nowhere, not due to causes and conditions, not a self-nature; all are the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha.

III. The Feeling Aggregate Is Illusory

Original Text: “Ānanda, it is like a person whose hands and feet are at ease and still, whose hundred joints are harmoniously comfortable. Suddenly it is as if he forgets his existence; his nature has no aversion or attraction. For no reason, this person rubs his two palms together in the air. In his two hands, he falsely produces sensations of roughness, smoothness, cold, heat, and so forth. The feeling aggregate should be understood as likewise.”

Explanation: The Buddha said to Ānanda, it is like a person whose hands and feet are at ease and still, whose various bones, joints, and parts are comfortable and at ease. At this time, he forgets himself; his mind temporarily ignores the existence of his body, and there are no feelings of good or bad. For no reason, this person rubs his two palms together in the air; when the two hands touch each other, they falsely produce sensations of roughness, smoothness, cold, heat, and so forth.

These sensations originally did not exist; they arise because the two hands touch, coming into being from non-existence; therefore, they are false. The feeling aggregate is also like this. Originally, there are no various feelings; only because the six sense faculties contact the six dusts are feelings of pleasure, pain, joy, sorrow, and equanimity falsely produced, which then disappear. From non-existence to existence and back to non-existence, they are falsely felt.

Original Text: “Ānanda, these illusory sensations do not come from the sky nor do they issue from the palms. Ānanda, if they came from the sky, then since they can contact the palms, why do they not contact the body? It should not be that empty space chooses what to contact.”

Explanation: The Buddha said to Ānanda, these illusory sensations do not come from the empty sky nor do they issue from the palms. It is thus, Ānanda: If the sensations came from the empty sky, since they can contact the palms, why do they not contact the body? It should not be that empty space selectively contacts something. Now, the body does not produce feelings; only the two hands have feelings. Therefore, this sensation does not come from the empty sky.

Original Text: “If they issue from the palms, they should not require contact. Moreover, since they issue from the palms, when the palms touch, they know it; when apart, the sensation should enter. The arms, wrists, bone marrow should also be aware of the path of entry.

There must be a perceiving mind that knows the exit and the entrance. There would naturally be one thing coming and going within the body. Why wait for contact to know? Why call it ‘contact’? Therefore, you should know that the feeling aggregate is empty and false, fundamentally not arising from causes and conditions nor from a self-nature.”

Explanation: If the sensations issue from the palms, then the palms should naturally constantly produce feelings; there would be no need for the two hands to rub together to produce feelings. Moreover, if the sensations issue from the palms, when the hands come together, the palms have awareness; when the hands separate, the sensations should return into the palms, entering the body along the palms. Then the wrists, arms, and bone marrow should also be aware that the sensations are entering the body; all parts of the body should have awareness.

If it were like this, there must be a perceiving mind that knows the sensations have left the palms and returned into the palms. In this case, naturally there would be one thing coming and going within the body. Since there is this perceiving thing, why is it necessary to know only when the two hands come together? There would be no need to have feelings only when the two hands rub together; when the hands are not together, there should also be constant sensations and feelings. Then, when the body does not contact the object of touch, it should also have feelings and be able to perceive touch.

In this case, the definition of “contact” should also change; it would not be the contact of the sense faculty with the sense object. The sense faculty would have feelings even without contacting the sense object. This would violate the principle that the six consciousnesses arise from the contact of the six sense faculties with the six sense objects. Consciousness and feelings would arise without cause or condition. Then, when practitioners sit in meditation and enter samādhi, extinguishing the functions of the six sense faculties, they would still have feelings and could not enter samādhi and attain stillness. Therefore, you should know that the illusory sensations do not come from the sky nor do they issue from the palms. They come from nowhere, go nowhere, fundamentally not due to causes and conditions nor a self-nature; all are the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha. By the same reasoning, the feeling aggregate is likewise false, coming from nowhere, going nowhere, fundamentally not due to causes and conditions nor a self-nature; it is the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha.

IV. The Perception Aggregate Is Illusory

Original Text: “Ānanda, it is like a person who, speaking of pickled plums, causes saliva to flow from his mouth. Or thinking of treading on a precipice causes the soles of his feet to feel sore and astringent. The perception aggregate should be understood as likewise.”

Explanation: The Buddha said to Ānanda, it is like a person who talks about a kind of sour plum; as he speaks, saliva flows from his mouth. He has not eaten the sour plum; merely talking about it produces saliva. This is an extremely false phenomenon. Speech does not produce saliva; it is the mind of sentient beings making perceptions, cognizing the sourness of the sour plum, producing a physiological reaction, and saliva flows out. If a person mentally imagines himself standing on the edge of a cliff, thinking about it causes inner fear; the associated reaction is soreness and astringency in the soles of the feet, fearing that stepping unsteadily will cause him to fall off the cliff, though in reality he is sitting at home.

Originally, thinking about something has no relation to the feet; the sore and astringent reaction appearing in the soles of the feet is completely false. There is no reason for this phenomenon to occur; the perception aggregate is likewise unreal. Perception is cognition, knowing, thinking, imagining, recalling. When speaking of sour plums, the mind cognizes sourness, producing a feeling. When thinking of a cliff, it cognizes danger, producing a feeling. When feeling arises, there is an immediate physiological reaction. This cognitive nature is false; there is no sour plum substance in the mouth, and the feet are not standing on the edge of a cliff. False thinking, causeless thinking, thinking that does not accord with reality, yet false feelings still appear — truly illusory.

Like a mentally ill person, his cognition of the external world is disordered; his internal thinking cannot be correct, and subsequent actions and creations are certainly contrary to reason. Then his cognition and perception are false, unreal, incorrect, unreasonable. Our perception aggregate is likewise unreasonable, unreal, due to ignorance. The perceptions and cognitions of the Buddhas are without ignorance, completely reasonable and dharmic, without the slightest disorder.

Original Text: “Ānanda, such talk of sourness does not come from the plums nor does it enter from the mouth. Ānanda, if it came from the plums, the plums themselves should speak. Why wait for a person to speak? If it entered from the mouth, the mouth itself should hear. Why wait for the ear? If only the ear hears, why does this water not flow from the ear? Thinking of treading on a precipice is similar to this talk. Therefore, you should know that the perception aggregate is empty and false, fundamentally not arising from causes and conditions nor from a self-nature.”

Explanation: The Buddha said to Ānanda, talk like this about sour plums does not arise from the sour plums nor does it enter from the mouth. If the talk arose from the plums, the sour plums themselves would talk; why would they need a person to talk about them? If the talk entered from the mouth, the mouth would hear it itself; why would it need the ear to hear? If only the ear hears, why does the sour water not flow from the ear but from the mouth? Therefore, such talk is falsely appearing. When the mind has perceptions and mental examinations, speech arises; speech in turn stimulates deeper layers of perception and cognition, producing the mental examination of sourness, and saliva flows out. They influence each other, interrelated, all false, without real substance. Clinging to them causes the continuity of birth and death.

The perception of treading on a precipice is likewise false. This perception does not come from the precipice; otherwise, the precipice itself would perceive, unrelated to people. Nor does it arise from the feet; if the feet could produce perceptions, they would constantly perceive and feel soreness, making normal life impossible. Mentally imagining standing on the edge of a precipice creates trouble out of nothing; afterwards, feelings of fear arise without reason, and even more unreasonably, the soles of the feet feel sore. None of this is real; it is all just the various consciousnesses turning upside down. Sentient beings are thus toyed with by themselves, suffering unbearably, truly pitiable. The Buddha said the perception aggregate is likewise false. These perceptions, thoughts, and memories come from nowhere, go nowhere. Fundamentally not due to causes and conditions, nor a self-nature; all are the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha.

V. The Mental Formations Aggregate Is Illusory

Original Text: “Ānanda, it is like a torrential current, its waves continuous, the preceding and succeeding not overstepping each other. The mental formations aggregate should be understood as likewise.”

Explanation: Ānanda, it is like a torrential current of water, waves rolling continuously, the following waves always following the preceding waves without surpassing them, the order not disordered. The mental formations aggregate is likewise; one stream of mental formations follows another stream of mental formations, the sequence orderly.

For example, the stream of mental formations of the eye consciousness: the preceding eye consciousness seed arises and ceases, the following eye consciousness seed arises in the same place and ceases, one after another arising and ceasing, forming the flow of eye consciousness, enabling sentient beings to see forms. The body consciousness is likewise, thus enabling the body’s feelings and the functioning and acting of the body faculty. The mind consciousness is likewise; the manas is likewise. Even the flow of blood is likewise. All that moves and functions without stillness belongs to the mental formations aggregate.

Original Text: “Ānanda, this nature of flowing does not arise from the sky, nor does it exist because of water. Nor is it the nature of water. Nor is it separate from the sky and water.”

Explanation: Ānanda, this flowing nature of water does not arise because of the empty sky, nor does it exist because of water, nor does it belong to the nature of water. Because the nature of water is moistness, while a torrential current is flowing; the two are not the same attribute. However, the torrential current also cannot exist apart from the empty sky and water, because without the sky, there is no space, and the torrential current cannot flow, becoming still. Like a full bottle of water, without space, no matter how it is shaken, it remains still. Without water, there is no water flow; how could it surge?

Original Text: “Ānanda, if it arose from the sky, then throughout the ten directions, the endless sky would become an endless flow. The worlds would naturally all be drowned.

If it existed because of water, then this torrential current’s nature should not be water. It would have its own characteristic and appearance, which should now be present. If it were the nature of water, then when the water is clear and still, it should not be the substance of water. If it were separate from the sky and water, the sky has no outside; outside of water there is no flow. Therefore, you should know that the mental formations aggregate is empty and false, fundamentally not arising from causes and conditions nor from a self-nature.”

Explanation: It is thus, Ānanda: If the torrential current arose because of the sky, the sky being boundless, then throughout the boundless sky there would be torrential currents. The worlds throughout the ten directions would all be invaded and submerged by torrential currents, and no life could survive. Evidently, the torrential current does not exist because of the sky.

If the torrential current existed because of water, water has moistness; the torrential current should have moistness, yet the torrential current has fluidity; it has its own attribute and appearance, without the moistness of water. If the torrential current arose because of water, where there is water, there should be a torrential current. Then when the water is clear and still, why is there no torrential current, only water? Evidently, the torrential current does not exist because of water. If the torrential current existed apart from the sky and water, outside the sky there is nothing; the torrential current cannot exist — it can only exist within the sky. Without water, there is no fluidity of water; the torrential current also cannot exist.

In summary, the torrential current does not arise because of the sky, nor does it arise because of water, nor can it exist apart from the sky and water. It comes from nowhere, goes nowhere, fundamentally false. The mental formations aggregate is likewise, coming from nowhere, going nowhere, fundamentally not due to causes and conditions nor a self-nature; all are the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha.

VI. The Consciousness Aggregate Is Illusory

Original Text: “Ānanda, it is like a person who takes a kalaviṅka bottle, stops its two holes, fills it with sky, carries it a thousand miles to present to another country. The consciousness aggregate should be understood as likewise.”

Explanation: Ānanda, it is like a person who takes a kalaviṅka bottle, fills it with empty sky, stops the holes tightly to prevent the sky from escaping, and then presents the sky in this bottle to another country a thousand miles away. This is a foolish act; this matter is fundamentally false, cannot be established. Because the sky is non-dharma, not truly existent; the bottle itself is originally empty; filling it with sky is still the original emptiness, equivalent to not filling it at all. Therefore, the sky has no coming or going, no movement; it cannot move from here to there. The consciousness aggregate of sentient beings is likewise false, blindly cognizing the non-existent realms of the six dusts.

Original Text: “Ānanda, this sky does not come from that place nor does it enter this place. Ānanda, if it came from that place, then since the bottle originally stored the sky and took it away, in the original place of the bottle, the sky should be diminished. If it entered this place, then upon opening the bottle and pouring it out, one should see the sky come out. Therefore, you should know that the consciousness aggregate is empty and false, fundamentally not arising from causes and conditions nor from a self-nature.”

Explanation: Ānanda, this sky cannot come from that place nor can it enter this place. If the sky could come from that place, then the bottle filled with the sky from that place should reduce the sky there. Pouring the sky from the bottle into this place, upon opening the bottle, one should see the sky come out of the bottle, and the sky here should increase. In fact, this absolutely does not happen; evidently, moving the sky is fundamentally false. The consciousness aggregate grasping the six dusts is likewise false; the six dusts fundamentally do not exist; how can we grasp them arbitrarily? It is merely the false discriminations of several consciousnesses. The consciousness aggregate is not due to causes and conditions nor a self-nature; it is the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha.