The Great Illusion of Vijñāna in the Third Volume of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra

Original text: Ananda, the nature of discernment has no source; it arises conditionally through the six [sense faculties and sense objects]. Deluded perceptions emerge from the sense faculties and objects. Now, observe comprehensively the assembly of noble sages gathered here. Using your eyes to scan sequentially, your gaze surveys all around. Yet, what the eyes perceive is like an image in a mirror, without any particular analytical discrimination. Within this observation, your eye-consciousness successively identifies and points out: This is Manjusri, this is Purna, this is Mahamaudgalyayana, this is Subhuti, this is Sariputra. This knowing faculty of your consciousness—does it arise from seeing, from form, from emptiness, or does it emerge suddenly without any cause?

Explanation: Ananda, the nature of consciousness has no origin; it arises falsely through the six sense faculties and their objects. Now, comprehensively observe the assembly of sages in this gathering. Using your eyes to scan in sequence, your eyes can perceive all phenomena around. However, what the eyes see is like an image in a mirror, without specific analytical discrimination. Within this observation, your eye-consciousness successively identifies: This is Manjusri, this is Purna, this is Mahamaudgalyayana, this is Subhuti, this is Sariputra. This knowing faculty of your eye-consciousness—is it born from seeing, from form, from emptiness, or does it emerge suddenly without any cause?

Original text: Ananda, if your discernment nature arises from seeing, then without brightness, darkness, form, and emptiness—if these four are necessarily absent—your seeing nature fundamentally does not exist. If the seeing nature is not even present, from where could discernment arise? If your discernment nature arises from form, not from seeing, then since it does not arise from seeing, it would be unable to perceive brightness or darkness. Without perceiving brightness and darkness, there would be no form or emptiness. If form is not even present, from where could discernment arise?

Explanation: If your discernment nature arises from seeing, then without the appearances of brightness, darkness, form, and emptiness—if these four appearances are absent—your seeing nature would not exist. Since the seeing nature is not even present, from where would the discernment nature arise? If your discernment nature arises from form, not from seeing, then your discernment nature would be unable to perceive brightness or darkness. Without perceiving brightness and darkness, there would be no form or emptiness. If form and emptiness are absent, from what would the discernment nature arise?

Original text: If [discernment] arises from emptiness, it would be neither form nor seeing. Without seeing, there is no discrimination; it would inherently lack the ability to know the causes and conditions of the arising and ceasing of brightness, darkness, form, and emptiness. Perceiving, hearing, feeling, and knowing would have no basis for establishment. Abiding in these two negations [neither form nor seeing], emptiness would be identical to non-existence, while existence would not be the same as materiality. Even if your discernment were to arise, what distinctions could it make? If it emerges suddenly without any cause, why does it not, in broad daylight, perceive the moon separately?

Explanation: If your discernment nature arises from emptiness, it would possess neither form nor seeing nature. Without seeing nature, there would be no faculty of discrimination; it would naturally be unable to know the causes and conditions for the arising and ceasing of brightness, darkness, form, and emptiness. Seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing could not be established. Emptiness is equivalent to non-existence, while existence is equivalent to materiality. Amidst these two opposing phenomena, even if your discernment nature could arise, what distinctions would it make? If discernment appears suddenly without any cause, why does it not, under the midday sun, distinctly perceive the moon?

Original text: Investigate this more minutely, examine it with subtle care. Seeing relies on your eyes; form is projected by the external objects. What has shape becomes "existence"; what lacks form becomes "non-existence." How then does this discernment, as a condition, arise? Discernment is active; seeing is still. They are neither harmonious nor combined. Hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching are likewise. Discernment as a condition should not arise spontaneously without a source. If this discerning mind fundamentally has no origin, you should understand that the knowing faculty—perceiving, hearing, feeling, and knowing—is perfectly clear and serene. Its nature does not arise from anywhere. Together with that emptiness, earth, water, fire, and wind, it is uniformly called one of the Seven Great Elements. Their nature is truly perfect and interpenetrating; all are the Tathagatagarbha, fundamentally without birth or cessation.

Explanation: Deliberate more carefully, examine minutely and in detail. Seeing nature depends on and is supported by your eyes to exist. Form is the objective realm before you; what has shape is called "existence," while the absence of form is "non-existence." But from what does the discerning mind arise? The discerning mind is active; seeing nature is tranquil. The two cannot harmonize or combine. Hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching natures are also like this. Discernment should not arise spontaneously without cause or location. If this discerning mind fundamentally has no origin, you should know that the knowing faculty of discernment—perceiving, hearing, feeling, and knowing—is perfectly pure, serene, and tranquil. Its nature does not arise from anywhere. Together with emptiness, earth, water, fire, and wind, it is collectively named one of the Seven Great Elements. Its nature is truly perfect and interpenetrating, manifesting as the Tathagatagarbha, fundamentally without birth or cessation. Within the Tathagatagarbha, no dharma arises and no dharma ceases.

Original text: Ananda, your mind is coarse and restless; you have not yet realized that perceiving, hearing, and the knowing faculty are fundamentally the Tathagatagarbha. You should contemplate this discerning mind at the six sense bases: Is it the same or different? Is it empty or existent? Is it neither the same nor different? Is it neither empty nor existent? You fundamentally do not know that within the Tathagatagarbha, the nature of discernment is clear knowing; the true awareness is luminous true consciousness. The wondrous awareness is serenely clear, pervading the entire Dharma Realm, containing and emitting the ten directions of emptiness. How could it have any fixed location? It manifests according to karma. The world, in ignorance, mistakenly takes it for conditioned arising or inherent existence. All these are the discerning mind’s discriminations and calculations. Whatever is spoken of thus has no real meaning.

Explanation: Ananda, your mind is coarse and agitated; you have not yet awakened to the realization that the clarity and knowing faculty of perceiving, hearing, feeling, and knowing are fundamentally the Tathagatagarbha. You should observe this discerning mind at the six bases of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas: Is it identical to them or different? Is it empty or existent? Is it neither identical nor different? Is it neither empty nor existent? You fundamentally do not know that within the Tathagatagarbha, the nature of consciousness is clear knowing; true luminous awareness is true consciousness. The subtle awareness is pure, serene, and tranquil, pervading the entire Dharma Realm, encompassing the ten directions of emptiness. How could it have any fixed direction or location? It manifests according to the karma of sentient beings. Worldly people, in ignorance, deludedly regard it as arising from conditions or as naturally existent. All these are the false discriminations and calculations of the discerning mind. Whatever is spoken of in this way has no real meaning.