Volume Three of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra: The Auditory Faculty as the Marvelous True Suchness Nature of Tathāgatagarbha

Original text: Ānanda, it is like a person who tightly plugs both ears with two fingers. Due to the strain on the auditory faculty, a buzzing sound arises within the head. Both the ear and this strain are manifestations of bodhi arising from a state of sensory fatigue. Dependent on the two illusory attributes of motion and stillness, auditory awareness emerges amidst this strain. This awareness absorbs these attributes of motion and stillness, manifesting them as auditory perception. This is called the auditory nature. Separated from these two attributes of motion and stillness, this auditory nature ultimately lacks inherent existence.

Explanation: Ānanda, it is like a person who uses the fingers of both hands to tightly plug both ears. Due to the tactile strain on the auditory faculty, a buzzing sound arises within the head. Both the auditory faculty and the sensation of strain from the fingers pressing the ears are illusory, conventional appearances projected by the functioning of the bodhi mind. Relying on the two illusory sense-objects of motion and stillness, auditory awareness arises amidst the tactile strain between the fingers and ears. This auditory awareness absorbs these attributes of motion and stillness, manifesting them as phenomena of motion and stillness. This is called the auditory nature. Separated from the two sense-objects of motion and stillness, this auditory nature ultimately lacks inherent existence. That is to say, without motion and stillness, there would be no auditory awareness—apart from sense-objects, there is no consciousness and no hearing.

Original text: Thus, Ānanda, you should understand that this auditory nature does not come from motion or stillness, does not arise from the faculty, nor does it emerge from emptiness. Why? If it came from stillness, when motion appears, it should cease to exist and thus be unable to perceive motion. If it came from motion, when stillness appears, it should cease to exist, and you would no longer perceive stillness. If it arose from the faculty, it would inherently lack motion and stillness, and such an auditory essence would perceive neither. Thus, this auditory nature fundamentally lacks self-nature. If it emerged from emptiness, emptiness possessing auditory nature would no longer be emptiness. Moreover, if emptiness itself could hear, what connection would it have to your faculty? Therefore, know that the auditory sense-base is illusory, fundamentally neither arising from causes and conditions nor being of spontaneous nature.

Explanation: Thus, Ānanda, you should understand that this auditory nature does not originate from motion or stillness, does not come from the auditory faculty, nor does it arise from emptiness. Why is this so? If the auditory nature came from stillness, it should vanish when motion appears, and thus be unable to perceive motion. If it came from motion, it should vanish when stillness appears, and you would no longer perceive stillness. If it arose from the auditory faculty, it would inherently lack the attributes of motion and stillness, and thus perceive neither motion nor stillness—such an auditory nature fundamentally lacks inherent existence. If it emerged from emptiness, emptiness possessing auditory nature would cease to be emptiness. Moreover, if emptiness itself could hear, what connection would it have to your auditory faculty? Therefore, it is said that the auditory sense-base is illusory, fundamentally neither arising from causes and conditions nor being of spontaneous nature—it is the nature of the Tathāgata-garbha.