Lectures on the Pitṛputrasamāgama Sūtra (56)

The Illusory Nature of the Realm of Consciousness

After visual consciousness perceives form, it ceases; after auditory consciousness perceives sound, it ceases; after olfactory consciousness perceives scent, it ceases; after tactile consciousness perceives touch, it ceases; after mental consciousness perceives mental objects, it ceases. These six consciousnesses neither come from anywhere nor go anywhere. When they arise, they are empty; when they cease, they are empty. When visual consciousness arises, it has no location: it does not come from the eye faculty and form, nor from empty space, nor from the brain—it comes from nowhere. When it ceases, it has no place of cessation: it does not go to the eye faculty, nor to form, nor to empty space, nor to the brain. This explanation follows the Hinayana teaching. According to the Mahayana, all arise from the Tathagatagarbha.

The intrinsic nature of the realm of consciousness is apart from all phenomena and unattached to all phenomena. Its own nature is fundamentally empty. The nature of consciousness does not reside in the male form nor in the female form; there is no male form nor female form. Yet the nature of consciousness can perceive and distinguish male and female forms. The realm of consciousness inherently has no form or self-nature; it is merely demonstrated through verbal expression. Therefore, the realm of consciousness and the nature of consciousness cannot be grasped, clung to, or seized. Only the Buddha's right knowledge and right wisdom can fully comprehend this matter.

These consciousnesses do not reside in the six sense faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind), nor in the external sense objects (form, sound, smell, taste, or touch), nor in the faculties and objects, nor in any phenomena. They inherently have no male or female form; they are merely nominal designations and provisional appearances. Thus, the six realms of consciousness and the nature of consciousness are ungraspable.

The nature of consciousness is discrimination: visual consciousness discriminates form, auditory consciousness discriminates sound, olfactory consciousness discriminates scents, gustatory consciousness discriminates tastes (sour, sweet, bitter, spicy), tactile consciousness discriminates touch, and mental consciousness discriminates form included in the mental objects. Their intrinsic nature is ungraspable. Only the Buddha's right wisdom can completely and thoroughly comprehend this matter; we can only comprehend a small part of it.