Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamasūtra) (56)

The False Nature of the Realm of Consciousness

After the eye consciousness discerns material sense-objects, the eye consciousness disappears; after the ear consciousness discerns sound sense-objects, the ear consciousness disappears; after the nose consciousness discerns scent sense-objects, the nose consciousness disappears; after the body consciousness discerns tangible sense-objects, it disappears; after the mind consciousness discerns mental sense-objects, it disappears. These six consciousnesses come from nowhere and go nowhere. When they arise, it is emptiness; when they cease, it is emptiness. When the eye consciousness arises, there is no location—it does not come from the eye faculty or from material sense-objects, does not come from empty space, does not come from the brain; it comes from nowhere. When it ceases, there is no place of cessation—it does not go into the eye faculty, does not go into material sense-objects, does not go into empty space, does not go into the brain. This is only the Hīnayāna explanation; from the perspective of the Mahāyāna, they all come from the tathāgatagarbha.

The self-nature of the realm of consciousness is to be apart from all dharmas and not attached to any dharma; its intrinsic nature is fundamentally empty. The nature of consciousness does not abide in the male mark, nor does it abide in the female mark; there is no male mark and no female mark, yet the nature of consciousness can discern the male mark and the female mark. The realm of consciousness originally has no form and no intrinsic mark; it is merely revealed through verbal expression. Therefore, it is said that both the realm of consciousness and the nature of the realm of consciousness are utterly unattainable, cannot be grasped by attachment, and cannot be seized; only the Buddha's correct knowledge and correct wisdom can thoroughly and completely understand this matter.

These consciousnesses also do not abide in the six faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, nor do they abide in the external sense-objects of form, sound, taste, and tangibility; they do not abide in the faculties or the sense-objects, and do not abide in any dharma. In themselves there is no male mark and no female mark; they are merely a false appearance of verbal expression, just a name, and therefore the six consciousness realms and the nature of the realm of consciousness are utterly unattainable.

The nature of consciousness is discrimination: the eye consciousness discriminates form, the ear consciousness discriminates sound, the nose consciousness discriminates fragrance and stench, the tongue consciousness discriminates sour, sweet, bitter, and pungent, the body consciousness discriminates tangible sense-objects, and the mind consciousness discriminates the form included in the realm of dharmas—all of their self-natures are utterly unattainable. Only the Buddha's correct wisdom can understand this matter completely and fully; we can only understand a small part of it.