Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 34 (6)

Original text: 无常之性。云何数数寻思观察。谓先安立内外二事。言内事者。谓六处等。言外事者。有十六种。一者地事。谓城邑聚落。舍市廛等。二者园事。谓药草丛林等。三者山事。谓种种山安布差别。四者水事。谓江河陂湖众流池沼。五者作业事。六者库藏事。七者食事。八者饮事。九者乘事。十者衣事。十一者庄严具事。十二者舞歌乐事。十三者香鬘涂饰事。十四者资生具事。十五者诸光明事。十六者男女承奉事。如是名为十六种事。

Explanation: How should the impermanent nature of all formations be repeatedly contemplated and observed? First, two categories of matters are established, internal and external. The internal matters refer to the six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana) and so forth. The external matters comprise sixteen kinds: the first is land affairs, including cities, villages, dwellings, marketplaces, and so on; the second is garden phenomena, including places where medicinal herbs, flowers, grasses, and trees are grown; the third is mountain phenomena, including mountains of various sizes, such as high mountains and hills; the fourth is water phenomena, including rivers, seas, lakes, and ponds—all places where water gathers; the fifth is action phenomena; the sixth is treasury phenomena; the seventh is matters of food; the eighth is matters of drink; the ninth is matters of vehicles; the tenth is matters of clothing; the eleventh is ornament phenomena; the twelfth is matters of song, dance, and music; the thirteenth is matters of scents, flowers, garlands, and adornments; the fifteenth is matters of illumination and radiance; the sixteenth is attendance by men and women.

All these matters are impermanent affairs of the worldly realm. The reason these dharmas are impermanent is that they are all conditioned dharmas, fabricated and produced, subject to arising, abiding, alteration, and cessation. After arising, they do not linger even for a moment, constantly changing until they perish. From childhood to adulthood, sentient beings are constantly engaged in these impermanent affairs, yet they do not perceive their impermanence. After cultivating the standard of authoritative teachings and reasoning, the mind consciousness can easily understand the impermanent nature of these matters; however, the manas is dull and not easily convinced. This is why one must cultivate precepts, samādhi, and wisdom, engaging in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) within meditative concentration, and finally realize the impermanent nature. Realization means direct seeing—directly observing, in the present, the impermanent nature of dharmas, not merely through the mind consciousness's thinking and understanding. When the impermanent nature is clearly presented, one cannot help but be convinced; accepting it immediately is realization. Moreover, meditative concentration (samādhi) arises, and the mind abides unwaveringly in the perception of the impermanence of dharmas.