Black Box World (Five)

Someone may ask: If I am reborn in the land of bliss (sukhāvatī) at the time of death, where is the land of bliss? Is it real or illusory? Of course, the land of bliss that we can come into contact with is also an image conjured forth by the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha; we cannot come into contact with the relatively real land of bliss outside. The relatively real land of bliss outside is jointly created and transformed by Amitābha Buddha and all sentient beings who have karmic connections with Amitābha Buddha and the land of bliss—by their tathāgatagarbhas—and is jointly held and sustained by them.

Among the eight consciousnesses, only the eighth consciousness can truly come into contact with the so-called real material form of the land of bliss outside; our six consciousnesses cannot come into contact with it and can only come into contact with the images conjured forth by the eighth consciousness. So if one can reach the land of bliss, which land of bliss does one reach? Where exactly is the land of bliss? One should know this in one's mind, and one can also understand where the eighth consciousness creates and transforms the lotus flower.

In fact, both the land of bliss as an inner and outer object-aspect (nimitta) exist, and the lotus flowers as inner and outer object-aspects also exist.

If we can be reborn there, is it truly going and truly being born? At the time of rebirth, do the Amitābha Buddha and the bodhisattvas outside truly come to welcome us? Is there truly a lotus flower outside for us to sit on? Who can sit on a real lotus flower? Even the bed and chair in one's own home cannot truly be sat upon.

We cannot truly dwell in the relatively real land of bliss outside; if we dwell anywhere, it is in the images conjured forth by our own eighth consciousness, dwelling in the land of bliss inside the black box. All dharmas are illusory transformations; not a single dharma is real. The eighth consciousness creates and transforms the lotus flower and the land of bliss within the black box, and if the six consciousnesses can take it as an object, they take this image as their object; they will not come into contact with the substantive land of bliss. This is a very important realization. If one earnestly and practically engages in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), one can eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), and will also gradually eliminate self-grasping, thereby attaining liberation.