Black Box World (46)

In fact, the true principle is that the inner object-aspect depends on the outer object-aspect for its existence; the outer object-aspect comes first, and the inner object-aspect comes after. If there were no outer object-aspect, there would be no inner object-aspect. So when a person destroys an object, he is not only destroying the inner object-aspect—he must also be destroying the outer object-aspect, and moreover the outer object-aspect is destroyed first, and the inner object-aspect is immediately destroyed along with it. The outer object-aspect of that object must have been destroyed, or disappeared, so that others can no longer enjoy it or see it—this certainly means the outer object-aspect no longer exists.

That is why it is said that destroying things is an offense, stealing is an offense, and killing people is an offense. It is precisely because the outer object-aspect is destroyed, causing others to suffer loss and depriving them of what they could otherwise enjoy—not merely involving one's own inner object-aspect. If only one's own inner object-aspect were destroyed, then killing hundreds of millions of people would involve no offense at all, and no one could do anything about it. Therefore, killing people, felling trees, destroying property, and stealing all involve the outer object-aspect and its underlying substance, and thus there is an offense.

Since the six consciousnesses can only contact the inner object-aspect and cannot contact the outer object-aspect, why can the actions and activities of the six consciousnesses still bring about changes in the outer object-aspect? Herein lies a great secret. The outer object-aspect is the relatively real material world composed of the four great elements outside; this realness is also spoken of only in relative terms with respect to the inner object-aspect. In truth, it is also not real—it too is conjured forth by the tathāgatagarbha, and its substance is still illusory. The only true dharma is the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha; all other dharmas are illusory.

There is a saying: affliction is itself bodhi. Affliction, on the one hand, refers to greed, anger, and delusion, killing, arson, and other unwholesome dharmas; on the other hand, it refers to everyday trivial matters such as eating, drinking, and relieving oneself. Bodhi refers precisely to the tathāgatagarbha. All dharmas are manifested and sustained by the tathāgatagarbha, and the outer object-aspect is likewise so. Thus the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of the outer object-aspect are all accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha, and the inner object-aspect, of course, is also manifested and sustained by the tathāgatagarbha. All the changes of mountains, rivers, and the great earth are the doing of the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha; the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of all dharmas are the doing of the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha. The six consciousnesses can never directly change the outer object-aspect, because there are no seeds within the six consciousnesses and they do not correspond to the outer object-aspect; moreover, the six consciousnesses are dharmas that arise later—there must first be the inner object-aspect before the six consciousnesses can exist. Therefore, the six consciousnesses cannot directly change the outer object-aspect. But within the tathāgatagarbha there are the seeds of the four great elements and the seeds of the six great elements; therefore, all dharmas are decided by the tathāgatagarbha, and thus the direction for investigating these questions is already very clear.

Since the six consciousnesses can only contact the inner object-aspect and cannot contact the outer object-aspect, why can the actions and activities of the six consciousnesses still bring about changes in the outer object-aspect? Herein lies a great secret. When my hand picks up a book from the table, the hand can only contact the inner object-aspect of the book—what is picked up is the book of the inner object-aspect—yet the book of the outer object-aspect is no longer on the table, and others can no longer see it or take it. What, then, is the connection between the inner and outer object-aspects? Which comes first, the inner object-aspect or the outer object-aspect? Of course, the outer object-aspect comes first. Which changes first, the outer object-aspect or the inner object-aspect? Of course, the outer object-aspect changes first. Where does the inner object-aspect come from? Of course, it is manifested by the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, based on the outer object-aspect.