The Black Box World (48)

Devas perceive a river as lapis lazuli, humans perceive it as water, and hungry ghosts perceive it as raging flames. The same river appears differently to these three. All three categories of sentient beings participate in manifesting that river, yet their karmic seeds differ, resulting in varying "shares." Thus, according to their respective shares, the dividends they draw differ, leading to distinct experiences and perceptions for each. Therefore, the defiled Saha World is described from the perspective of sentient beings. From the perspective of Shakyamuni Buddha, the Saha World is profoundly majestic, no different from the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, as taught in the Vimalakirti Sutra. This illustrates that the karmic seeds projected by the Buddha, who participates in manifesting the world, are supremely excellent. Consequently, the external manifestations and internal manifestations he experiences differ vastly from those of sentient beings, much like shareholders in a joint-stock company receiving different profits based on their shareholding.

For the Buddha, the external manifestation and the internal manifestation are completely identical. The Saha World perceived by the Buddha is entirely the same as the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, the external manifestation of the Saha World that the Buddha encounters is also that beautiful and majestic. Similarly, living in the Saha World, the Buddha's robes never gather dust, nor does his skin. Dust represents the ignorance of the mind, and since the Buddha is without ignorance, he does not attract dust.

Only sentient beings possessing a superior root have an internal manifestation. Without a superior root, there is no internal manifestation. Beings with physical eyes but no spiritual powers can cognize the internal manifestation. Those with the divine eye and spiritual powers do not necessarily need to cognize the internal manifestation. Beings whose six faculties are interchangeable do not need to cognize the internal manifestation. Fully liberated arhats and eighth-stage great bodhisattvas cognize the objects of the six senses without using the six consciousnesses; they directly cognize using the mental faculty, and what they cognize is not the internal manifestation. Formless realm devas lack a physical body, hence they lack a superior root and the internal six sense objects. When they cognize the object of the mental sense (dharma dust), it is not the internal dharma dust they cognize.