Selected Lectures on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (28)

Original text: 然此识界。各各了别。彼彼境已。即便灭谢。生无所来。灭无所去。大王。识生时空。灭时亦空。自性离故。不住男相。亦非女相。但唯言说。之所显示。如是识界。与识界性。皆不可得。唯佛正慧。而能了知。

Explanation: Then, after each of these consciousness elements has discerned its own corresponding sense object, it ceases. When the consciousness element arises, there is nowhere it comes from; when it ceases, there is nowhere it goes. Great King, when the consciousness element arises, it is empty; when it ceases, it is also empty. The self-nature of the consciousness element is free of all marks and is also empty; it does not abide in the mark of male, nor in the mark of female. It is merely a false appearance manifested through verbal designation. Therefore, it is said that the consciousness element and the nature of the consciousness element are both utterly unobtainable; only the Buddha's unsurpassed, perfect great wisdom can fully know their content without obstruction.

After the eye consciousness discerns form, the eye consciousness disappears; after the ear consciousness discerns sound, the ear consciousness disappears; after the nose consciousness discerns scent, the nose consciousness disappears; after the body consciousness discerns touch, the body consciousness disappears; after the mind consciousness discerns mental objects, the mind consciousness disappears. These six consciousnesses come from nowhere and go nowhere. When they arise, they are empty; when they cease, they are empty. When the eye consciousness arises, there is no location—it does not come from the eye faculty and form 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 form objects, does not go into empty space, does not go into the brain. This is only the Hīnayāna way of speaking; according to the Mahāyāna, they all come from the tathāgatagarbha.

The self-nature of the consciousness element is precisely to be free of all dharmas and not attached to any dharma; its self-nature is inherently empty. The nature of consciousness does not abide in the mark of male, nor in the mark of female; there is no mark of male and no mark of female, yet the nature of consciousness can discern the marks of male and female. The consciousness element inherently has no form and no self-nature appearance; it is merely displayed through verbal designation. Therefore, it is said that the consciousness element and the nature of the consciousness element are both utterly unobtainable—unable to be attached to, unable to be grasped. Only the Buddha's right knowledge and right wisdom can thoroughly know 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 touch; they do not abide in the faculties or the objects, nor do they abide in any dharma. In themselves there is no mark of male and no mark of female; they are merely a false appearance of verbal designation, just a name. Therefore, the six consciousness elements and the nature of the consciousness elements are utterly unobtainable.

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 touch objects, and the mind consciousness discriminates form included in the realm of mental objects (dharma-dhātu); their self-natures are all utterly unobtainable. Only the Buddha's right wisdom can know this matter completely and fully; we can only know a small part of it.