All Dharmas Contacted by the Six Consciousnesses Are Illusory

Now, hearing the sound of thunder in the sky and the buzzing of a mosquito beside the ear are perceived simultaneously. Yet, how long had the thunder sound passed, and over what distance, before it was heard? By the time it is heard, the thunder sound has long since vanished; the sky is no longer thundering. Since the thunder sound and the mosquito's buzz are heard together, within the ear faculty, the sounds are not distinguished as prior or posterior. Whether a sound takes several seconds or several minutes to reach the ear faculty, does the essential state of that sound still exist? It ceased to exist long ago; when the sound is heard, the actual sound in the external world has already disappeared. Therefore, when I hear the sound of someone scolding me, does that scolding sound still exist? It does not exist either. The perceived sound, an illusion arising from the essential state of sound, is like echoes in a valley. How illusory, then, is the sound of scolding I hear? It is utterly false and unreal. All phenomena contacted by the six consciousnesses are like this.