Chapter Two  Exegesis of Passages from the Second Volume

Section One  The Seeing-Nature Involves Four Conditions

Original Text: Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, if the wondrous awakening-nature is certainly neither cause nor condition, then why, World-Honored One, do you constantly tell the bhikṣus that the seeing-nature involves four conditions? That is, it depends on space, on light, on the discerning mind, and on the eye. What is the meaning of this?" The Buddha said: "I speak of the characteristics of worldly causes and conditions, not of the supreme truth."

Exegesis: Ānanda asked the Buddha: "World-Honored One, if that subtle, luminous awakening-nature is certainly not of causal nature, yet you often tell the bhikṣus that the seeing-nature involves four conditions. For example, it is said that the seeing-nature of eye-consciousness arises due to the presence of space, light, the discerning mind, and the eye faculty, thereby enabling the perception of form. How should this be understood?" The Buddha said: "What I speak of here are the characteristics of worldly causes and conditions—phenomena produced by causes and conditions. I am not speaking of the seeing-nature of the supreme truth."

Here, the term "seeing-nature" refers to the functional capacity of the six consciousnesses to perceive the six dusts (sense objects). For instance, the function of eye-consciousness seeing forms is a phenomenon produced by causes and conditions, requiring the presence of four conditions or nine factors to perceive forms. When the conditions are not met, this seeing-nature ceases to exist. Therefore, the seeing that perceives dust-objects is characterized by arising and ceasing; it is a provisional dharma, not the seeing-nature of the true mind of the supreme truth. The seeing-nature of the true mind has no conditions; it does not rely on causes or conditions. Regardless of light or darkness, the presence or absence of space, the presence or absence of eyes, or the presence or absence of eye-consciousness, the functional capacity of the seeing-nature is always present.

Original Text: "Ānanda, I ask you again: When worldly people say 'I can see,' what is called seeing? What is called not seeing?" Ānanda said: "Worldly people, relying on the sun, moon, or lamplight, perceive various appearances; this is called seeing. If these three kinds of light are absent, then they cannot see."

Exegesis: Ānanda, I ask you again: All worldly people claim to possess the capacity for seeing. What is called seeing? What is called not seeing? Ānanda said: Worldly people, relying on sunlight, moonlight, and lamplight, perceive the appearances of various things; this is called seeing. If these three kinds of light are absent, they cannot see; this is called not seeing.

Original Text: "Ānanda, if the absence of light is called not seeing, then darkness should not be seen. If darkness is indeed seen, this merely means light is absent—how can it be called not seeing? Ānanda, if in darkness, not seeing light is called not seeing, then now in light, not seeing the characteristic of darkness should also be called not seeing. Thus, both states would be called not seeing. Moreover, when these two characteristics (light and darkness) mutually obstruct and supersede each other, it is not that your seeing-nature temporarily ceases within them. Therefore, it is known that both states involve seeing. How can it be said there is no seeing?"

Exegesis: Ānanda, if the absence of light is called not seeing, then darkness should also not be seen; if darkness can indeed be seen, this merely indicates the absence of light—how can it be called not seeing? Ānanda, if in darkness, not seeing light is called not seeing, then now in light, not seeing darkness should still be called not seeing. If both light and darkness involve not seeing, and the two mutually obstruct and supersede each other, it is not that your seeing-nature temporarily ceases to exist within them. Therefore, it is known that in both light and darkness, the seeing-nature is present; both are called seeing. How can it be said there is no seeing?

Original Text: "Therefore, you should now know: When seeing light, the seeing is not the light. When seeing darkness, the seeing is not the darkness. When seeing emptiness, the seeing is not the emptiness. When seeing obstruction, the seeing is not the obstruction. These four principles are thus established."

Exegesis: The Buddha said: Therefore, you should now know: When seeing light, the seeing-nature is not the light. When seeing darkness, the seeing-nature is not the darkness. When seeing empty space devoid of objects, the seeing-nature is not the emptiness. When seeing material obstruction, the seeing-nature is not the obstruction or the matter. Only thus can the four dharmic principles of light, darkness, emptiness, and obstruction be established, and the seeing-nature can also be established.

Here, the Buddha speaks of the seeing-nature of the tathāgatagarbha (buddha-nature) of the supreme truth, which is not subsumed under sense objects. The seeing-nature of the six consciousnesses, of course, is also not subsumed under sense objects, except that the seeing-nature of the six consciousnesses arises dependent on sense objects, while the seeing-nature of the true mind of the supreme truth does not arise dependent on sense objects. When the six consciousnesses see light, the seeing of the tathāgatagarbha is not the light; when the six consciousnesses see darkness, the seeing of the tathāgatagarbha is not the darkness. When seeing emptiness, the seeing of the tathāgatagarbha is not the emptiness; when seeing obstruction, the seeing of the tathāgatagarbha is not the obstruction. The seeing of the tathāgatagarbha is unrelated to light or darkness; there is seeing in light, and there is seeing in darkness—what continuously functions without interruption is the seeing of the tathāgatagarbha. It is unrelated to emptiness or obstruction; there is seeing in emptiness, and there is seeing in obstruction—this is the seeing of the tathāgatagarbha.

The seeing that sees light or darkness is the seeing of the six consciousnesses. The seeing that sees emptiness or obstruction is the seeing of the six consciousnesses. The seeing of the tathāgatagarbha does not perceive these appearances. What does the tathāgatagarbha see? The appearances seen by the tathāgatagarbha do not belong to worldly appearances; they are not the six dust-objects. What it sees relates to seeds (bīja, latent tendencies); it does not fall into worldly appearances. It has no worldly mind, no emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, no afflictions, and does not create karmic actions of good or evil.

Original Text: "You should further know: When seeing sees the seeing, the seeing is not the seen. The seen transcends seeing; seeing cannot reach it. How then can you still speak of cause and condition, spontaneity, or a combined characteristic? You śrāvakas are narrow-minded, inferior, and lacking in understanding, unable to penetrate the pure true reality. I now instruct you: you should contemplate well, without becoming weary or negligent on the wondrous path to bodhi."

Exegesis: The Buddha said: You should know that when you see your seeing-nature, this seeing that perceives the seeing-nature is not the seeing of the seeing-nature of the supreme truth. The seeing of the seeing-nature is capable of existing apart from the seeing that perceives the seeing-nature; it exists independently of the seeing that perceives it. Whether you perceive it or not, the seeing of the seeing-nature exists without ceasing. The seeing that perceives the seeing-nature and the seeing of the seeing-nature are not of the same category; the two cannot be equated. How can you still say the seeing-nature is produced by causes and conditions, or arises spontaneously, or is a characteristic formed by combination? You śrāvakas are narrow-minded, inferior, and lacking in understanding, thus unable to penetrate the pure true reality within the dharmadhātu (realm of reality). I now tell you: You should contemplate this well and not become weary or negligent on the wondrous great path to bodhi.

The seeing-nature of the supreme truth can exist apart from the six sense faculties and six dusts; it can also exist apart from the seeing of the six consciousnesses. It can see independently. The seeing-nature inherently exists; it is not born from causes and conditions and does not rely on external conditions. The seeing of the six consciousnesses—the eyes seeing forms, ears hearing sounds—cannot be equated with the seeing-nature. Therefore, one cannot say the seeing-nature is conditioned (dependent on causes and conditions), nor is it spontaneous (arising naturally), nor is it a characteristic formed by the combination of various things. To realize it, one must cultivate merit and wisdom, using the eye of wisdom, the formless wisdom-eye, to discover it; the physical eye cannot see it.

In the phrase "seeing sees the seeing" (jiàn jiàn zhī shí), the first "seeing" is the seeing of the deluded mind (the seventh consciousness), and the second "seeing" is the seeing of the seeing-nature of the tathāgatagarbha. When we perceive the six dust-objects, it is the seeing of the deluded mind. Behind this, there is also the seeing-nature of the tathāgatagarbha. These two seeings—one true, one false—must not be confused or equated. The seeing-nature of the deluded mind (the six consciousnesses) is not the original seeing-nature of the tathāgatagarbha. The two seeings must be distinguished; do not mistake the seeing-nature of the six consciousnesses for the seeing-nature of the tathāgatagarbha. The seeing-nature of the tathāgatagarbha can exist apart from the seeing-nature of the six consciousnesses; it does not require the seeing-nature of the six consciousnesses to exist independently. Where there is tathāgatagarbha, there is its seeing-nature (except in the state of nirvana without remainder).

Moreover, the seeing-nature of the six consciousnesses cannot be compared to the seeing-nature of the tathāgatagarbha, nor can the seeing-nature of the tathāgatagarbha be perceived in the same way one perceives the six dust-objects. However, the seeing-nature of the six consciousnesses is false seeing; true and substantial seeing is the seeing-nature of the tathāgatagarbha. It is like a shadow play: what you see are all illusory appearances; the substance is all the work of the person behind the curtain. Therefore, do not mistake the seeing of the six consciousnesses for true seeing. True seeing does not perceive the six dust-objects.