Śūraṅgama Sūtra, Volume III: The Illusory Nature of the Earth Element

Ananda, as you have said, the combination of the Four Great Elements gives rise to the various transformations within the world. Ananda, if the fundamental nature of those great elements were not combinable, then they would be unable to mix and combine with the other great elements, just as empty space does not combine with any forms. If they are combinable, then, being identical with transformation, they mutually accomplish each other from beginning to end, with birth and destruction succeeding one another—death following life, life following death, birth after birth, death after death—like a whirling fire-wheel, never ceasing.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Ananda, indeed, it is just as you said: it is due to the combination of the Four Great Elements that the various transformations of the world appear. Ananda, if the fundamental nature of the Four Great Elements were not combinable, then the elements could not mix and combine together, just as empty space cannot combine with any form-dharmas. If the Four Great Elements can combine together and collectively transform the world, the appearances of the world would exist perpetually, with birth and destruction succeeding one another—life giving rise to death, death giving rise to life, birth after birth, death after death—like a whirling fire-wheel, never ceasing to rest.

Ananda, just as water becomes ice, and ice melts back into water. You observe the earth element: coarse as the great earth, fine as minute dust particles, down to the dust particles bordering on emptiness. Analyze those extremely minute particles, the forms at the very limit of materiality, which are composed of seven parts. Analyze them further, bordering on emptiness, and you reach the true nature of emptiness.

Explanation: Ananda, just as water can solidify into ice and ice can melt back into water, you observe the characteristic of the earth element: the coarse aspect is the great earth, the subtle aspect is minute dust particles, down to the extremely fine dust particles bordering on emptiness. Analyze those extremely minute form-dust particles approaching the limit of materiality bordering on emptiness, dividing them into seven parts. Analyze them further, and they become even closer to emptiness. At this point, it becomes apparent that the minute dust particles indeed possess the nature of emptiness.

Ananda, if these particles bordering on emptiness, upon being analyzed, become emptiness, then you should know that emptiness gives birth to form. You now ask, saying that it is due to combination that the various transformative appearances of the world are born. Now, consider this single particle bordering on emptiness: how many portions of emptiness are combined to have it? It should not be that particles bordering on emptiness combine to form a particle bordering on emptiness. Furthermore, for a particle bordering on emptiness that is analyzed into emptiness, how many portions of form are combined to constitute emptiness?

Explanation: Ananda, if these particles bordering on emptiness are further analyzed into emptiness, then you should know that emptiness gives birth to form. You now say that it is due to the combination of the Four Great Elements that all the transformative appearances of the world are born. You should now observe this single particle bordering on emptiness: how many portions of emptiness are combined to produce it? It should not be that particles bordering on emptiness combine to form another particle bordering on emptiness. Furthermore, for a particle bordering on emptiness that is analyzed into emptiness, how many portions of form are combined to constitute emptiness?

If form is combined, the combined form is not emptiness. If emptiness is combined, the combined emptiness is not form. Form can still be analyzed, but how can emptiness be combined? You fundamentally do not know that within the Tathagatagarbha, the nature of form is true emptiness, and the nature of emptiness is true form. They are fundamentally pure, inherently clear, and pervade the Dharma-realm. Responding to the measure of what sentient beings' minds should know, following their karma, they manifest. The ignorant of the world, deluded, regard them as arising from causes and conditions or as spontaneous in nature. These are all the discriminations, calculations, and reckonings of the conscious mind. But all such talk has no real meaning.

Explanation: The Buddha said: If form can be combined, the combined entity is not emptiness. If emptiness is combined, the combined entity is not form. Form can still be analyzed, but how can emptiness be combined? Ananda, you fundamentally do not know that within the Tathagatagarbha, the nature of form is true emptiness, and the nature of emptiness is true form. Form and emptiness are both fundamentally pure, inherently clear, and pervade the entire Dharma-realm. They manifest according to the measure of what is to be known by sentient beings' minds, following their karma. Sentient beings in the world are ignorant, confusedly thinking that form and emptiness arise due to causes and conditions or exist spontaneously by nature. These are all the discriminations and calculations of the conscious mind of sentient beings. Whatever they say, it all lacks real meaning.

Here the World-Honored One negates that form can generate emptiness or that emptiness can generate form. If material form-dust could be subdivided into emptiness, then emptiness would be composed of form. How many particles of form constitute emptiness? If particles could constitute emptiness, emptiness would not be emptiness. Similarly, if emptiness could constitute form-dust particles, how much emptiness would constitute a particle? If emptiness could constitute particles, then emptiness would not be emptiness, and particles would not be particles—both would lose their intrinsic nature.

If form-dust particles could combine to become emptiness, emptiness would be form. If emptiness could combine to become form, form would be emptiness. How could emptiness and form mutually combine or transform? They exist in a relationship of equality and opposition: where one exists, the other does not. Form is the shaped appearance formed by the Four Great Element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind, while emptiness is the formless dharma. Therefore, form cannot transform into emptiness, and emptiness certainly cannot transform into form.

Form is produced by the Tathagatagarbha; it does not arise from the transformation or combination of emptiness. Emptiness is also produced by the Tathagatagarbha; it is not generated by the subdivision of form. The World-Honored One makes it very clear in the Shurangama Sutra: all phenomena are produced by the Tathagatagarbha; all originate from the Tathagatagarbha. Wherever there is form, there is no emptiness; where there is emptiness, there is certainly no form. Where there is no form, emptiness manifests. Therefore, emptiness is revealed due to the presence of form. Finally, it is summarized that it is all the nature of the Tathagatagarbha; hence, form and emptiness are non-dual.