Śūraṅgama Sūtra, Volume III: The Embodiment Enters the Primordial Tathāgatagarbha, the Marvelous True Suchness Nature

Original Text: Ananda, it is like a person who touches a hot hand with a cold hand. If the cold force predominates, the hot hand, being influenced by the cold, will become cold. If the heat is more potent, the cold hand, being influenced by the heat, will become warm. Thus, through this combined tactile sensation, the awareness of separation is revealed. When the interaction persists, it results from prolonged contact. Both the body and the contact are manifestations of the bodhi mind's fatigued phenomena. Relying on the two illusory dusts of separation and union, the body generates a perceiving nature within, absorbing these dust appearances, which is called the perceptual nature. This perceiving entity, apart from the two dusts of separation-union and compliance-opposition, ultimately lacks inherent substance.

Explanation: Ananda, it is like a person using a cold hand to touch a hot hand. If the cold force exceeds the heat, the hot hand, being influenced by the cold, will turn cold. If the heat is stronger, the cold hand, being influenced by the heat, will turn warm. Thus, by utilizing the tactile sensation combined with perception, the awareness of separation and union is revealed. As the contact between the two hands continues over time, a balance of cold and heat forces is achieved. Both the body faculty and the contact are phenomena of fatigue manifested within the bodhi mind, arising through the two illusory dusts of separation and union. The body faculty generates a perceiving nature within, absorbing the appearances of tactile dust, which is called perceptual nature. The perceiving body faculty, apart from the two dusts of separation-union and compliance-opposition, ultimately lacks inherent substance.

Original Text: Thus, Ananda, you should know that this perception does not come from separation or union, nor does it exist due to compliance or opposition. It does not arise from the faculty, nor does it emerge from emptiness. Why? If it comes when there is union, then when separation occurs, it should have already ceased. How then could it perceive separation? The same applies to the two states of compliance and opposition. If it arises from the faculty, it must inherently lack the four characteristics of separation, union, compliance, and opposition. Thus, the tactile sensation of your body originally has no self-nature. If it must emerge from emptiness, emptiness itself would perceive—what connection would it have with your faculty? Therefore, you should know that the bodily sense faculty is illusory, fundamentally neither conditioned nor spontaneous in nature.

Explanation: Ananda, you should know that this perceptual nature does not originate from separation or union, nor does it exist because of compliance or opposition. It does not arise from the body faculty, nor does it come from emptiness. Why? If the tactile sensation arises when the faculty and dust are united, then when they separate, the sensation should cease. How then could it perceive separation? If it arises when they are separated, then when united, the sensation should cease—how then could it perceive union? The same applies to the states of compliance and opposition. If the sensation arises from one of the two states of compliance or opposition, it would not perceive the other state. If the tactile sensation arises from the body faculty, complying with its attributes, it must inherently lack the characteristics of separation, union, compliance, and opposition, and thus would not perceive these states. Therefore, the tactile sensation of your body originally has no self-nature. If it arises from emptiness, emptiness itself would possess tactile sensation—what relation would it have to your bodily sense faculty? Thus, you should know that the bodily sense faculty is illusory, fundamentally neither conditioned nor spontaneous in nature, but rather the nature of the Tathāgata-garbha.