The Principle and Order of Changes in Internal and External Dust

When outer faculties contact outer objects, and inner faculties contact inner objects, not only are the inner and outer faculties interconnected, but the inner and outer objects are also interconnected, and even the inner and outer consciousnesses are all interconnected. When the six consciousnesses contact inner objects and create activity upon them, do the outer objects undergo change? If they do change, do the outer objects change first, or the inner objects first?

Through careful contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), one can discover that the manas not only takes charge of and exerts a driving force upon inner objects, but also takes charge of and exerts a driving force upon outer objects. This proves that the manas is both an inner consciousness and an outer consciousness.

After a hand takes a book away, the book as an outer object is indeed no longer in its original place and cannot be seen by others, and the position of the book as one's inner object has also changed. The change in the outer object is of course decided by the manas, and the change in the inner object is likewise decided by the manas. For example, when bread is eaten into the mouth and into the stomach, it is definitely the manas that decides to eat it; the inner object is crushed and enters the stomach. The outer object disappears from outside the mouth, and it also disappears because the manas decides so. If the manas did not take charge and exert a driving force, neither the inner nor outer objects would change for a short period of time.

Inner objects always depend on outer objects to arise and exist; without outer objects there are no inner objects—first there are outer objects, then inner objects. The exception is the subjectively imagined realm, which does not depend on outer objects to exist; therefore the subjectively imagined realm is very active and unstable, unpredictable in its transformations, and the mind consciousness mostly cannot grasp or control it. Why can it not control it? Because the mind consciousness lacks the ability to subdue the manas and lacks the ability to control the manas.

Since inner objects exist depending on outer objects, when an object-realm changes, the outer object must change first, and the inner object changes accordingly—the changes are almost synchronous. If one changes an outer object, one simultaneously changes the outer objects of the sentient beings concerned, and thereby also changes the inner object-aspects (nimitta) of those sentient beings. If such a change is not permitted by others, it infringes upon their related interests.

For example, if public property is damaged, each person's outer and inner objects are changed; if others do not permit it, their interests have been infringed. Destroying or altering another person's physical body changes not only one's own inner and outer object-aspects, but also the other person's inner and outer object-aspects; the other person may become angry because of the harm suffered, or feel delighted because of the benefit received. If one destroys one's own physical body, one changes not only one's own inner and outer objects, but also the inner and outer objects of others, and one's own family members will not permit it and will suffer.

If one changes only one's own inner objects without involving the inner and outer objects of others, then it has nothing to do with others. Only the subjectively imagined realm belongs entirely to oneself and does not involve the inner and outer objects of others; no matter how it is changed, others will not know. For example, when one contemplates a Buddha image and accomplishes the meditative concentration/meditative absorption (samādhi) of recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), with the Buddhas of the ten directions standing before one, no one else can see this scene; when one recollects until the land of bliss (sukhāvatī) appears before one's eyes, others likewise cannot see it—otherwise others would simultaneously accomplish the merit of the recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti) samādhi as well. Then if one person cultivates practice, all sentient beings could bask in the light and achieve accomplishment.