Black Box World (Seven)

The external world of the six sense objects seems real, as if there were truly existing material substances. But that "reality" is only spoken of in relative terms, relative to the inner object-aspect (nimitta). The external material world is also produced by the eighth consciousness (Ālayavijñāna) of sentient beings with shared karma, who together transmit the seeds of the four great elements and transform them into being. Even if it exists, it is a false existence, an illusory existence, and is not truly real—it is all the phantom images of the eighth consciousness. Moreover, it is a phantom image conjured up collectively by the eighth consciousnesses of all sentient beings with karmic connections; the eighth consciousness of a single sentient being alone could not conjure it up.

The external world of the six sense objects, the external material world, seems somewhat more real relative to the inner object-aspect within the black box at the back of our heads—a substantial material world composed of the four great elements. But only the eighth consciousness can make contact with the substantial object-aspect matter composed of the four great elements; the six consciousnesses and the seventh consciousness cannot make contact with it, nor can they perceive it. To the seven consciousnesses, the external world seems not to exist at all, and what we can make contact with is merely an image.

Since beginningless kalpas, we have all taken the inner object-aspect to be the outer object-aspect, taking it to be the real material world. This is because we do not know that the inner object-aspect and the outer object-aspect are extremely similar, almost exactly identical. Therefore, when our body consciousness, eye consciousness, and the other six consciousnesses discriminate these images, they take the images to be real, and thus discriminate and calculate over these images without cease. Every day we feel, "I have truly eaten food and drink," and so we crave food and drink; "I have truly sat on the bed," and so we crave the comfortable large bed; "I have truly drunk water," and so we crave delicious beverages; "I have truly felt the softness and gentleness of my clothes," and so we crave clothing; "I have truly seen, held, and owned jewels," and so we crave gold, silver, and precious gems. In truth, they are all images—we do not know that they are all images of the inner object-aspect.