The Black Box World (14)

The particles of the four elements captured by the Tathagatagarbha can penetrate all realms. When ordinary beings lack spiritual powers, these particles can only penetrate glass and transparent objects. Those with spiritual powers, however, can see the form-dust within the distant universe and its vessels through walls and other obstacles, perceiving all objects in the entire universe, including hells and celestial palaces. For those with the divine eye, there are no obstructions; their Tathagatagarbha can capture the external forms beyond physical barriers because all objects, regardless of their vastness, are illusory and insubstantial. With meditative concentration, one is not obstructed by illusory objects. Their Tathagatagarbha captures the particles of the four elements, which fall into the superior root, forming an image that the six consciousnesses perceive and discern. This is called the divine eye.

Our external eye faculty, the physical eye root (the vitreous body of the eyeball), can also contact the particles composing external mountains and all objects made of the four elements. These are particles captured by the Tathagatagarbha, transmitted to the eye root, enabling contact. Otherwise, the eye root cannot make contact. Particles can also be called photons. Photons are in motion. Why do they move? Because the Tathagatagarbha outputs seeds of the four elements moment by moment, forming particles or photons. These particles are also arising and ceasing moment by moment—one arises while another ceases, one ceases while another arises. This sequential arising and ceasing of photons, one after another, creates the function of transmission.

Thus, particles are transmitted. The force of transmission gradually weakens, the energy diminishes, and finally, the transmission stops. The particles—photons—formed by the moment-by-moment arising and ceasing of the seeds of the four elements also arise and cease instantaneously. One photon follows another, transmitted like a relay baton, passing through the vitreous body of the eyeball, conveyed to the superior root of the eye, forming a form-appearance. Then, the Tathagatagarbha gives rise to the eye consciousness and mental consciousness, enabling us to see the external scenery.

Particles pass through the retina and form an image in the superior root at the back of the brain, landing upon it. The superior root is like a plate, and the transmitted photon particles are like beans. When the beans land precisely on the plate, the two come into contact—the root and the dust touch. The particles of the four elements landing in the superior root form the image of the internal division of form. This image is the manifest color. The color and the root touch. There is no active toucher or passive touched; this is the principle of contact, naturally and inherently so.

Then, as soon as the root and dust make contact, the eighth consciousness gives rise to the corresponding consciousness to discern the dust. If the mental root has no interest in the incoming form-dust, it will not attend to the present form-dust, nor will it generate the mental factor of volition seeking to discern it. The eighth consciousness will not cooperate with the mental root to produce eye consciousness and mental consciousness to discern the form-dust. However, in the first, second, and third moments, the form-dust will still fall into the superior root, and the eye consciousness and mental consciousness can still perceive it. When the mental root is uninterested, the eye and mental consciousnesses will try to avoid this form-dust and cease to differentiate it. Alternatively, both consciousnesses may cease regarding this form-dust and turn toward other objects of dust.