The Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra from the Yogācāra Perspective (27)

Sound sense-objects are divided into outer sound sense-objects and inner sound sense-objects. Outer sound sense-objects are those emitted by various material things such as the universe, valleys, and rivers, jointly created and transformed by the tathāgatagarbhas of sentient beings with collective karma in accordance with causes, conditions, and karmic conditions; the sound sense-objects emitted by sentient beings are transformed and generated by each sentient being's own tathāgatagarbha. They are also constituted by the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind; they are material, subject to arising and ceasing, and are illusory, impermanent, empty, and suffering, and are not-self. Inner sound sense-objects arise when the tathāgatagarbha, through the ear faculty, contacts the outer sound sense-objects and manifests an identical shadow, which is transmitted through the auditory nerves to the supreme faculty in the cerebral cortex. When faculty and sense-object contact each other, the tathāgatagarbha produces ear consciousness to discriminate sounds. In fact, this sound is manifested by one's own tathāgatagarbha; it is false, illusory, subject to arising and ceasing, impermanent, and suffering, and is not-self. This principle is similar to a tape recorder: the sounds we hear from a tape recorder merely resemble the true sounds recorded beforehand; in reality they are only images.

Scent sense-objects are divided into outer scent sense-objects and inner scent sense-objects. Outer scent sense-objects are constituted by the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, jointly created and transformed by the tathāgatagarbhas of sentient beings with collective karma in accordance with karma and conditions; the scent sense-objects of a sentient being's own body are created and transformed solely by that being's own tathāgatagarbha. Inner scent sense-objects arise when the tathāgatagarbha, through the nose faculty, contacts the outer scent sense-objects and manifests a similar shadow, which is transmitted through the olfactory nerves to the cerebral cortex of the hindbrain, where it contacts the nose's supreme faculty; the tathāgatagarbha then produces nose consciousness to discriminate. In fact, one is merely discriminating a false image. Both outer and inner scent sense-objects are subject to arising and ceasing, impermanent, empty, and suffering, and are not mine. Sentient beings, not knowing this, give rise to minds of attachment within them.

Taste sense-objects are divided into outer taste sense-objects and inner taste sense-objects. Outer taste sense-objects are material, constituted by the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, jointly created and transformed by the tathāgatagarbhas of sentient beings with collective karma in accordance with karma and conditions; they are subject to arising, abiding, change, and extinction, and are impermanent, illusory, and suffering, and therefore are not-self. Inner taste sense-objects arise when the tathāgatagarbha, through the tongue faculty, contacts the outer taste sense-objects and manifests a similar shadow, which is transmitted through the gustatory nerves to the cerebral cortex, where it contacts the tongue's supreme faculty; the tathāgatagarbha then produces tongue consciousness, which has the function of discrimination. What is discriminated is only an illusory false appearance. Inner taste sense-objects are illusory, impermanent, suffering, and not-self.

Touch sense-objects are divided into outer and inner touch sense-objects. Outer touch sense-objects are constituted by the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, jointly created and transformed by the tathāgatagarbhas of sentient beings with collective karma in accordance with karma and conditions; they are subject to arising, abiding, change, and extinction, and are impermanent, illusory, suffering, and not-self. Inner touch sense-objects arise when the tathāgatagarbha, through the body, contacts the outer touch sense-objects and produces a similar shadow, which is transmitted through the afferent nerves to the hindbrain, where it contacts the body's supreme faculty; the tathāgatagarbha then produces body consciousness to discern. Inner touch sense-objects are subject to arising and ceasing, illusory, impermanent, suffering, and not-self. Sentient beings, lacking this knowledge, believe that what they discriminate is real and all belongs to "me and mine."

Dharma sense-objects are also divided into outer dharma sense-objects and inner dharma sense-objects. Outer dharma sense-objects are composed of the subtle particles of the four great elements; they are the form subsumed under the Dharmāyatana—such as visible form, expressive form, and non-expressive form—manifested upon the five sense-objects, and are jointly manifested by the tathāgatagarbhas of sentient beings with collective karma. The outer dharma sense-objects are then transmitted together with the five sense-objects into the supreme faculty, where the tathāgatagarbha transforms them into inner dharma sense-objects, which contact the manas; then the tathāgatagarbha produces the mental consciousness accompanying the five sense consciousnesses to discriminate the inner dharma sense-objects. Therefore, both outer and inner dharma sense-objects are illusory, subject to arising and ceasing, impermanent, and suffering, and are not-self.