The Profound Meaning of Consciousness-Only in the Diamond Sutra (27)

Sound dust is divided into external sound dust and internal sound dust. External sound dust, such as that emitted by various material objects like cosmic valleys and rivers, is collectively manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha of sentient beings with shared karma based on causes, conditions, and karmic affinities. Sound dust emitted by sentient beings is individually manifested by their personal Tathāgatagarbha. It is also composed of the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—thus material, subject to arising and ceasing, illusory, impermanent, empty, suffering, and devoid of self. Internal sound dust arises when the Tathāgatagarbha, through the ear faculty, contacts external sound dust and manifests an identical shadow. This shadow is transmitted via the auditory nerves to the superior faculty (indriya) in the cerebral cortex. When the faculty and the dust contact, the Tathāgatagarbha generates ear consciousness, which discriminates the sound. In reality, this sound is manifested by one's own Tathāgatagarbha; it is false, illusory, subject to arising and ceasing, impermanent, suffering, and devoid of self. This principle is similar to a tape recorder: the sounds we hear from a recorder resemble the original sounds recorded but are merely images.

Smell dust is divided into external smell dust and internal smell dust. External smell dust is composed of the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—and is collectively manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha of sentient beings with shared karma based on karma and conditions. The smell dust of a sentient being's own body is individually manifested by their own Tathāgatagarbha. Internal smell dust arises when the Tathāgatagarbha, through the nose faculty, contacts external smell dust and manifests a similar shadow. This shadow is transmitted via the olfactory nerves to the cortex at the back of the brain, where it contacts the nose's superior faculty. The Tathāgatagarbha then generates nose consciousness to perform discrimination, yet it is merely discerning an illusion. Both internal and external smell dust are subject to arising and ceasing, impermanent, empty, suffering, and not-self. Sentient beings, unaware of this, develop attachment towards them.

Taste dust is divided into external taste dust and internal taste dust. External taste dust is material, composed of the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—and is collectively manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha of sentient beings with shared karma based on karma and conditions. It is subject to arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing; impermanent, illusory, suffering, and therefore devoid of self. Internal taste dust arises when the Tathāgatagarbha, through the tongue faculty, contacts external taste dust and manifests a similar shadow. This shadow is transmitted via the gustatory nerves to the cerebral cortex, where it contacts the tongue's superior faculty. The Tathāgatagarbha then generates tongue consciousness, which performs discrimination. What is discriminated is merely an illusory false appearance. Internal taste dust is illusory, impermanent, suffering, and devoid of self.

Touch dust is divided into external touch dust and internal touch dust. External touch dust is composed of the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—and is collectively manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha of sentient beings with shared karma based on karma and conditions. It undergoes arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing; it is impermanent, illusory, suffering, and devoid of self. Internal touch dust arises when the Tathāgatagarbha, through the body, contacts external touch dust and manifests a similar shadow. This shadow is transmitted via the sensory nerves to the back of the brain, where it contacts the body's superior faculty. The Tathāgatagarbha then generates body consciousness to perceive and discern. Internal touch dust is subject to arising and ceasing, illusory, impermanent, suffering, and devoid of self. Sentient beings, due to ignorance, believe that what they discriminate is real and belongs to them.

Dharma dust is also divided into external dharmāyatana and internal dharmāyatana. External dharmāyatana is composed of the subtle particles of the four great elements. It encompasses the form-sphere dharmas (rūpa-āyatana) manifesting on the five dusts, such as shape, appearance, and non-appearance (saṃsthāna-rūpa, vyañjana-rūpa, avyañjana-rūpa), and is collectively manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha of sentient beings with shared karma. This external dharmāyatana, along with the five dusts, is transmitted to the superior faculties, where the Tathāgatagarbha transforms it into internal dharmāyatana. When this internal dharmāyatana contacts the mental faculty (manas), the Tathāgatagarbha generates the five sense-consciousnesses (accompanying consciousness) to discriminate the internal dharmāyatana. Therefore, both external and internal dharmāyatana are illusory, subject to arising and ceasing, impermanent, suffering, and devoid of self.