Selected Lectures on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (28)

Original text: 然此识界。各各了别。彼彼境已。即便灭谢。生无所来。灭无所去。大王。识生时空。灭时亦空。自性离故。不住男相。亦非女相。但唯言说。之所显示。如是识界。与识界性。皆不可得。唯佛正慧。而能了知。

Explanation: Then, after each of these consciousness elements has discerned its respective sense object, it ceases. When the consciousness element arises, there is nowhere it comes from; when it ceases, there is nowhere it goes. Great King, when consciousness arises it is empty, and when it ceases it is also empty. The self-nature of the consciousness element is free of all marks and is also empty; it does not abide in the mark of male, nor in the mark of female. It is merely a false appearance manifested through verbal designation. Therefore, it is said that the consciousness element and the nature of the consciousness element are both unobtainable; only the Buddha's unsurpassed, perfect, great wisdom can fully know their content without obstruction.

After the eye consciousness discerns material sense objects, the eye consciousness disappears; after the ear consciousness discerns sounds, the ear consciousness disappears; after the nose consciousness discerns scents, the nose consciousness disappears; after the body consciousness discerns tangibles, the body consciousness disappears; after the mind consciousness discerns mental objects, the mind consciousness disappears. These six consciousnesses come from nowhere and go nowhere. When they arise, they are empty; when they cease, they are empty. When the eye consciousness arises, there is no location—it does not come from the eye faculty or from material sense objects, does not come from empty space, does not come from the brain; there is nowhere it comes from. When it ceases, there is no place of cessation—it does not go into the eye faculty, does not go into material sense objects, does not go into empty space, does not go into the brain. This is the Hīnayāna explanation; according to the Mahāyāna, they all come from the tathāgatagarbha.

The self-nature of the consciousness element is free of all dharmas and does not attach to any dharma; its self-nature is inherently empty. The nature of consciousness does not abide in the mark of male, nor in the mark of female; there is no mark of male and no mark of female, yet the nature of consciousness can discern the marks of male and female. The consciousness element inherently has no form or self-characteristic; it is merely displayed through verbal designation. Therefore, it is said that the consciousness element and the nature of the consciousness element are both unobtainable—something one cannot cling to or grasp. Only the Buddha's right knowledge and right wisdom can thoroughly know this matter.

These consciousnesses do not abide in the six faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind, nor do they abide in the external sense objects of form, sound, taste, or tangibles; they do not abide in the faculties or the objects, nor do they abide in any dharma. They themselves have no mark of male or female; they are merely a false appearance of verbal designation, just a name. Therefore, the six consciousness elements and the nature of the consciousness elements are unobtainable.

The nature of consciousness is discrimination: the eye consciousness discriminates forms, the ear consciousness discriminates sounds, the nose consciousness discriminates fragrant and foul odors, the tongue consciousness discriminates sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors, the body consciousness discriminates tangible objects, and the mind consciousness discriminates form subsumed under the Dharmāyatana. Their self-natures are all unobtainable. Only the Buddha's right wisdom can know this matter completely and thoroughly; we can only know a small part of it.