–Volume 1 (Part 4)
Author: Fafu
Translator : Lotus
Dear Dharma friends, Greetings to all. Welcome to this episode of the podcast contributed by the Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated of Australia.
Today, we will delve deeply into the ” Seven Locations for Searching the Mind,” focusing on the Sixth Refutation, “The Mind is in the Middle,” and the Seventh Refutation, “All Phenomena Are Unattached, Called the Mind.” With unparalleled wisdom, the Buddha employs rigorous logical inquiry to systematically dismantle Ananda’s mistaken attachments to the location of the mind, guiding us beyond the limitations of space to directly realize the ultimate nature of the wondrous clear true mind. Let’s jointly comprehend this wonderful teaching!
1. Sixth Refutation: Dispelling the Delusion of “The Mind is in the Middle”
After Ananda’s views of the mind being inside or outside were refuted, he proposed that the mind resides “in the middle,” attempting to locate the mind in a space that is neither internal nor external. With profound logic, the Buddha systematically dismantles this view, revealing that the true mind cannot be confined by spatial limitations.
Laying the Foundation: Eliminating “Inside and Outside”
Ananda cites the Buddha’s discussions with Manjusri and other Dharma princes regarding the nature of reality, acknowledging that “the mind is neither inside nor outside.” He explains: If the mind were inside the body, it should perceive the body’s internal states, yet “since it does not see within, the notion of it being inside does not hold.” If the mind were outside the body, then “the mutual awareness of body and mind would not make sense, so it cannot be outside.” With both inside and outside refuted, the Buddha guides Ananda to examine whether “in the middle” is viable.
First Reduction: Refuting the Two Possibilities of “In the Middle”
The Buddha questions: By “in the middle,” do you mean within the body or in some specific place?
If Within the Body: If the mind is at the body’s surface, it would be “at the boundary, not in the middle.” If it is inside the body, then “being in the middle is the same as being inside,” and since “inside” has already been refuted, there is no basis for it being in the middle within the body.
If in a Specific Place: Is this “in the middle” a definite location (with a specific designation) or an indefinite location (without any designation)?
If there is “no representation,” there is no fixed position, which equates to having no place at all, and the mind has no ground to stand on.
If there is “representation,” the position is not fixed. For example, taking an object as the “center,” it appears as west when viewed from the east, and as north when viewed from the south. The representation becomes chaotic, the mind remains unsettled, and logic fails to hold.
Second Refutation: Rejecting “Between the Sense Organ and Object”
Ananda revised his claim, stating that “middle” refers to “the eye and form as conditions giving rise to visual consciousness,” with the mind existing between the eye faculty and the form object. The Buddha refuted this:
If the mind encompasses both the sense organ and object: If the mind includes both the eye faculty and the form object, then the organ and object become mixed, and the object and its essence cannot be distinguished. For example, “the eye cannot see itself.” If the mind, eye, and form are fused into one, how can they be known? Thus, “encompassing both does not hold.”
If the mind does not encompass the sense organ and object: If the mind excludes the organ and object, it lacks awareness and essence, equivalent to “the eye not yet seeing the object.” Without any basis for “knowing,” how can there be the appearance of a “middle”?
The Buddha concluded: “Therefore, it should be known that there is no such place in the middle.” Ananda’s attachment to the concept of space was thoroughly dismantled.
2、 the Seventh Refutation: Refuting the Delusion of “That Which Has No Specific Location Must be What is Called Mind”
Ananda quoted the words of the Buddha and his four great disciples in their discussion of the Dharma, and proposed that the “conscious and discriminating mind nature” is “all unattached”, which is neither inside nor outside nor in the middle, and has no location at all, so it is called the mind. The Buddha, through logical analysis, exposed Ananda’s error in confusing the deluded mind with the true mind.
Clarify the ” conscious and discriminating mind nature “: reduce the mistakes of the false mind
The Buddha pointed out that what Ananda called the “conscious and discriminating mind” was the “false mind” of delusion and discrimination, rather than the true mind of spiritual knowledge and awareness. This is the first level of “subtraction”, which breaks Ananda’s attachment to mistaking his false mind for his true mind.
Questioning “no specific location” and “no place”: if there is nothing, there is no specific location; if there is something, there is a form.
The Buddha used all things in the world (space, land, water, flying, etc.) as a metaphor to ask whether ” no specific location ” means “having a place” or “no place”?
If there is “no place”, just like “a turtle with fur or a hare with horns” do not exist, how can there be “no specific location”? Nothingness means no substance, and “no specific location ” is meaningless.
If there is a “place”, then there must be a “form” (such as men and women, mountains and rivers). If there is a form, then there is a specific location. How can it be called ” no specific location “? The Buddha revealed: If there is form, there must be attachment; if there is no form, there is no substance. Thus, Ananda’s notion of “all things have no specific location ” is self-contradictory.
Final Subtraction: The mind that is aware and makes distinctions has no specific location
The Buddha clearly stated: “Therefore, you should know that when you say the mind which knows and is aware has no specific location, you state what is impossible. Ananda’s definition of the ” The mind that is aware and makes distinctions ” as the true mind of “all things have no specific location ” is a misunderstanding of the true mind’s essence. The true mind is neither delusion and discrimination nor confined by ” no specific location “; it is the wondrous true nature that transcends both form and formlessness.
3、 Core Doctrine:
Sixth Refutation: The true mind is neither inside, nor outside, nor in the middle; spatial concepts cannot confine the wondrously clear true mind.
Seventh Refutation: The true mind is not the ” no specific location ” state of delusion and discrimination, transcending the duality of form and formlessness.
4、Conclusion
Let us follow the Buddha’s teachings, let go of deluded notions of inside, outside, in the middle, and no specific location, and awaken to our true nature! Thank you all for listening!
