–Volume 3(Part6)
Author: Fafu
Translator : Gemini
Hello, Dharma Friends! Welcome to this episode of the podcast contributed by the Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated of Australia.
Today, we continue our deep dive into how the Buddha dissects the illusory nature of the Eighteen Realms (Six Roots, Six Objects, and Six Consciousnesses), using the examples of the Tongue, Taste, and Tongue-Consciousness, the Body, Touch, and Body-Consciousness, and the Mind, Dharmas (Mental Objects), and Mind-Consciousness. This serves to guide Ananda and the assembly to eliminate inverted attachments and awaken to the pure fundamental mind of the “Tathagata-garbha, the Wondrous True Suchness Nature.” Through rigorous logic, the Buddha reveals that the Eighteen Realms are merely phenomena compounded by causes and conditions, manifesting illusorily according to karma. They have no fixed location and no definable boundaries. Their fundamental essence is the deathless Wondrous True Suchness Nature.
1. The Nature of the Eighteen Realms: Illusory Manifestation Arising from the True Mind
The Buddha teaches that the Eighteen Realms are the interaction of the Roots, Objects, and Consciousnesses. They manifest illusorily in accordance with karmic momentum, like a dream or a magical illusion, all being illusory concepts repeatedly conditioned by living beings. Although these phenomena arise dependent on the Wondrous Bright True Mind (or Fundamental Wonderful Mind), they are not the True Mind itself. They have no substance apart from their objects, have no definable boundaries, and are merely the illusory “karmic existence.” Their fundamental essence is the “Tathagata-garbha, the Wondrous True Suchness Nature,” which is pure and unchanging, being neither conditioned nor spontaneous. Today, we focus on the Tongue, Taste, and Tongue-Consciousness, the Body, Touch, and Body-Consciousness, and the Mind, Dharmas, and Mind-Consciousness, to individually analyze their illusion and destroy inverted views.
2. The Illusion of Tongue, Taste, and Tongue-Consciousness:
- Refuting Arising Solely from the Tongue (Root): If the Tongue-Consciousness arose solely from the Tongue Root, then sugarcane, dark plums, and coptis (herbs) would have no taste, because the tongue itself generates the taste. When you taste your tongue, is it sweet or bitter? If the nature of the tongue is bitter, who is tasting the tongue? The tongue cannot taste itself; it has no sensation, so how can it generate consciousness? Just as the eye cannot see itself, arising solely from the tongue is untenable.
- Refuting Arising Solely from Taste (Object): If the Tongue-Consciousness arose solely from the Taste Object, the consciousness is the taste, which is equivalent to the Tongue Root—it cannot taste itself. How then can it distinguish whether it is taste or non-taste? If multiple tastes generate multiple consciousnesses, the consciousnesses should be multiple entities. If there is only one consciousness, and saltiness, blandness, sweetness, and spiciness combine to produce it, then all tastes would become one without distinction. How can this be called consciousness? Empty space should also not generate consciousness.
- Refuting Arising Jointly from Tongue and Taste: If the Tongue and Taste combined to produce the Tongue-Consciousness, the consciousness changes with the taste, having no true existence. How can a Realm be established?
Conclusion: Tongue and Taste are causes and conditions that generate the Tongue-Consciousness Realm. Since the three places are all void, they are all illusory. The fundamental essence of the Tongue, Taste, and Tongue-Consciousness Realm is the Tathagata-garbha, the Wondrous True Suchness Nature, neither conditioned nor spontaneous.
3. The Illusion of Body, Touch, and Body-Consciousness:
- Refuting Arising Solely from the Body (Root): If the Body-Consciousness arose solely from the Body Root, without the phenomenon of aggregation and separation (contact and non-contact), there would be no sense of touch, and the body could not generate consciousness.
- Refuting Arising Solely from Touch (Object): If the Body-Consciousness arose solely from the Touch Object, without the physical body, who would know aggregation and separation? The object itself does not know touch; the body knows touch, but the Touch Object is unknowing. Arising solely from touch is untenable.
- Refuting Arising Jointly from Body and Touch: If the Body and Touch combined to produce the Body-Consciousness, the knowing of the body is the touch, and the knowing of the touch is the body. But the body is not touch, and touch is not the body—the two exist simultaneously yet are different. If they combine, the body manifests the function of touch; if they separate, touch is like empty space, and Body-Consciousness does not exist. With no reality inside or outside, how can the intermediate Consciousness Realm be established? A deceased person’s body is present but without touch. The natures of the inside and outside are void, and the Consciousness Realm does not exist.
Conclusion: Body and Touch are causes and conditions that generate the Body-Consciousness Realm. Since the three places are all void, they are all illusory. The fundamental essence of the Body, Touch, and Body-Consciousness Realm is the Tathagata-garbha, the Wondrous True Suchness Nature, neither conditioned nor spontaneous.
4. The Illusion of Mind, Dharmas, and Mind-Consciousness:
- Refuting Arising Solely from the Mind Root: If the Mind-Consciousness arose solely from the Mind Root, it would need objects of thought to activate the Mind Root. Without the preceding dharmas (the shadows of form, sound, scent, taste, touch, etc.), the mind has nothing to arise from, no form, and the consciousness is useless. Mind-Consciousness and the Mind Root—are they the same or different? If the same, consciousness is the Mind Root, precluding “arising from the Mind Root.” If different, consciousness has no discriminating ability. If both can discriminate, who generates whom? The two natures of identity and difference cannot be established, making the establishment of a Realm impossible.
- Refuting Arising Solely from Dharmas: If the Mind-Consciousness arose solely from the Dharma Object, the Dharma Object is not separate from the five sense objects (form, sound, etc.) and is associated with the five roots, not necessarily the Mind Root. If the Dharma Object is separated from color and space, motion and stillness, penetration and obstruction, aggregation and separation, arising and ceasing, it ceases to exist. How then can Mind-Consciousness arise? The Dharma Object has no fixed form (like the imagined tiger having no substance), and Mind-Consciousness has no form. How can a Realm be established?
- Refuting Arising Jointly from Mind and Dharmas: If the Mind and Dharmas combined to produce the Mind-Consciousness, they have no fixed location. How can a Realm be established?
Conclusion: Mind and Dharmas are causes and conditions that generate the Mind-Consciousness Realm. Since the three places are all void, they are all illusory. The fundamental essence of the Mind, Dharmas, and Mind-Consciousness Realm is the Tathagata-garbha, the Wondrous True Suchness Nature, neither conditioned nor spontaneous.
5. Summary: The Eighteen Realms are All Vain, the Fundamental Tathagata-garbha
Through the dissection of Tongue, Taste, and Tongue-Consciousness, Body, Touch, and Body-Consciousness, and Mind, Dharmas, and Mind-Consciousness, the Buddha reveals the illusory nature of the Eighteen Realms:
- Refuting Single and Joint Arising: The concepts of the Root, Object, or Consciousness arising singularly or jointly to produce consciousness are all refuted. Whether from a single cause or joint causes, they are all contradictory and cannot be established.
- No Definable Boundaries: The boundaries of the Eighteen Realms are undefinable. The three places of Root, Object, and Consciousness are all void, being merely illusory manifestations compounded by causes and conditions.
- The True Suchness Nature: Although the Eighteen Realms are illusory, their fundamental essence is the “Tathagata-garbha, the Wondrous True Suchness Nature,” which is neither produced nor destroyed, bright and brilliant, neither conditioned nor spontaneous.
Thank you!
