The World of Black Boxes

Chapter 5  The Question of the Inner and Outer Object-Aspects Inside and Outside the Black Box

 I. The Definition of the Inner and Outer Object-Aspects

The so-called inner object-aspect refers to the image resembling the outer six sense-objects that the eighth consciousness manifests in the black-box region of the brain when the six faculties engage the six sense-objects; it is the image within the supreme faculty (indriya). Afterwards, the tathāgatagarbha gives rise to the six consciousnesses at the corresponding locations in the supreme faculty where the six sense-objects are engaged; once the six consciousnesses arise, they can discriminate the images of the six sense-objects within the supreme faculty.

The Buddha taught in the Āgama sūtras that the eighteen realms are divided into outer and inner realms: there are outer six sense-objects and inner six sense-objects; there are the outer faculties—the five gross faculties—and the inner faculties—the five supreme faculties; there are outer consciousnesses and inner consciousnesses. The outer consciousness refers to the eighth consciousness, which can contact the outer sense-objects; the inner consciousnesses refer to the six consciousnesses, which can contact the inner sense-objects. As for the manas, it is both a faculty and a consciousness, both an outer faculty and an inner faculty, both an outer consciousness and an inner consciousness, and it can contact both inner and outer sense-objects. However, the outer sense-objects contacted by the manas as an outer consciousness are not the essential objects (the fundamental objective realm) contacted by the eighth consciousness, but rather the sense-object realm that the eighth consciousness further manifests based on the essential objects—outer sense-objects prior to entering the supreme faculty. Whether inner or outer, all marks are transformed by the eighth consciousness, and the six sense-objects we discriminate are all false appearances. The Buddha said in the Diamond Sutra, 凡所有相皆是虚妄—this is precisely the principle.

All the marks we can contact are inner object-aspects manifested by the eighth consciousness, while the outer object-aspect, the essential objects, is jointly manifested by the eighth consciousnesses of all sentient beings with shared karma; when we contact them, our own eighth consciousness manifests them once again, so it is falsity upon falsity, illusion upon illusion. After sentient beings leave this world of existence, they must not only extinguish the inner six sense-object aspects that their own eighth consciousness manifested based on the outer six sense-objects, extinguishing the shadows of the outer six sense-objects, but also extinguish that portion of the outer six sense-objects in which their own eighth consciousness participated in manifesting. Because the manas wishes to leave the five-aggregate body, the eighth consciousness no longer upholds the five-aggregate body, and the body faculty becomes useless—it is no longer a receiver absorbing the outer six sense-objects—therefore the inner object-aspects no longer manifest.

II. After a Sage Departs the World, the Outer Object-Aspects Must Also Change

Each person has their own inner object-aspects; the six sense-object realms each person sees are their own inner object-aspects, manifested solely by their own eighth consciousness. No one can contact the essential objects of the outer object-aspects; the outer six sense-object realms cannot be apprehended by the six consciousnesses. After sentient beings die, their mind-consciousnesses cease, the six sense-objects can no longer manifest, and thus the six sense-objects cannot be perceived. But other people still have their own respective inner object-aspects, and others can still see their own inner object-aspects, which shows that the outer six sense-objects still exist.

However, the outer six sense-objects will certainly change, only the change is so minute that ordinary people cannot detect it. After arhats enter nirvāṇa, they too must extinguish their own inner six sense-objects, because the six faculties have ceased and can no longer absorb the six sense-objects; without the seven consciousnesses, the six sense-objects cannot be perceived, and there are no six consciousnesses to perceive them either. Yet this does not prevent others from seeing the six sense-objects, so what each person sees is their own inner object-aspect. When an arhat's karmic connection with this world is exhausted, the outer object-aspects of the six sense-objects in which his eighth consciousness participated in manifesting also disappear accordingly. Then the shared retributive environment of sentient beings—the outer object-aspects—will certainly change, but sentient beings are foolish and often cannot perceive any change in the outer object-aspects.

After sages depart the world, what changes occur in the outer object-aspects? The outer object-aspects are the retributive environment jointly manifested when the wholesome and unwholesome karmic seeds of good people and evil people—the wholesome and unwholesome karmic seeds of all sentient beings—are transmitted out and jointly manifested. Sages have many wholesome karmic seeds, and their eighth consciousnesses participated in manifesting the retributive environment, so the retributive environment would certainly be somewhat more excellent. After they depart, the outer object-aspects belonging to them also scatter and cease accordingly, and the living environment of sentient beings becomes worse than before.

For example: white and black pigments are mixed together in a certain proportion; if part or much of the white pigment is removed, the proportion of black pigment increases, and the resulting color becomes dim. The white pigment is like the wholesome karmic seeds of sages, and the black pigment is like the unwholesome karmic seeds of sentient beings. When sages depart, the living environment of sentient beings becomes increasingly harsh. Although each sentient being still perceives their own inner object-aspects as before, still having inner object-aspects for their own discrimination and use, because the outer object-aspects have changed, the inner object-aspects will inevitably change. The inner object-aspects manifest depending on the outer object-aspects; they are the shadows of the outer object-aspects, almost identical to the outer object-aspects.

Sentient beings always like to say: "Without anyone, the earth still goes on turning." But does it turn the same way? When a sage leaves, he takes away the excellent outer object-aspects belonging to himself. Before a sage arrives, he already participates in manifesting this world; once a sage is born, auspicious signs appear in the world, and the retributive environment becomes different. When there are many sages, the world is greatly auspicious; when there are many evil people, the world withers, the five grains fail, and disasters occur frequently. Whether the Buddha-dharma abides in the world or not, the retributive environment of the world differs greatly; the living environments of countries where blessed people gather and countries where unblessed people gather are vastly different.

When a sage leaves, the world will certainly change; when a great evildoer leaves, the world also changes—only the direction of change differs. When Śākyamuni Buddha came to this world, the world was different; when he left this world, the world changed accordingly. When the Buddha was about to enter nirvāṇa, the earth immediately quaked in six ways, the trees turned white, and the forests and fields were filled with sounds of wailing; when the Sixth Patriarch departed, the trees likewise turned white, and all was desolate. When sages are born into this world, there are always auspicious signs, called auspicious responses; when great cultivators are about to be born, there are often auspicious signs, and those with karmic affinity have corresponding responses. From this we can see that people can influence the surrounding material world. When a great evildoer comes into this world, the world changes and becomes worse; when an evil person leaves, the world also changes, and the environment becomes somewhat better.

So when an evil person leaves, someone breathes a sigh of relief and says: "He's finally gone!"—having long wished in their heart that he would leave quickly. Anyone who does not bring a positive influence to a group will have people secretly hoping in their hearts that he leaves early, so that the surrounding atmosphere becomes more pleasant. Because the eighth consciousnesses of all sentient beings participate in manifesting the outer object-aspects, the mountains, rivers, and the great earth each have a share belonging to every sentient being, including ants, insects, and all kinds of animals. Therefore, after sentient beings leave this world, the outer object-aspects must change. But it depends on how many wholesome or unwholesome karmic seeds participated in the manifestation and how great the force of influence is. If the force of the wholesome or unwholesome karmic seeds is relatively great—whether wholesome or unwholesome karma—it can influence the outer object-aspects, making them change noticeably.

Reflect on the virtue of our own cultivation: what influence do we have on the world? If we have no good influence but rather a bad influence, then we have not learned the Buddha-dharma well, and our evil minds have not changed. If we learn the Buddha-dharma well, we can have a good influence on the outer object-aspects, even though the vast majority of people cannot perceive it. The same applies to a family or to a group: good virtue can influence a group. Without your participation, a group appears desolate and cold; with one more of you or one less of you, the group is different—then you have played a considerable role in the group.

III. Form Does Not Bewitch People; People Beware Themselves; Wine Does Not Intoxicate People; People Intoxicate Themselves

The outer object-aspects include the six sense-objects of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas, jointly manifested by the Ālayavijñānas of sentient beings with shared karma. Yet ordinary sentient beings believe them all to be real, and so life after life they chase after and cling to them without letting go, not knowing that the six sense-objects they can perceive are all images of the inner object-aspects—shadows produced by the Ālayavijñāna through the six faculties contacting the outer six sense-objects—illusory false appearances. It is like watching the reflection in a mirror, like watching television, like looking through a camera lens, like listening to a tape recording, like hearing an echo in an empty valley, like watching the moon in the water, like looking at the shadow of a tree in sunlight—ordinary people do not know this, yet take them as real.

For example, the fresh flowers in the external world do exist—that is the outer object-aspect—but when our eyes see them, what we see is the shadow of the flowers. Physics has explained the principle of visual imaging: when the eye sees form, an inverted image first forms on the retina, then through focusing becomes an upright image, which is then recognized by the eye consciousness. So what we see are all false images, yet we believe we are seeing the outer forms, and the forms appear so real. If what sentient beings saw were the true outer reality, then once one person saw that flower, another person could not see it.

In fact, one hundred million people, one billion people, ten billion people—all heavenly beings—can see it. You see your shadow, I see my shadow, and we do not interfere with each other. If you do not wish to look, close your eyes and you cannot see it, but the flower is still there, whether you look or not. For example, there is only one true moon in the sky; if one person plucked it, others could not get it. Yet not only one person can see the moon—all sentient beings in the human world can see the moon, seeing the moon in their own minds. It is like the moon reflected in thousands of rivers and seas, appearing as thousands of moon-shadows; what sentient beings behold are the moon-shadows in the water, not the true moon.

The World-Honored One taught in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra that sound does not reach the ear, and the ear does not go to where the sound is, yet sound can be heard—this shows that what is heard is not real sound, and the matter of hearing sound is illusory. If the essential sound formed by the seeds of the four great elements reached one person's ear, it could not reach another person's ear; if one person could hear it, others could not. If the ear faculty went to where the sound is, it could not go to other sounds, and could not hear other sounds. Similarly, in seeing form: if the form came to the eye faculty and seeing occurred, others could not see it, because the form could not go to others. If the eye faculty went to where the form is, it could not go to other forms, and the eyes could not see other forms. Therefore, the six sense-object realms that sentient beings contact are illusory, and the act of discriminating the six sense-objects is an illusory dharma.

When we are beaten unconscious, the natures of seeing, hearing, knowing, and perceiving are gone; we cannot see, hear, smell, taste, touch, or discriminate, and thus cannot know all dharmas. But the flower is still there, and others can see it; the sounds of wind and rain outside are still there, and others can hear them; the fragrance of flowers outside can be smelled by others; the fine food outside can be tasted by others; the warm sunlight outside can be felt by others—others can all perceive their own inner object-aspects. It is the same in death, in meditative absorption, and in sleep. When we look at flowers, the beautiful flowers have no mind wishing to make us infatuated with them; it is our own seven consciousnesses that want to discriminate them, think about them, judge them, and admire them, thereby giving rise to feelings of liking and aversion. Similarly, the dharmas of heaven and earth and all things have no mind to make us feel joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness; it is our own deluded mind that gives rise to attachment to the myriad things. Wine has no mind to intoxicate people; it is the drinker who cannot hold his liquor and simply intoxicates himself.

The external states have no mind coming to confuse us; when states manifest in our minds, they are like shadows. It is our own seven consciousnesses that stir, insisting on discriminating them, giving rise to all kinds of thoughts and emotions, making our minds surge with agitation and generating afflictions ourselves. And these consciousnesses—if the eighth consciousness did not transmit consciousness-seeds to them, they could not exist either; once the seeds are transmitted, these minds become lively and active, with all kinds of discriminations, all kinds of views, all kinds of emotions, producing all kinds of bodily, verbal, and mental actions. It is like a shadow-puppet show: once someone pulls the strings, the puppet can perform a play.

The several consciousnesses are just like this, extremely unreal. From this we can see how illusory our consciousness-minds are, how illusory and unreal our five aggregates are—they merely toss about on the surface of the eighth consciousness's mind. Therefore, when we see marks, the marks are illusory, and the seeing is also illusory; there is no such thing as "seeing marks"—it is merely a diseased eye gazing at flowers in the sky. I urge all fellow beings to recognize the true and the false, no longer be deluded and attached, return to self-nature, and attain great liberation soon!

IV. The Difference Between the Inner and Outer Six Sense-Objects

The inner and outer sense-objects cannot be completely identical and unchanging, because the outer sense-objects must pass through intermediate media in the process of transmission. The most common medium is the four great gaseous particles in empty space; the subtle particles of the four great elements contained in empty space itself differ in different times and regions, and their influence on the transmission of the outer sense-objects also differs. Besides the gaseous particles in empty space, there are also dust and wind in the air, some transparent and opaque substances, as well as light and water vapor, and so on. When the media traversed differ, the obstructions to transmission differ, and the quantity and types of the four great subtle particles in the outer sense-objects that are absorbed and blocked also differ, resulting in a certain discrepancy between the images of the inner sense-objects and the outer sense-objects—a certain change in their marks.

If the five gross faculties have obstructions, this will also cause the transmitted six sense-objects to change; if the transmitting nerves undergo mishaps, this will also obstruct the normal transmission of the six sense-objects, causing a relatively large discrepancy between the inner six sense-objects in the supreme faculty and the outer six sense-objects. After the six consciousnesses discriminate the inner six sense-objects with large discrepancies in the black box, their feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness may all appear somewhat abnormal; the person himself feels normal, but others do not think so. Because others apprehend the same six sense-object realms where the discrepancy between inner and outer six sense-objects is small, their manifestations are normal, differing from one's own cognition, and their feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness also differ.

V. The Tathāgatagarbha's Function of Absorbing and Transmitting the Outer Object-Aspects

All the six sense-object marks that sentient beings can contact are inner object-aspects; they cannot contact the outer object-aspects. The true aspect of the outer object-aspects can only be contacted by the tathāgatagarbha, but the tathāgatagarbha does not discriminate the specific six sense-objects of the outer object-aspects, so it does not know what specific characteristics the outer object-aspects have. The outer object-aspects are material form jointly manifested when the tathāgatagarbhas of all sentient beings with karmic affinity jointly output the seeds of the four great elements, and they are also jointly upheld by the tathāgatagarbhas of all sentient beings with shared karma.

These material forms contain the four great elements, and a person's own tathāgatagarbha also contains the four great elements; being in correspondence with the material forms, it can contact the material forms of the outer object-aspects, and can absorb the four great subtle particles within the outer object-aspects for transmission. These particles also arise and cease moment by moment: one particle arises and ceases, another particle arises and ceases, and in this way the particles composed of the four great elements are continuously transmitted to the supreme faculty, becoming the subtle inner object-aspects of the four great elements that the seven consciousnesses can take as objects, resembling the outer object-aspects. What the seven consciousnesses discriminate is precisely this inner object-aspect, not the true essential material forms of the external world.

If a sentient being leaves this world, he must withdraw the seeds of the four great elements of the portion of outer object-aspects belonging to himself back into the tathāgatagarbha; then the outer object-aspects of the external world become different from before, yet sentient beings cannot detect it. If all sentient beings of evil karma leave this world, some vile outer object-aspects will be extinguished, and our world will become somewhat more beautiful. If more sages are added, the power of their wholesome karma being great, they participate in manifesting the outer object-aspects, and this world will greatly change its appearance.

VI. Can the Actions of the Six Consciousnesses Affect the Outer Object-Aspects?

Since the six sense-objects we contact are all inner object-aspects, then the great tree we see is an inner object-aspect, located within the black box, and our six consciousnesses cannot contact the outer object-aspects. Then if the six-consciousness five-aggregate body cuts down the tree, is it destroying the tree's inner object-aspect or its outer object-aspect? Does that great tree outside still exist? If one kills a person, is one killing the person's inner object-aspect or outer object-aspect? If killing a person means killing the person's inner object-aspect, then it would not be called killing a person, because that person is still alive. If it is killing the person's outer object-aspect, the six consciousnesses cannot contact the outer object-aspects. When we hit someone, are we hitting our own outer object-aspect or inner object-aspect? If we hit our own inner object-aspect, the other person should not feel pain. If we hit our own outer object-aspect, our six consciousnesses cannot contact the outer object-aspects. What exactly is going on here?

Cutting down a great tree: if one only cuts down the tree's inner object-aspect, then the tree's outer object-aspect would still exist, the great tree would not have been cut down, and the dharma of "cutting down the great tree" would not be established. If it is cutting down the tree's outer object-aspect, the six consciousnesses cannot contact the tree's outer object-aspect. Stealing another's belongings: is one stealing the things of the inner object-aspect or the things of the outer object-aspect? If one steals the things of the inner object-aspect, it should not be illegal; if one steals the things of the outer object-aspect, the six consciousnesses cannot contact the outer object-aspects.

In fact, the true principle is that the inner object-aspects exist depending on the outer object-aspects; first there are the outer object-aspects, then the inner object-aspects. If there were no outer object-aspects, there would be no inner object-aspects. So when a person destroys an object, he is not only destroying the inner object-aspect; he certainly also destroys the outer object-aspect, and moreover the outer object-aspect is destroyed first, and the inner object-aspect is immediately destroyed following it. The outer object-aspect of that object is certainly destroyed, or has disappeared; others cannot make use of it or see it again—this certainly means the outer object-aspect is gone.

That is why it is said that destroying things is an offense, stealing is an offense, killing is an offense. It is precisely because the outer object-aspects are destroyed, causing others to suffer loss and no longer be able to obtain and use them—not merely involving one's own inner object-aspects. If only one's own inner object-aspects were destroyed, then killing hundreds of millions of people would involve no offense, and no one could govern it. Therefore, killing people, cutting trees, destroying property, and stealing all involve the essential outer object-aspects, and thus there are offenses.

Since the six consciousnesses can only contact the inner object-aspects and cannot contact the outer object-aspects, why can the actions of the six consciousnesses still involve changes in the outer object-aspects? Herein lies a great secret. The outer object-aspects are the relatively real material world composed of the four great elements outside; this realness is also spoken of relative to the inner object-aspects—in fact it is also unreal, also illusorily manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, and its essence is still illusory. The true dharma is only the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha; all other dharmas are illusory.

VII. After the Six Consciousnesses Act, Which Changes First—the Inner or Outer Object-Aspects?

There is a saying: "Affliction is itself bodhi." Affliction on the one hand refers to greed, hatred, and delusion, killing, arson, and other evil dharmas, and on the other hand refers to everyday trivial matters such as eating, drinking, and relieving oneself. Bodhi refers to the tathāgatagarbha. All dharmas are manifested and upheld by the tathāgatagarbha, and the outer object-aspects are likewise; thus the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of the outer object-aspects are all realized by the tathāgatagarbha, and the inner object-aspects are of course also manifested and upheld by the tathāgatagarbha. All changes in the mountains, rivers, and the great earth are the doing of the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha; the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of all dharmas are all the doing of the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha.

The six consciousnesses can never directly change the outer object-aspects, because there are no seeds within the six consciousnesses, they do not correspond to the outer object-aspects, and the six consciousnesses are dharmas that arise later—the inner object-aspects must exist first before the six consciousnesses can exist; therefore the six consciousnesses cannot directly change the outer object-aspects. But the tathāgatagarbha contains the seeds of the four great elements and the seeds of the six great elements; therefore all dharmas are decided by the tathāgatagarbha, and thus the direction for investigating these questions is already very clear. Since the six consciousnesses can only contact the inner object-aspects and cannot contact the outer object-aspects, why can the actions of the six consciousnesses still involve changes in the outer object-aspects? Herein lies a great secret.

When my hand picks up a book from the table, the body consciousness of the hand can only contact the book's inner object-aspect, picking up the book of the inner object-aspect; yet the book of the outer object-aspect is no longer on the table—others cannot see it or pick it up. What exactly is the connection between the inner and outer object-aspects? Which comes first, the inner object-aspects or the outer object-aspects? Of course the outer object-aspects come first. Which changes first, the outer object-aspects or the inner object-aspects? Of course the outer object-aspects change first. Where do the inner object-aspects come from? Of course they are manifested by the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, based on the outer object-aspects. Therefore, in the change of all dharmas, the outer object-aspects must change first; then the changed outer object-aspects are transmitted through the gross faculties to the pure material faculties (supreme faculties), forming the inner object-aspects.

But my hand cannot contact the book of the outer object-aspect, so how could it first make the book of the outer object-aspect change, thereby causing the book of the inner object-aspect to change? For another example, when the six consciousnesses create the karma of killing a person, the six consciousnesses can only contact the person's inner object-aspect and cannot contact the person's outer object-aspect; so how do the six consciousnesses cause the person's outer object-aspect to also cease? Moreover, it is the person's outer object-aspect that ceases and is destroyed first, and only then can the person's inner object-aspect subsequently cease or be destroyed. Because the inner object-aspects come from the outer object-aspects and are manifested depending on the outer object-aspects, the outer object-aspects must certainly change first, and only then can the inner object-aspects change accordingly. This great secret is left for those with karmic affinity to investigate carefully; it cannot be elaborated further in writing here.

VIII. Only by Cultivating on the False Appearances Can All Merits Be Perfected

All dharmas in the worldly realm are false appearances illusorily manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, but false appearances have the functions of false appearances; if one skillfully uses their marks, one attains true and correct bodhi. We cannot, upon hearing that everything is a false appearance, simply reject and discard them all. Not to mention whether we ourselves have the ability to extinguish false appearances—just consider: if all false appearances were extinguished, how would one practice the path toward the true reality of bodhi? Bodhisattvas practicing should skillfully utilize false appearances to perfect all merits, transforming the defiled into the beautiful, transforming evil into purity. Some people feel that worldly dharmas are very much against their wishes, that their living environment severely obstructs them, and so they want to escape and extinguish all worldly dharmas in order to attain purity. But these worldly dharmas correspond to one's own karmic seeds; only by changing one's karma and changing one's mind can everything around one become satisfactory and agreeable.

When cultivation reaches a certain degree, worldly dharmas will no longer obstruct one or affect one, and the mind will gradually free itself from the bondage of these false appearances. Through effective cultivation, we can also change these false appearances of the six sense-objects, transforming evil into good, ugliness into beauty, the disagreeable into the agreeable. When the mind changes, the inner and outer object-aspects change simultaneously, because when the mind-ground changes, the karmic seeds change, and the object-aspects can change accordingly.

The inner and outer object-aspects of the six sense-objects can be completely transformed. As long as the power of the mind is sufficient, pointing at stone and turning it into gold is not a difficult matter. Great bodhisattvas with meditative concentration can perform myriad transformations, changing the earth into gold and lapis lazuli; indeed, an eighth-ground bodhisattva can transform a three-thousandfold great thousand-world to benefit and bring joy to sentient beings. When cultivation reaches the point where the mind's scope is vast and the mind's power is strong, one can change the proportional structure of the seeds of the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind. When the proportions of the four great elements change, the structure of matter changes; when the structure changes, the properties of matter change. Then white snow can become white sugar, and dust can become gold powder. When one cultivates to a certain point, changing the inner and outer object-aspects of all dharmas is not a difficult matter.