Brief Discussion on Material Elements (Draft)

2. Question: Are the "stars" one sees when seeing stars (dizziness) a subjectively imagined realm? Seeing stars occurs when a physical illness or imbalance of the four great elements of the material body causes the visual organ to function abnormally. This is different from the "subjectively imagined realm" cognized by the solitary consciousness that exists without the first five consciousnesses, because when one sees stars, the eye consciousness is still present.

Answer: A subjectively imagined realm can only be cognized by oneself alone; others cannot cognize it. The realms of the five sense objects can be cognized not only by oneself but also by others. The visual and auditory hallucinations of a person with cerebellar atrophy are also a subjectively imagined realm, which others cannot cognize—the same principle applies. If others could also cognize one's subjectively imagined realm, then it would not be a subjectively imagined realm, and the person with cerebellar atrophy would not be ill and would not be having hallucinations.

The deranged consciousness of a mentally ill person is also a scattered solitary consciousness, and what it cognizes is also a subjectively imagined realm. The patient feels that everything he sees and hears is normal, no different from others. Yet others cannot cognize what the mentally ill person sees, hears, and perceives—that is the subjectively imagined realm. If what the mentally ill person sees could also be seen by others, it would not be a subjectively imagined realm, and he would not be a special mentally ill person; he would be the same as a normal person. What sentient beings see differs from what the Buddha sees: sentient beings are ill, while the Buddha is without illness.