Does the Outer Representation of the Taste Sense-Object Exist?

Question: The inner representation is transformed from the outer representation, so does the outer representation actually exist or not? For example, a dish is very salty; although the taste differs in each person's inner representation, does the dish actually have taste or not?

Answer: The outer representation of the taste sense-object is the same, but because each person's karma differs, the taste they perceive differs. When karma differs, the four great element particles of the taste sense-object transmitted through the tongue faculty undergo variation, and the inner representation changes accordingly; therefore, the feeling after the conscious mind discriminates it is different. For instance, a person with an eye disease can see a circular shadow in a lamp's light, while others cannot see it—this is due to the karmic obstruction of his eye disease. Sentient beings differ in merit and karmic obstruction, so the taste sense-object they perceive also differs. For example, the Buddha possesses unsurpassed merit, so any food in the Buddha's mouth is the most supreme delicacy, but in the mouths of ordinary sentient beings, this is not so.

The taste sense-object is material form, composed of the seeds of the four great elements, and is divided into two kinds: the outer representation and the inner representation. Thus there exists the outer representation of taste sense-objects such as salty, bland, sweet, and pungent; the tongue consciousness and the mind consciousness cannot contact it nor discern it. Only the tathāgatagarbha can contact the outer representation of the taste sense-object, but He has no mouth, and so cannot tell us about it.

When we savor the taste sense-object, our own Buddha-nature is operating; therefore, when tasting food, one can see the wondrous function of the Buddha-nature. At that time, one no longer regards the taste sense-object as real, and will realize the illusion-like contemplation. Some people neither cultivate merit nor cultivate meditative concentration, but apply themselves exclusively to the power of wisdom; such people find it difficult to realize the Buddha-dharma in actual practice, and often suffer great losses without knowing it themselves. For those who do not cultivate merit and meditative concentration, if they cultivate wisdom exclusively, they will pay a greater price, expending more time and energy. It would be better to cultivate merit thickly and firmly establish meditative concentration first; then, with just a little contemplation of the Buddha-dharma, they can realize it. Those who do not want to suffer a loss end up suffering a loss instead—this is the lack of wise discernment.