Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (72)

Original text: 大王。诸根各各。乐着境界。眼缘色时。而生爱乐。是故说色。为眼境界。又此眼根。缘于色境。有三种相。见可爱色。起于贪想。不可爱色。起于嗔想。非爱非恶。而起舍想。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, the six faculties each delight in and cling to their own corresponding object-realms. When the eye faculty engages with material sense-objects, the mind gives rise to delight; therefore it is said that form is the object-realm of the eye faculty. Furthermore, when the eye faculty engages with the object-realm of form, three modes arise: the first mode is that when the eye faculty contacts lovable material sense-objects, the mind gives rise to thoughts of craving and attachment; the second mode is that when the eye faculty contacts unlovable material sense-objects, the mind gives rise to thoughts of anger and resentment; the third mode is that when the eye faculty contacts material sense-objects that are neither lovable nor hateful, the mind gives rise to a neutral feeling—neither loving nor averse.

The eye faculty delights in and clings to the object-realm of form, the ear faculty delights in and clings to the object-realm of sound, the nose faculty delights in and clings to the object-realm of scent, the tongue faculty delights in and clings to the object-realm of taste, the body faculty delights in and clings to the object-realm of touch, and the manas delights in and clings to the object-realm of dharmas. Each of the faculties greedily clings to its own corresponding object-realm: the eye faculty can only face form and cannot engage with sound; the ear faculty can only engage with sound and cannot engage with tangible objects. For ordinary beings, the six faculties cannot function interdependently. When noble ones cultivate to a certain degree, the six faculties can interfunction: the eye faculty can engage with sound and smell scents, the ear faculty can engage with form and feel tangibles, and the manas can see forms and deliberate. With the six faculties interconnected, they can substitute for one another. The six faculties are originally interconnected; it is only because of sentient beings' deluded attachment and greedy clinging to sense-objects that one single function has been divided into six functions, and each faculty has acquired its own boundary. When cultivation breaks through the deluded attachment to the six faculties and the mind becomes unobstructed, the six faculties will interfunction and be mutually employed. At that time, even without a physical body, one can still feel tangible objects, sense the gentle breeze and warm sunshine; one faculty can serve the function of all six, unifying the functions of the six faculties.

When the six faculties engage with the six sense-objects, the mind's feelings have three states: one is liking, one is disliking, and the third is neither liking nor disliking—that is, the state of neutral feeling (upekṣā-vedanā). For us practitioners of the Path, which state should the mind maintain? For those who cultivate the Path, the mind should be peaceful and balanced; toward all object-realms, neither liking nor disliking, maintaining a state of the Middle Way without abiding anywhere—that is the state of neutral feeling.