འཕགས་པ་རན་པ་ཆའ་མཐའ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 6

6

and these are the attributes of buddhas.’ It cannot be pointed out or labeled, as by saying, ‘This is the realm of phenomena; this is where it is’ or ‘It is in such-and-such a location.’ And why not? Because the realm of phenomena cannot be seen and cannot be shown. It is not something that can be labeled; it is beyond being labeled.

“I have taught that beings are this realm. If one commits an act of immediate retribution yet has conviction in this teaching and understands that acts of immediate retribution are also this realm, then one will not become defiled. And why not? Because, Mañjuśrī, the acts of immediate retribution are equivalent to the realm of phenomena. In this way, the realm of the acts of immediate retribution and the realm of phenomena are nondual and inseparable. Here, coming, going, or appearing are not apprehended.”

Then Youthful Mañjuśrī said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, I also do not see the realm of phenomena going to the lower realms, the higher realms, or nirvāṇa.”

“Mañjuśrī, suppose someone were to ask how your teacher designates saṃsāra with its six classes of beings. What would you answer?”

“Blessed One, if I were asked such a question this would be my reply: Consider the analogy of a sleeping person who in dreams sees hell beings, animal realms, lands of hungry ghosts, classes of asuras, gods, or people. Blessed One, although the dreaming person sees myriad things, all the myriad things dreamed are not there.