大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 69.74

69.74

Regarding the Commentary's phrase 'Third, imperceptibility': this explains the absence of physical shape. Regarding 'What worldly people see is merely the solitary apparent colour of space': the first fascicle of the Samuccaya states: 'How is the form aggregate established? It refers to all forms, whether the four great elements or forms derived from the four great elements. That is, the five sense faculties such as the eye, one portion subsumed under visible forms, sounds, odours, tastes, and tangibles, and forms subsumed under the sphere of mental objects.' It next explains visible form, stating: 'Form refers to what is derived from the four great elements and cognised by the eye faculty: namely, blue, yellow, red, white; long, short, square, round; coarse, subtle, high, low; regular, irregular; light, shadow, bright, dark; smoke, cloud, dust, fog; distant colour, manifestative colour, and the solitary apparent colour of space. These again are of three kinds: exquisite, non-exquisite, and intermediate. The establishment of these twenty-five forms such as blue and so forth is due to six causes: namely, characteristic, establishment, harm and benefit, serving as basis, performing characteristics, and adornment, respectively in that order.' Fascicle 48 states: 'Distant colour refers to that which is obtained apart from other obstructing tangible locations. Solitary apparent colour of space refers to the apparent colours such as blue seen above.' As an explanation: in the *Mahāprajñāpāramitōpadeśa*, the sky above is described as appearing blue-white, being seen as a distant colour. Furthermore, according to the Hīnayāna Abhidharma school, space is of two kinds: first, conditioned [space], which is space produced by the removal of form; second, unconditioned [space], which is fundamentally and eternally nonexistent [as form]. Conditioned [space] is visible, and therefore worldly people collectively see it; unconditioned [space] is invisible, and so now it is described as having the characteristic of imperceptibility. In the *Tattvasiddhi-śāstra*, space is unitary and cannot be seen by the eye; what worldly people see is merely the light and colour in the sky, while their conceptual mind cognises therein that there is no real substance, conceives it as empty space, and forthwith claims to have seen space, though in reality they do not see it. In the *Nirvāṇa-sūtra*, in agreement with what the *Tattvasiddhi* says, it extensively refutes the view that space is conditioned and visible. Here, this sūtra and its commentary accord with its being imperceptible.