大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 75.40

75.40

Regarding the Commentary's statement, "It is merely a transformation of the mind, and therefore not the seeing of an external phenomenon": this applies generally to the simile and its doctrinal application. In terms of the simile, it resolves an objection. An objection states: if there is no reality, why does one see forms and hear sounds in a dream? Thus the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says, "One should not discuss things that have no reality. Why? When conditions are obtained, they arise." The consciousness in a dream has various conditions; without conditions, how could it arise? Therefore, he now replies: in a dream, the five consciousnesses do not operate; the five sense-objects perceived are merely transformations of the mind, and thus the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says they are non-existent, because one sees what ought not to be seen. It is like seeing horns on a human head or seeing one's body flying in a dream; a human truly has no horns, and the body truly does not fly. Second, in terms of the doctrine: being merely a transformation of the mind matches the sense of existing; not seeing an external object matches the sense of non-existing.