法界次第初門 3.67

3.67

Sixth, like a city of the gandharvas. 'Like a city of the gandharvas' means that when the sun first rises, one sees city gates, watchtowers, palaces, and travelers entering and exiting; as the sun moves higher, they gradually disappear; they can only be seen with the eye, but have no reality. The unwise do not recognize this and declare it to be real; the wise seeing it immediately know it lacks reality. All dharmas are also like this: the unwise do not comprehend, falsely conceiving reality in conventional designations, a self, the skandhas, the āyatanas, and the dhātus. The wise thoroughly understand that they are all completely non-existent; therefore, it is said to be like a city of the gandharvas.