宗鏡錄 70.23

70.23

頌答云。決定相隨故。俱時亦作緣。或前為後緣。引彼功能故。境相與識。定相隨故。雖俱時起。亦作識緣。而外諸法。理非有故。定應許在識非餘。此根功能。與前境色。從無始際。展轉為因。如是諸識。唯內境相。為所緣緣。理善成立。

The verse answers: "Because they definitely accompany each other, / they also act as a condition when simultaneous; / or the preceding acts as a condition for the subsequent, / because it induces that function." Because the objective characteristic and consciousness definitely accompany each other, although they arise simultaneously, it also acts as a condition for consciousness. And because external phenomena are logically non-existent, it must definitely be admitted that it resides in consciousness and not elsewhere. This sense-faculty's function and the preceding objective form have, from beginningless time, mutually served as causes. In this way, for all consciousnesses, only the internal objective characteristic serves as the cognitive condition; the principle is well established.