宗鏡錄 70.5

70.5

答曰。偈言。說色等諸入。為可化眾生。依前人受法。說言有化生。如來依彼心業相續。不斷不絕。是故說有化生眾生。又說言。無我無眾生無壽者。唯因緣和合有諸法生。如來如是說色等入。為令前人得受法故。以彼前人未解因緣諸法體空。非謂實有色香味等外諸境界。

The answer states: 'The verse says: / "He spoke of the āyatanas such as form / for sentient beings who can be transformed. / Relying on the prior person's reception of the Dharma, / he spoke of there being apparitional beings." / The Tathāgata, relying on their mind-karma continuing unbroken and uninterupted, therefore said there are apparitional sentient beings. Furthermore, he said: "There is no self, no sentient being, no living soul; only through the combination of causes and conditions are dharmas produced." The Tathāgata spoke of the āyatanas such as form in this way in order to enable the prior person to receive the Dharma, because that prior person did not understand that all dharmas of causes and conditions are empty in substance; it does not mean that external spheres such as forms, smells, and tastes really exist.'