宗鏡錄 64.23

64.23

The answer says: "It is not seen. Why is it not seen? In what you call present seeing, is it seen by the eye, or is it seen by consciousness? If it is seen by the eye, a dead person has eyes and should also see. If it is seen by consciousness, a blind person has consciousness and should also see. If the sense faculty and consciousness individually and separately do not see, in combination they also do not see. For example, just as one blind person cannot see, a crowd of blind people also cannot see. The five sense faculties are also like this; the four natures are all empty. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: 'Because phenomena such as form are not made large and not made small, the minds of ordinary beings make them large or small according to their thoughts. When a person is in an urgent situation, their mind shrinks; when they are peaceful, secure, wealthy, and joyful, their mind becomes broad and expansive. Again, as in the eight liberations, external forms become large or small according to the mind.' Therefore the Mahāprajñāpāramitāsūtra says: 'Prajñāpāramitā has nothing heard and nothing seen, because phenomena are inert.' Therefore, within the realm of ordinary beings, observing characteristics is originally false; within the domain of sages, observing the nature is originally true. Because of observing characteristics, one cannot attain nonexistence; because of observing the nature, one cannot attain existence. Because of being unable to attain nonexistence, it is like only seeing the waves and not seeing the water; because of being unable to attain existence, it is like only seeing the water and not seeing the waves. Furthermore, it is like telling a person with cataracts that there are no flowers in the sky, or telling a delirious patient that there are no ghosts before their eyes: it is a waste of words, and they will never believe and accept it. One must wait until the eyes are clean and the mind is at peace, and then naturally there is no seeing."