宗鏡錄 70.23

70.23

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.