如是我聞：
Thus have I heard:
一時，佛在室羅筏城祇桓精舍，與大比丘眾千二百五十人俱，皆是無漏大阿羅漢。佛子住持善超諸有，能於國土成就威儀，從佛轉輪妙堪遺囑，嚴淨毘尼弘範三界，應身無量度脫眾生，拔濟未來越諸塵累。其名曰：大智舍利弗、摩訶目乾連、摩訶拘絺羅、富樓那彌多羅尼子、須菩提、優波尼沙陀等而為上首。復有無量辟支無學并其初心同來佛所，屬諸比丘休夏自恣。十方菩薩諮決心疑，欽奉慈嚴將求密義。即時如來敷座宴安，為諸會中宣示深奧，法筵清眾得未曾有，迦陵仙音遍十方界，恒沙菩薩來聚道場，文殊師利而為上首。
One time the Buddha was staying in the Jetavana near Śrāvastī with twelve hundred and fifty bhikṣus, all great arhats without outflows. They were children of the Buddha, abiding in what is good, transcending all realms of existence, having achieved the respect-inspiring deportment which was held in great esteem throughout the country. They received the marvelous teachings from the Wheel of the Dharma turned by the Buddha. Adorned by pure vinaya (discipline), they were exemplars within the Three Realms, appearing in countless transformation bodies to deliver living beings and to save future generations from restricting dust. Chief among them were: Śāriputra the Wise, Maudgalyāyana, Mahākauṣṭhila, Pūrṇamaitrāyaṇīputra, Subhūti, Upaniṣad, and others. There were also countless pratyekabuddhas, beyond learning, who still came to the Buddha’s vihāra determined to seek (ultimate) Truth, as well as bhikṣus taking stock of their errors and mistakes after the summer retreat, and bodhisattvas from the Ten Directions determined to wipe out their remaining doubts and suspicions, who all reverently awaited the teachings in their search for its esoteric meaning. The Thus Come One then arranged his seat and prepared to proclaim the profound teaching to the great assembly, a Dharma feast to purify the masses that had never taken place before, when the ṛishi’s kalaviṅka voice would pervade the realms of the Ten Directions, and bodhisattvas as immeasurable as grains of sand come and gather at the site of enlightenment (bodhimaṇḍa, 道場 ‘dōjō’), led by Mañjuśr as their chief.
時，波斯匿王為其父王諱日營齋，請佛宮掖自迎如來，廣設珍羞無上妙味，兼復親延諸大菩薩；城中復有長者居士，同時飯僧佇佛來應。佛勅文殊分領菩薩及阿羅漢應諸齋主；唯有阿難先受別請，遠遊未還不遑僧次，既無上座及阿闍黎，途中獨歸其日無供。即時阿難執持應器，於所遊城次第循乞，心中初求最後檀越以為齋主，無問淨穢剎利尊姓及旃陀羅，方行等慈不擇微賤，發意圓成一切眾生無量功德。阿難已知如來世尊訶須菩提及大迦葉為阿羅漢心不均平，欽仰如來開闡無遮度諸疑謗。經彼城隍徐步郭門，嚴整威儀肅恭齋法。
At that time, King Prasenajit was keeping the anniversary of his father’s death by offering vegetarian food to him, and he came personally to invite the Thus Come One to the inner palace for a royal feast of the best and rarest delicacies, to which he also invited the great Bodhisattvas in the assembly. In the city the elders and devotees also offered food to the Sangha and ‘reverently waited for the Buddha’s arrival’ (or ‘revered the Buddha, Tathāgata, the Arhat’). Commanded by the Buddha, Mañjuśrī took the bodhisattvas and arhats to the royal feast. Only Ānanda, who had not come back from a distant engagement, was not among the invited. He was returning to the vihāra alone without his superior or ācārya (teacher), and with bowl in hand he went begging from door to door in a nearby town. He intended to call first on a donor who had not given food to the monks that day, regardless of whether or not he was virtuous, a noble or an outcast (caṇḍāla). In his practice of universal compassion, he did not especially choose a poor man as his patron. He wanted to help all living beings earn countless merit, for he had seen the Thus Come One, the World-Honored One scold Subhūti and Mahākāśyapa who, though being arhats, could not realize such an level mind, and he very much admired the revelations of the Thus Come One which had eliminated all his doubts and suspicions in this respect. So when he reached the town’s gate, he walked slowly adjusting his mien to the rules of discipline.
爾時，阿難因乞食次經歷婬室，遭大幻術摩登伽女以娑毘迦羅先梵天呪攝入婬席，婬躬撫摩將毀戒體。如來知彼婬術所加，齋畢旋歸；王及大臣長者居士，俱來隨佛願聞法要。于時，世尊頂放百寶無畏光明，光中出生千葉寶蓮，有佛化身結跏趺坐，宣說神呪，勅文殊師利將呪往護，惡呪銷滅，提獎阿難及摩登伽歸來佛所。阿難見佛頂禮悲泣，恨無始來一向多聞未全道力，殷勤啟請十方如來得成菩提妙奢摩他、三摩禪那最初方便。於時，復有恒沙菩薩及諸十方大阿羅漢、辟支佛等，俱願樂聞，退坐默然承受聖旨。
At that time, as he went begging for food, Ānanda came to a house of prostitution where Mātaṅgī succeeded, by means of a Kapila spell, in drawing him close to her sensual body on the mat, so that he was on the point of breaking the rules of pure living. The Thus Come One was aware of all this and, after the royal feast, he returned [to the vihāra] with the king, princes and elders who wished to hear about the essentials of the Dharma. Just then, the World-Honored One sent out from the top of his head a bright and triumphant multi-colored light within which appeared the transformation body of a Buddha seated, with crossed legs, on a thousand-petalled lotus flower that then recited a spiritual spell and ordered Mañjuśrī to use it to overcome the evil spell and bring Ānanda with Mātaṅgī to come see the Buddha. When Ānanda saw the Buddha seated on the crown, he prostrated himself at his feet, weeping bitterly and saying that, since the time without beginning, though he had heard much about the Dharma, he still could not acquire the power of the Way. Earnestly he asked to be instructed on the preliminary expedients (upāya) in the practice of śamatha, samāpatti, and dhyāna which leads to the Bodhi of all Thus Come Ones of the Ten Directions. There was also present a great number of bodhisattvas, as countless as sand grains in the Ganges, and great arhats and pratyekabuddhas who had come wishing to hear about the Dharma. They all waited silently and reverently for the sagely teachings.
The Buddha’s questioning
佛告阿難：「汝我同氣情均天倫，當初發心，於我法中見何勝相，頓捨世間深重恩愛？」
The Buddha said to Ānanda, “You and I are close relatives, when you first generated [bodhi]citta, what magnificent characteristics in my Dharma did you see that you gave up all worldly feelings of love to follow me?”
阿難白佛：「我見如來三十二相勝妙殊絕，形體映徹猶如瑠璃。常自思惟：『此相非是欲愛所生。何以故？欲氣麁濁，腥臊交遘膿血雜亂，不能發生勝淨妙明紫金光聚。』是以渴仰從佛剃落。」
Ānanda replied, “I saw the Thus Come One’s thirty-two excellent characteristics and your shining crystal-like form. I thought to myself, ‘All this could not be the result of desirous love. How so? For desire creates foul and fetid impurities like pus and blood which mingle and cannot produce the wondrous brightness of such a golden-hued body,’ In admiration of which I shaved my head to follow the Buddha.”
佛言：「善哉，阿難！汝等當知，一切眾生從無始來生死相續，皆由不知常住真心性淨明體，用諸妄想，此想不真故有輪轉。汝今欲研無上菩提真發明性，應當直心詶我所問。十方如來同一道故，出離生死皆以直心，心言直故，如是乃至終始地位，中間永無諸委曲相。阿難！我今問汝，當汝發心緣於如來三十二相，將何所見誰為愛樂？」
The Buddha said, “Excellent, Ānanda! All of you should know that sentient beings, since the time without beginning, have been subject continuously to birth and death because they do not know the permanent True Mind, the substance of which is, by nature, pure and bright. They have relied on false perceptions, which are not true, so that the wheel of existence (saṃsāra) turns. Now if you want to study the supreme, unsurpassable Bodhi to realize this bright nature, you should answer my questions straightforwardly. All Thus Come Ones throughout the Ten Directions trod the same path to escape from birth and death because of their straightforward minds, with the same straightforwardness of mind and speech from start to finish without a trace of crookedness. Ānanda! I now ask you, when you generated bodhicitta because of the Thus Come One’s thirty-two characteristics, tell me what saw and had love and affection for them?”
Ānanda’s First Reply
阿難白佛言：「世尊！如是愛樂用我心目。由目觀見如來勝相心生愛樂，故我發心願捨生死。」
Ānanda replied to the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One! Love and affection like this came from the use of my mind and eyes. The eyes see the Thus Come One’s magnificent characteristics and the mind gives rise to love and affection, so that I generated bodhicitta and was set on relinquishing birth and death.”
佛告阿難：「如汝所說，真所愛樂因于心目，若不識知心目所在，則不能得降伏塵勞。譬如國王為賊所侵，發兵討除，是兵要當知賊所在。使汝流轉心目為咎。吾今問汝，唯心與目今何所在？」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “As you just said, your love was caused by your mind and eyes, but if you do not know where your mind and eyes really are, you will never be able to conquer troublesome dust. Just like the king of a country being invaded by bandits, before sending soldiers to destroy them, he should first know where they are. That which causes you to ‘float and turn’ (流轉 i.e. transmigrate in saṃsāra) comes from defects in your mind and eyes. Now tell me, where are your mind and eyes right now?”
阿難白佛言：「世尊！一切世間十種異生，同將識心居在身內；縱觀如來青蓮花眼亦在佛面，我今觀此浮根四塵秖在我面，如是識心實居身內。」
Ānanda replied to the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One! All living beings born in the world through the ten types of birth hold that the conscious mind is in the body. As I look at the lotus blue eyes of the Thus Come One, I see that they are on the face of the Buddha, hence my understanding that the existence of these organs made of the four elements are on my face, and, like this, the conscious mind truly abides in the body.”
佛告阿難：「汝今現坐如來講堂，觀祇陀林今何所在？」
The Buddha said to Ānanda, “Now, as you sit with the Thus Come One in this hall, where is the Jetavana park?”
「世尊！此大重閣清淨講堂在給孤園，今祇陀林實在堂外。」
“World-Honored One! This great hall is in Jetavana park which is, therefore, outside the hall.”
「阿難！汝今堂中先何所見？」
“Ānanda! What do you see first in this hall?”
「世尊！我在堂中，先見如來，次觀大眾，如是外望方矚林園。」
“World-Honored One! In this hall, I see first the Thus Come One, then the assembly, and only when looking outside do I see the park.”
「阿難！汝矚林園因何有見？」
“Ānanda! When you see the park, what causes you to do so?”
「世尊！此大講堂戶牖開豁，故我在堂得遠瞻見。」
“World-Honored One! The doors and windows of this great preaching hall are wide open, so I can see the park, though I am inside the hall.”
爾時，世尊在大眾中，舒金色臂摩阿難頂，告示阿難及諸大眾：「有三摩提名大佛頂首楞嚴王，具足萬行，十方如來一門超出妙莊嚴路。汝今諦聽！」阿難頂禮，伏受慈旨。
At that time, the World-Honored One, among the great assembly, extended his golden-hued arm and touched Ānanda’s head with his hand, saying: “There is a samādhi called the Śūrangama King from the Crown of the Great Buddha's Head. It is the perfection of a myriad practices, and the single gateway through which all Thus Come Ones transcend [the world], the marvelously adorned path. Now listen attentively!” Ānanda prostrated himself at the Buddha’s feet and knelt to receive the holy instruction.
佛告阿難：「如汝所言身在講堂，戶牖開豁遠矚林園，亦有眾生在此堂中，不見如來見堂外者。」
The Buddha said to Ānanda, “As you say, the body being inside the preaching hall, the grove and the park can be seen through the open widows and doors. Could there be someone in this hall who does not see the Thus Come One but sees the outside of the hall?”
阿難答言：「世尊！在堂不見如來能見林泉，無有是處。」
Ānanda replied, “World-Honored One! To be in hall and not see the Thus Come One but able to see the grove and stream, that is baseless.”
「阿難！汝亦如是！汝之心靈一切明了。若汝現前所明了心實在身內，爾時先合了知內身；頗有眾生先見身中後觀外物，縱不能見心、肝、脾、胃，爪生、髮長、筋轉、脈搖，誠合明了，如何不知？必不內知，云何知外？是故應知汝言：『覺了能知之心住在身內。』無有是處。」
“Ānanda! You are also like this! Your mind is gifted with intelligence to understand everything. If your knowing mind is really in your body, you should first have knowledge about everything inside it. You should, therefore, see everything in your body first, and then see things outside it. Even if you cannot see your heart, liver, spleen, and stomach, at least you should understand the growing of nails and hair, about that which moves along the nerves and the pulsing of the veins. Why don’t you know these things? Not knowing the inside, how can you know the outside? Therefore, you should know, when you said, ‘The mind that is aware and able to know abides inside the body,’ that is baseless.”
Ānanda’s Second Reply
阿難稽首而白佛言：「我聞如來如是法音，悟知我心實居身外。所以者何？譬如燈光然於室中，是燈必能先照室內，從其室門後及庭際，一切眾生不見身中獨見身外，亦如燈光居在室外不能照室。是義必明將無所惑，同佛了義得無妄耶？」
Ānanda bowed and addressed the Buddha saying, “After hearing the Thus Come One’s Dharma-voice, I now understand that my mind is really outside my body. How so? Just like a lamp lights up everything in a room but is not able to first illuminate the outside of the room, only from the rooms open doors. All sentient beings do not see the inside of their bodies, they see the outside of the body, just like a lamp outside a room lights up the outside and is not able to light up the inside of the room. The meaning is so clear that there can be no doubt. Could I still be wrong about what the Buddha means?”
佛告阿難：「是諸比丘適來從我室羅筏城，循乞摶食歸祇陀林，我已宿齋，汝觀比丘一人食時諸人飽不？」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “All the bhikṣus followed me to Śrāvastī to beg for food and have now returned to Jetavana grove. I have already taken my meal but as one bhikṣu is still eating, is the whole community well-fed?”
阿難答言：「不也。世尊！何以故？是諸比丘雖阿羅漢，軀命不同，云何一人能令眾飽？」
Ānanda replied, “No. World-Honored One! Why? These bhikṣus are arhats, they have not the same body or life span. How could one person by eating cause all the others to satisfy their hunger?”
佛告阿難：「若汝覺了知見之心實在身外，身心相外自不相干，則心所知身不能覺，覺在身際心不能知。我今示汝兜羅綿手，汝眼見時心分別不？」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “If your knowing mind really is outside the body, the mind and body would not share the same characteristics (i.e. they would be two different things) and when the mind knows something the body should be unable to know it, and any awareness of the extent of the body should be unknowable to the mind. I now show you the palm of my hand, soft as tūla-floss, when your eyes see it, does your mind differentiate it?”
阿難答言：「如是，世尊！」
Ānanda replied saying, “So it is, World-Honored One!”
佛告阿難：「若相知者，云何在外？是故應知汝言：『覺了能知之心住在身外。』無有是處。」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “Of the characteristics [being differentiated] and the knowing of them, what is outside? For this reason, you should know that you saying, ‘the knowing mind is located outside the body’ is baseless.”
Ānanda’s Third Reply
阿難白佛言：「世尊！如佛所言，不見內故不居身內；身心相知不相離故，不在身外。我今思惟，知在一處。」
Ānanda replied to the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One! As the Buddha has said, because there is no seeing the inside, it is not housed inside; and because the characteristics of the body and mind are not distinct from each other in that way, it is not outside the body. I now think I know it’s location.”
佛言：「處今何在？」
The Buddha said, “Where is it?”
阿難言：「此了知心，既不知內而能見外，如我思忖潛伏根裏，猶如有人取瑠璃椀合其兩眼，雖有物合而不留礙，彼根隨見隨即分別，然我覺了能知之心，不見內者為在根故，分明矚外無障礙者潛根內故。」
Ānanda said, “This knowing mind, although not knowing the inside yet able to see the outside, I think it is hidden in the sense organ. Just like someone who covers both eyes with crystal bowls, they do not obstruct the sense organ which simply follows the faculty of seeing in differentiating things. Thus, my knowing mind, not seeing the inside of the organ yet clearly seeing outside without obstruction, it is because it is hidden in the organ.”
佛告阿難：「如汝所言，潛根內者猶如瑠璃。彼人當以瑠璃籠眼，當見山河見瑠璃不？」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “As you just said, the mind is hidden in the organ just like crystal. If someone were to cover their eyes with crystal and they could see mountains and rivers, could they also see the crystal?”
「如是，世尊！是人當以瑠璃籠眼，實見瑠璃。」
“So it is, World-Honored One! This person would truly be able to see the crystal with their crystal covered eyes.”
佛告阿難：「汝心若同瑠璃合者，當見山河何不見眼？若見眼者，眼即同境不得成隨；若不能見，云何說言此了知心，潛在根內如瑠璃合？是故應知汝言：『覺了能知之心潛伏根裏如瑠璃合。』無有是處。」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “If your mind is like something enclosed in crystal, when you see mountains and rivers, why do you not see your eyes? If you see your eyes, then they are objects, not what is seeing. If they cannot be seen, how can you say that this knowing mind is hidden in the sense organ, like the crystal enclosures? For this reason, you should know, when you said, ‘the knowing mind is hidden somewhere in the sense organ, like something enclosed in crystal’ that is baseless.”
Ānanda’s Fourth Reply
阿難白佛言：「世尊！我今又作如是思惟：『是眾生身，府藏在中竅穴居外，有藏則暗有竅則明。』今我對佛，開眼見明名為見外，閉眼見暗名為見內，是義云何？」
Ānanda replied to the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One! I now also have this thought, ‘The body of a sentient being contains bowels within and apertures on its surface, and where there is concealment there is darkness and where there are openings there is light. As I am now before the Buddha, I open my eyes and see clearly and this is called outward seeing, and when I close them, I see darkness and this is called inward seeing. What does the Buddha think of this?”
佛告阿難：「汝當閉眼見暗之時，此暗境界為與眼對？為不對眼？若與眼對，暗在眼前云何成內？若成內者，居暗室中無日月燈，此室暗中皆汝焦府？若不對者，云何成見？若離外見內對所成，合眼見暗名為身中，開眼見明何不見面？若不見面，內對不成。見面若成，此了知心及與眼根乃在虛空，何成在內？若在虛空，自非汝體。即應如來今見汝面亦是汝身，汝眼已知身合非覺，必汝執言身眼兩覺應有二知，即汝一身應成兩佛。是故應知汝言：『見暗名見內者。』無有是處。」
The Buddha said to Ānanda, “When you close your eyes and see darkness, is this objective sphere of darkness before your eyes, or is it not before your eyes? If it is before them, it is in front of them, so how can it be ‘inward seeing’? If [the darkness] is something internal, when you sit in a dark room without the light of the sun, moon or a lamp, is the darkness in the room your bowels? If it is not before you, how can it be called seeing? If we put aside outward seeing and assume that there is inward seeing, and with closed eyes one sees the darkness of what is called the inside of the body, then when the eyes are opened and see light, why do you not see your own face? If you do not see your face, then what your calling ‘inside’ isn’t so. Assuming you see your face, then your knowing mind and organ of sight would be in the air. How could there be an ‘inside’? If they are in the air, then they are not part of your physical body. And the Thus Come One, who now sees your face, would then be your body as well, and when your eyes see something, your body should have no awareness. If you insist on saying that both body and the eyes have separate awarenesses, there should be two separate knowledges and then your one body would become two Buddhas. For this reason you should know that when you said, ‘to see darkness is inward seeing’, that is baseless.”
Ānanda’s Fifth Reply
阿難言：「我常聞佛開示四眾：『由心生故，種種法生；由法生故，種種心生。』我今思惟，即思惟體實我心性，隨所合處心則隨有，亦非內、外、中間三處。」
Ānanda said, “I have always heard the Buddha explain for the four kinds of people (monks, nuns and male and female lay devotees): ‘From the arising of mind, all kinds of dharmas arise; From the arising of dharmas, all kinds of mind arise.’ I now think, and the substance of that thinking really is the nature of my mind, which arises when it unites with externals and from that comes to be, and which is neither internal nor external nor in between in a third place.”
佛告阿難：「汝今說言：『由法生故種種心生，隨所合處心隨有』者，是心無體則無所合。若無有體而能合者，則十九界因七塵合。是義不然！若有體者，如汝以手自挃其體，汝所知心為復內出？為從外入？若復內出還見身中；若從外來先合見面。」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “You have now said, ‘From the arising of dharmas, all kinds of mind arise, uniting with externals and from that coming to be.’ This mind, which has no substance, cannot be united with anything. If that which has no substance is able to unite with externals, this is union of a nineteenth realm of sense with a seventh sense datum. This is meaningless! If the mind has substance, then when your hand grasps your body, does the mind that knows arise from within or come from without? If it arises from within, you should see what is in your body, and if from without, you should see your face.”
阿難言：「見是其眼，心知非眼，為見非義。」
Ānanda said, “It is the eyes that see. The knowing mind is not the eyes. To say that it sees is meaningless.”
佛言：「若眼能見，汝在室中門能見不？則諸已死尚有眼存應皆見物。若見物者，云何名死？阿難！又汝覺了能知之心若必有體，為復一體？為有多體？今在汝身，為復遍體？為不遍體？若一體者，則汝以手挃一肢時，四肢應覺，若咸覺者，挃應無在。若挃有所，則汝一體自不能成。若多體者，則成多人。何體為汝？若遍體者，同前所挃。若不遍者，當汝觸頭，亦觸其足，頭有所覺，足應無知。今汝不然，是故應知，隨所合處心則隨有，無有是處。」
The Buddha said, “If it is the eyes that see, then [using the analogy of the room again], when you are in a room, is it the doors that see? Corpses still have eyes and should then be able to see things. If they still see, how are they corpses? Ānanda! If your knowing mind has substance, is that substance single or manifold? As it is in your body, does it permeate it throughout, or not? If it is one substance, when you grasp a limb, all four should be aware that they are grasped; if so there would be no grasping of any particular limb. If there is , the contention of a single substance does not hold good. If it is a manifold substance there should be many persons; then which substance is yours if it permeates throughout every part of your body, this is the same as in the previous case of grasping. If it does not spread, then when you touch your head and foot at the same time, while your head feels that it is touched; your foot should not, but this is not so. Therefore, you should know, your contention that ‘the mind arises where there is union with externals’ is baseless.”
Ānanda’s Sixth Reply
阿難白佛言：「世尊！我亦聞佛與文殊等諸法王子談實相時，世尊亦言：『心不在內亦不在外。』如我思惟，內無所見外不相知，內無知故在內不成；身心相知在外非義。今相知故，復內無見，當在中間。」
Ānanda replied to the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One! When I have heard the Buddha discuss the True Characteristics of Reality (實相) with Mañjuśrī and other Dharma heirs, the World-Honored One also says, ‘The mind is neither within nor without’. So I now think, as there is nothing seen internally, and the external does not know [differentiated] characteristics, and since there is no knowledge of the internal, it cannot be inside; [and to say that] the mutual correspondence of body and mind in knowing [differentiations] is external is meaningless. Now, due to this mutual correspondence of knowledge and characteristics, and since nothing is seen internally, the mind is in-between.”
佛言：「汝言中間，中必不迷，非無所在。今汝推中，中何為在？為復在處？為當在身？若在身者，在邊非中，在中同內。若在處者，為有所表？為無所表？無表同無，表則無定。何以故？如人以表表為中時，東看則西，南觀成北。表體既混，心應雜亂。」
The Buddha said, “This ‘in-between’ you speak of, a middle is not lost somewhere. It isn’t without a location. Now, this middle you’re pushing, where is this middle? Where could it be? Is it on the body? The surface of the body is not the middle, and the ‘middle’ of the body is the same as inside (which was refuted earlier). And if it is [the middle of the] location, is its position apparent or not? If it is not apparent, that is the same as not existing. If it is apparent, it is not fixed. How so? It’s like when someone uses a marker [in the ground] indicate the center, when seen from the east it is in the west and when seen from the south it is in the north. As this marker only leads to confusion, (your conception of) a mind in between is completely chaotic.”
阿難言：「我所說中，非此二種。如世尊言：『眼色為緣，生於眼識。』眼有分別，色塵無知，識生其中，則為心在。」
Ānanda said, “The in-between position I speak of is neither of these two kinds. As the World-Honored One has said, ‘With the eyes and forms as conditions, there arises visual consciousness.’ The eyes differentiate, forms are ignorant dust, and consciousness arises between them, and there there is mind.”
佛言：「汝心若在根、塵之中，此之心體為復兼二？為不兼二？若兼二者，物體雜亂，物非體知，成敵兩立云何為中？兼二不成，非知不知即無體性，中何為相？是故應知，當在中間，無有是處。」
The Buddha said: “If the mind lies between sense organs and dust (sense data), does this mind include both or not? If it does include both, its substance and the substance of the objects will be mixed up together, and since objects are not the awareness (of them), two opposites are set up and where is the middle [between them]? If it is not inclusive [of sense organ and sense data], knowing and not knowing have no substance. What could be the middle? For this reason you should know, being in-between is baseless.
Ānanda’s Seventh Reply
阿難白佛言：「世尊！我昔見佛與大目連、須菩提、富樓那、舍利弗四大弟子共轉法輪，常言：『覺知分別心性，既不在內，亦不在外，不在中間，俱無所在。一切無著名之為心。』則我無著名為心不？」
Ānanda replied to the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One, previously when I saw the Buddha turn the Dharma Wheel with his four chief disciples, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Subhūti, Pūrṇamaitrāyaṇīputra and Śāriputra, he always said, ‘The nature of the knowing, differentiating mind is neither within nor without nor between the two, exists nowhere and clings to nothing, hence it is called mind.’ Is that which does not cling to things called mind?”
佛告阿難：「汝言覺知分別心性俱無在者，世間虛空水陸飛行，諸所物象名為一切。汝不著者，為在為無？無則同於龜毛兔角，云何不著？有不著者不可名無，無相則無，非無則相，相有則在，云何無著？是故應知，一切無著名覺知心，無有是處。」
The Buddha told Ānanda, “You just said that the nature of the knowing, discriminating mind exists nowhere. In this world, all things in the air, in water and on the ground, including those that fly and walk, all these things make the existing whole. Your ‘not clinging’, does it exist or not? If it ‘is not,’ it is just turtle fur and rabbit horns. How can there be non-clinging? If it ‘is’ it cannot be said to not exist. That which ‘is not’ is simply non-existent and that which ‘is’ should have a position; then how can there be no clinging? For this reason you should know, your contention that the knowing mind is that which is not attached to anything, is baseless.”