Chapter 7: The Entrances

The Buddha told Sustainer: "What does it mean for a bodhisattva to truly understand the realms of experience? Here, a bodhisattva examines the twelve bases of perception and comprehends their origin and function. How do they examine them? In their observation, they find no fixed abode for the eye-base; the eye has no inherent substance and is fundamentally empty. Why is this? The eye-base arises only through conditions and opposing factors, emerging from deluded conceptualization, bound by forms, and assembled through dependent origination.

There are two causes: First, the eye faculty; second, the objects it encounters. Because form arises, we speak of the eye faculty. Thus, the eye and form depend on each other. The faculty receives forms, and forms are the domain of the eye. When one sees forms, it is like a gateway of illusion, which is why we speak of "sense spheres." Then sensations arise. The eye is not attached to form, nor is form attached to the eye. Form is not attached to itself, and the eye is not attached to itself; everything arises from conditions. Because of form as a condition, we name it the "form sense sphere." Because one sees conditioned objects, we speak of "characteristics." Engaging with sense spheres is its function.

"What is meant by ‘entering into the senses’? Because people rely on mistaken views to seek fulfillment and completeness, they fail to enter the truth that the objects seen by the eyes are empty. A wise person does not seek to ‘enter’ the senses; instead, they directly see reality. Foolish, unenlightened beings, due to their deluded thinking, have two aspects: when the eyes encounter forms, they get caught up in those appearances and mistakenly believe they have entered reality. But once one understands the true nature, forms entering the eyes have no inside, no outside, and no middle. The eyes and all forms have no past, future, or present. What is presently seen through the eyes, when one sees forms, leads to grasping and attachment—this is the behavior of the foolish and unenlightened, and it is not true. The wise understand that this is illusory, empty, and without true substance. Mistaken thinking then forms all the ‘entrances’ of the senses. Since the entrances of the senses arise naturally, how can they truly exist? Without fixed characteristics of entering, everything arises from causal conditions. Therefore, it is called ‘entering into the senses.’ The Tathagata says: The entrances of the senses are empty and illusory, all relying on mistaken views and depending on causes and conditions. There is no doer and no one who makes it happen. The eyes do not summon forms, and forms do not summon the eyes. Neither has any awareness; each is still and silent on its own. The eyes, forms, and all sense entrances are peaceful and still together. There is no agent of action; they arise only from causes and conditions. Fools and ordinary beings dwell in delusion, while the wise and noble ones realize this truth. Ultimately, there is no arising and no ceasing!"

No coming, no going. The eye and forms enter the eye without ceasing. The eye does not cling to eye, form does not abandon form—thus one knows what is natural. Form does not cling to form. Why is this? Because each is empty of itself, each is tranquil and knows its own nature. The eye does not depend on eye, form does not know form—this is due to the natural way. The eye and forms are naturally without any fixed attainment. The eye does not seek eye, nor does it unite or disperse. Each is empty, without self. The eye does not habitually think "this eye is mine," form does not habitually think "this form is mine." Like an illusion, they arise naturally. The eye and forms are empty and insubstantial—this is called "natural." It is merely a borrowed expression.

The ear and sound, nose and smell, tongue and taste, body and touch, mind and mental objects—none of these can be truly grasped. They are all without inherent existence and produce nothing on their own. Why is this? Because they arise from interdependent causes, rest on mistaken perceptions, and are established through dualistic conditions. They emerge from mental activity and lead to various experiential gates—this is why they are called the "gates of perception." Through causes and conditions, phenomena are merely designated as points of entry. However, mental states do not cling to phenomena, nor do phenomena cling to mental states. Phenomena do not cling to other phenomena, and the mind does not cling to itself. Clinging arises only because of causal conditions, which give rise to the perception of things. Yet, the mind, seeing appearances, does not truly grasp the nature of phenomena. One who is wise understands this.

"To seek the foundation transcends superficial understanding and realize true reality: All perceptions are constructed by delusion. Ordinary people in their ignorance see duality—yet there is no inside, no outside, and no middle ground. The mind does not enter phenomena; phenomena do not enter the mind. There is no past, future, or present—all arise from conditions. The ignorant fail to understand this, but the wise penetrate it. Why? Because all things have no fixed nature—they are inherently empty. No mind enters phenomena; there are no true forms. Nothing is achieved; it is merely manifested through provisional naming."