The Eighteen Realms

VOLUME 3, Chapter 5

 

P4 The realm of tongue, flavors, and consciousness.
Q1 Sets the scene to discuss the organ, object, and consciousness.
Q2 Asks which gives rise to which.

Sutra:

“Moreover, Ananda, as you understand it, the tongue and flavors create the conditions that produce the tongue-consciousness.

"Is the consciousness produced because of the tongue, such that the tongue is its realm, or is it produced because of the flavors, such that the flavors are its realm?

Commentary:

The Buddha calls out to Ananda: Moreover, Ananda, as you understand it - in the past, when I explained the Buddhadharma of the small vehicle to you, the provisional vehicle, in order to teach and transform all living beings, I spoke about the realms of the tongue and flavors among the eighteen realms.

The tongue and flavors create the conditions that produce the tongue-consciousness. Together they create the conditions. By having a tongue, one recognizes tastes. When there are flavors, the tongue is able to know of them. They work together to produce the tongue consciousness. The organ of the tongue and the defiling objects of flavors stand paired with one another, and in their midst is produced a mind which makes distinctions; this is called the tongue consciousness.

But, ultimately, where are the bounds of the tongue consciousness? Is the consciousness produced because of the tongue, such that the tongue is its realm? Is the consciousness born from the tongue, and does the tongue consciousness use the tongue to form its boundaries? Or is it produced because of the flavors, such that the flavors are its realm? Perhaps it is produced because of the defiling object of flavors and takes the defiling objects of flavors as its boundaries. Tell me, Ananda.

Q3 Discusses them separately and together and refutes all possibilities.
R1 Refutes that it is produced from the tongue.

Sutra:

“Suppose, Ananda, that it were produced because of the tongue. Then all the sugar cane, black plums, huang lien, salt, wild ginger, ginger, and cassia in the world would be entirely without flavor. Also, when you taste your own tongue, is it sweet or bitter?

Commentary:

Suppose, Ananda, that it were produced because of the tongue. If the tongue consciousness were produced because of the tongue organ, then all the sugar cane, black plums - these are the sour plums mentioned earlier, when the Buddha said that just thinking of them caused the mouth to water. Huang lien (coptis japonica) is an extremely bitter medicine.

Salt simply refers to the kind of salt we eat. Wild ginger (asarum sieboldi) is another kind of medicine. Ginger and cassia are also herbal medicines. All such substances in the world would be entirely without flavor. If the tongue consciousness were produced because of the tongue, the flavors of these medicines would not exist.

"Also, when you taste your own tongue, is it sweet or bitter? Further, you say that the tongue consciousness comes from the tongue. Try it, then. What does your tongue taste like?” the Buddha asks Ananda.

Sutra:

“Suppose the nature of your tongue were bitter. Then, what would it be that tasted the tongue? Since the tongue cannot taste itself, who would have the sense of taste?

“If the nature of the tongue were not bitter, there would be no flavor engendered by it. Thus, how could a realm be established?

Commentary:

Suppose the nature of your tongue were bitter. Ananda, if upon tasting your tongue you found it was bitter, what would it be that tasted the tongue? Since the tongue cannot taste itself, who would have the sense of taste? Who would it be who was aware of and knew of the tongue consciousness?

If the nature of the tongue were not bitter, there would be no flavor engendered by it. If the tongue had no flavor, then the tongue itself would not produce flavor. Thus, how could a realm be established? Then where would the realm of the tongue consciousness be established? Where would it be?

R2 Refutes that it is produced from flavors.

Sutra:

“If it were produced because of flavor, the consciousness itself would be a flavor. The case would be the same as with the tongue organ being unable to taste itself. How could the consciousness know whether it had flavor or not?

Commentary:

If it were produced because of flavor, the consciousness itself would be a flavor. If you say that flavor produces the consciousness, then consciousness also becomes a flavor. Then the case would be the same as with the tongue organ being unable to taste itself. You say the consciousness is itself a flavor. But, a flavor cannot know its own flavor, just as the tongue cannot taste itself. Bitterness, for example, could not taste itself and say, “Oh, I am bitter.” Flavor basically has no knowing awareness.

How could the consciousness know whether it had flavor or not? Since flavor is without a knowing awareness, how could it have within it a consciousness which makes distinctions? How could it tell whether it was sweet or bitter? Flavor cannot taste itself.

Sutra:

“Moreover, flavors do not all come from one thing. Since flavors are produced from many things, the consciousness would have many substances.

Commentary:

You say the consciousness is produced from the flavor, but there is not just one kind of flavor. There are many kinds. Moreover, flavors do not all come from one thing. Sour, sweet, bitter, hot, salty - there are many kinds of flavors produced from many things. For instance, hot peppers are hot, black plums are sour, sugar cane is sweet, huang lian is bitter, salt is, of course, salty. Since flavors are produced from many things, the consciousness would have many substances. But, the substance of consciousness does not have a variety of natures.

This passage points to the fact that consciousness is unchanging. It “accords with conditions and does not change; it is unchanging, and yet it accords with conditions.” Thus, although there are many kinds of things which produce many kinds of flavors, the tongue consciousness does not imitate flavors in having so many substances. Shakyamuni Buddha is explaining this way intentionally in order to cause Ananda to understand that the consciousness is produced from the treasury of the Thus Come One. It is not a particular flavor or the tongue that produces the consciousness.

Sutra:

“Suppose that the consciousness were of a single substance and that the substance was definitely produced from flavor. Then, when salt, bland, sweet, and pungent were combined, their various differences would change into a single flavor and there would be no distinctions among them.

Commentary:

Suppose that the consciousness were of a single substance and that the substance was definitely produced from flavor. It was stated above that one substance cannot be produced from many flavors; however, if we say that the consciousness is, nevertheless, one substance and that it is produced from the various flavors, then we have to say that the various flavors combine and change into a single flavor.

Then, when salt, bland, sweet, and pungent were combined, their various differences would change into a single flavor. In that case, there would be no distinctions among them. There wouldn’t be all those flavors of sour, sweet, bitter, hot, and salty. “Pungent” here means hot. “Bland” means tasteless. They would be a single flavor.

Sutra:

“If there were no distinctions, it could not be called consciousness. So, how could it further be called the realm of tongue, flavor, and consciousness?

Commentary:

A lot of flavors are combined into one substance, and each loses its original flavor. For instance, if you add something sweet to hot things, they are no longer as hot, and the sweet is no longer as sweet. Their flavors change. If you combine sour, sweet, bitter, hot, and salty together you alter their original flavor. So, when the original flavors disappear they change into a single flavor. And, within this flavor nothing can be distinguished.

If there were no distinctions - if there were no flavor to be distinguished - it could not be called consciousness. The consciousness makes distinctions, but here it does not make distinctions, it cannot be called consciousness. It can’t even be called consciousness, so, how could it further be called the realm of tongue, flavor, and consciousness? It could not.

R3 Refutes that it is produced from emptiness.

Sutra:

“Nor can it be that empty space produces your conscious awareness.

Commentary:

Your tongue consciousness cannot be produced from empty space. It can’t be that emptiness produces your consciousness, your mind.

R4 Refutes that it arises from a combination of these.

Sutra:

“The tongue and flavors could not combine without each losing its basic nature. How could a realm be produced?

Commentary:

The tongue and flavors could not combine without each losing its basic nature. If the tongue and flavors combine, neither would retain a nature. How could a realm be produced? How can you give it a name and set it up as the tongue consciousness realm? You cannot.

Q4 Concludes by returning the false to the true.

Sutra:

“Therefore, you should know that, as to the tongue and flavors being the conditions that produce the realm of tongue consciousness, none of the three places exists. Thus, the three aspects of the tongue, flavors, and the realm of the tongue do not have their origin in causes and conditions, nor do their natures arise spontaneously.

Commentary:

Therefore - because of this, Ananda, you should know that, as to the tongue and flavors being the conditions - as to the tongue and flavors together producing the causes and conditions that produce the realm of tongue consciousness, none of the three places exists. You say that the consciousness is produced from the tongue organ, but it isn’t. You say it is produced from the defiled objects of flavors, but it isn’t. Nor can it be produced from the tongue consciousness itself. Thus, none of those three places has a substantial nature.

Thus, if it is explained this way you can realize that the three aspects of the tongue, flavors, and the realm of the tongue - the consciousness realm of the tongue - these three - do not have their origin in causes and conditions, nor do their natures arise spontaneously. They are not produced from causes and conditions, nor are they produced spontaneously. For them to be produced from causes and conditions would be for them to fall into the realm of existence. For them to be produced spontaneously would be for them to fall into the realm of emptiness.

Emptiness and existence are two kinds, and they are not the completed meaning of the Middle Way. They are the causes and conditions taught by the provisional teaching, and the spontaneity taught by adherents of externalist sects. Where does the tongue consciousness realm ultimately come from? It, too, is a manifestation of the wonderful nature of true suchness of the treasury of the Thus Come One.

previous    next    Contents

Volume 3 pages:  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16

17    18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30    31    32    33

return to top