We do not realize that all visible phenomena are of nothing external but of our own mind (svacitta), and there is also the beginningless tendency for believing and creating a phenomenal world of appearance.  There is also the nature of knowledge (which takes things as the perceiver and the perceived) and there is also the instinct in the mind to experience diverse forms.  On account of these four reasons there are produced in the alayavijnana (mind) the ripples of our sense experiences (prav@rttivijnana) as in a lake, and these are manifested as sense experiences.  All the five skandhas called panchavijnanakaya thus appear in a proper synthetic form.  None of the phenomenal knowledge that appears is either identical or different from the alayavijnana just as the waves cannot be said to be either identical or different from the ocean.  As the ocean dances on in waves so the citta or the alayavijnana is also dancing as it were in its diverse operations (v@rtti).  As citta it collects all movements (karma) within it, as manas it synthesizes (vidhiyate) and as vijnana it constructs the fivefold perceptions (vijnanan vijanati d@rs’yam kalpate pancabhi@h) [Footnote ref 2].

It is only due to maya (illusion) that the phenomena appear in their twofold aspect as subject and object.  This must always be regarded as an appearance (samv@rtisatyata) whereas in the real aspect we could never say whether they existed (bhava) or did not exist [Footnote ref 3].

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[Footnote 1:  Pancavatarasutra, p. 44.]

[Footnote 2:  Ibid., pp. 50-55.]

[Footnote 3:  Asa@nga’s Mahayanasutrala@mkara, pp. 58-59.]

147

All phenomena both being and non-being are illusory (sadasanta@h mayopama@h).  When we look deeply into them we find that there is an absolute negation of all appearances, including even all negations, for they are also appearances.  This would make the ultimate truth positive.  But this is not so, for it is that in which the positive and negative are one and the same (bhavabhavasamanata) [Footnote ref 1].  Such a state which is complete in itself and has no name and no substance had been described in the La@nkavatarasutra as thatness (tathata) [Footnote ref 2].  This state is also described in another place in the La@nkavatara as voidness (s’unyata) which is one and has no origination and no essence [Footnote ref 3].  In another place it is also designated as tathagatagarbha [Footnote ref 4].