In the ashram, the Buddha asked Ananda, "Now sit here and tell me, what do you see in front of you?" ”
Ananda replied respectfully, "Venerable, in this pure place, the first thing I see is you, then the beings present, and then I look out at the surrounding scenery. ”
The Buddha gazed deeply at Ananda: "You can see the scenery outside, but have you noticed what you feel inside?" ”
Ananda smiled and replied, "I realized that I was sitting here, and I could feel peace of mind and piety. ”
The Buddha nodded, "Very good, but have you also seen the other beings in this place, have you noticed their state of mind?" ”
Ananda replied reverently, "I did my best to observe the state of mind of the participants, His Holiness. ”
The Buddha continued: "Ananda, do you understand? True insight is not just the outward vision, but also the inner awareness. The path of practice requires us to look inwardly, from the inside out, and not to get lost in the external object. ”
Ananda silently reflected on the Buddha's teachings and gained a deeper understanding of the path of practice.
Ananda humbly bowed to the Buddha and said, "I have been inspired by the teachings of the World-Honored One to understand that the mind is not confined to the body, but beyond its boundaries. It's like a candle burning indoors, it first illuminates the interior and then shines through the doors and windows to the outdoor courtyard.
It is very easy to understand that sentient beings only see the outside of the body but ignore the inside of the body, just as the light is placed outside and cannot illuminate the inside. ”
The Buddha asked Ananda, "If a group of bhikshus come back to Githarin after begging for food, and I have eaten fasting, do you think that if one of them is full, everyone else will be full?" ”
Ananda replied respectfully, "Impossible, World-Honored One." Although the bhikshus present are all arhats, everyone has their own body, so how can one person eat and make the others full? ”
The Buddha told Ananda, "If you really believe that the mind is beyond the body, and that the body has nothing to do with the mind, then the body cannot perceive what the mind knows; The mind cannot know what the body perceives.
Therefore, it makes no sense to think that the mind exists outside of the body. ”
Ananda pondered for a moment and then said, "According to the teachings of the World-Honored One, because the mind cannot perceive itself, it cannot be considered that the mind exists in the body; At the same time, the body and mind can perceive each other, so the mind cannot exist outside the body. So, where exactly does the mind reside? ”
Then it dawned on him: "The heart must exist in the root of the eye." For example, someone covers their eyes with a glass bowl, and although their eyes are covered, they can still see the outside world. ”
The Buddha asked rhetorically, "If the mind you are talking about is hidden in the root of the eye, and the eye can see through the glass, can you still see the outside world when the eye is covered by the glass?" ”
Ananda replied, "Yes, World-Honored One, the eyes are still able to see the outside world that is covered by glass. ”
The Buddha went on to ask, "So when you see the outside world, do you see your eyes at the same time?" If you see the eyes at the same time, the eyes become what you see, not the tools of the **, then how can the mind be different from it? ”
If we cannot see the eyes at the same time, then how can we say that the heart exists at the root of the eye and is in harmony with the eye? Therefore, it is illogical to think that the mind exists within the root of the eye. ”