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].

It may be supposed that this doctrine of an unqualified
ultimate truth comes near to the Vedantic atman or Brahman
like the tathata doctrine of As'vagho@sa; and we find in La@nkavatara
that Rava@na asks the Buddha "How can you say that
your doctrine of tathagatagarbha was not the same as the atman