Eighteen

"Subhuti, what do you think---does the Realized One have the physical eye?"

"Yes, World-Honored One; the Realized One has the physical eye."

"Subhuti, what do you think---does the Realized One have the celestial eye?"

"Yes, World-Honored One; the Realized One has the celestial eye."

"Subhuti, what do you think---does the Realized One have the wisdom eye?"

"Yes, World-Honored One; the Realized One has the wisdom eye."

"Subhuti, what do you think---does the Realized One have the reality eye?"

"Yes, World Honored One; the Realized One has the reality eye."

"Subhuti, what do you think---does the Realized One have the enlightened eye?"

"Yes, World Honored One; the Realized One has the enlightened eye."

"Subhuti, what do you think---does the Buddha say the grains of sand in the Ganges River are sand?"

"Yes World Honored One. The Realized One says they are sand."

"Subhuti, what do you think---if there were as many Ganges Rivers as there are grains of sand in the Ganges, would buddha-worlds as numerous as grains of sand in that many Ganges Rivers be many?"

"Very many, World Honored One."

The Buddha told Subhuti, "The many mental states of the many beings in that many lands are all known to the Realized One. What is the reason? The Realized One says that those minds are not mind, they are called mind. What is the reason? Subhuti, the past mind cannot be grasped, the present mind cannot be grasped, and the future mind cannot be grasped." [Translation by Thomas Cleary]

Buddha asked Subhuti: "What do you think? Does the Tathagata possess the physical eye?"

"Yes Buddha," Subhuti replied.

"Does the Tathagata possess the divine eye of enlightenment?"

"Surely, Buddha, the Tathagata possesses it."

"Does the Tathagata possess the eye of transcendental wisdom, Subhuti?"

"Indeed he does, Buddha."

"Does the Tathagata possess the dharma eye?"

"Yes, Buddha."

"And, Subhuti, does the Tathagata possess the Buddha-eye of universal compassion?"

"Without doubt, Buddha, the Tathagata possesses all these eyes."

"Subhuti, I know the mind of every sentient being in all the host of universes, regardless of any modes of thought, conceptions or tendencies. For all modes, conceptions and tendencies of thought are not mind. And yet they are called 'mind.' Why? It is impossible to retain past thought, to seize future thought and even to hold present thought." [Translation by Joshua Pritikin]

The Buddha said, "Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess a physical eye?"

Subhuti replied, "So he does, Bhagavan. The Tathagata possesses a physical eye."

The Buddha said, "Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess a divine eye?"

Subhuti replied, "So he does, Bhagavan. The Tathagata possesses a divine eye."

The Buddha said, "Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess a prajna eye?"

Subhuti replied, "So he does, Bhagavan. The Tathagata possesses a prajna eye."

The Buddha said, "Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess a dharma eye?"

Subhuti replied, "So he does, Bhagavan. The Tathagata possesses a dharma eye."

The Buddha said, "Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess a buddha eye?"

Subhuti replied, "So he does, Bhagavan. The Tathagata possesses a buddha eye."

The Buddha said, "Subhuti, what do you think? As many grains of sand as there are in the great river of the Ganges, does the Tathagata speak of them as grains of sand?"

Subhuti replied, "So he does, Bhagavan. So he does, Sugata. The Tathagata speaks of them as grains of sand."

The Buddha said, "What do you think, Subhuti? If there were as many rivers as all the grains of sand in the great river of the Ganges and as many worlds as there are grains of sand in all these rivers, would there be many worlds?"

Subhuti replied, "So there would, Bhagavan. So there would, Sugata. There would be many worlds."

The Buddha said, "And as many beings as there might be in those worlds, Subhuti, I would know there myriad streams of thought. And how so? Streams of thought, Subhuti, what the Tathagata speaks of as `streams of thought' are no streams. Thus are they called `streams of thought.' And how so? Subhuti, a past thought cannot be found. A future thought cannot be found. Nor can a present thought be found." [Translation by Red Pine]