The Classification of Mundane Phenomena

Mental associates, as the name suggests, are dharmas that belong to the mind. Emotions, attitudes, opinions, suggestions, anxiety, agitation, jealousy, sorrow, and so forth are all dharmas that arise upon the mind, belonging to the mind, and thus are all called mental associates. Dharmas that arise upon the body, belonging to the body, are aptly named bodily phenomena. All dharmas pertaining to the physical body, such as falling ill, experiencing weight changes, undergoing various alterations, the emergence of some things, or the reduction of others, etc.—all arising, ceasing, and transformations occurring upon the body are bodily phenomena. The physical body is divided into the inner body and the outer body. The inner body is the physical form, while the outer body consists of the six dusts: form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas; together they constitute the aggregate-body. The body is form (rūpa), and the dharmas arising upon the body are also form, thus all belonging to form are also form. All dharmas belonging to the body are also dharmas belonging to the mind. To which mind does this refer?

All worldly dharmas are divided into form dharmas, mind dharmas, and dharmas that are neither form nor mind. Their attribution is classified into mental associates, bodily phenomena, and phenomena that are neither bodily nor mental. All these dharmas are subsumed under the ownership of the Tathāgatagarbha. Once all dharmas are returned to the Tathāgatagarbha, there is nothing left. So what is there for us to cling to now? All is empty, all is illusory. Yet, the habit of clinging is too deeply ingrained, too difficult to transform. The root cause is still the failure to comprehend and clearly perceive the true reality of the Dharma Realm. This matter requires three great asamkhyeya kalpas to be thoroughly understood, at which point the practice is complete.