大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 64.89

64.89

On the commentary passage from “In reality, there are eight links in all” onwards: fourth, concluding with the correct doctrine. The seed of karma is one, and consciousness and so forth are five; thus there are six that are moistened, which constitute the entity of the link of existence. Craving and grasping effect the moistening, like water entering a sprout; when that which moistens and that which is moistened are discussed together, it is therefore said that there are eight. Combining the eight constitutes existence; existence has no separate entity, and is therefore called nominal existence. This is the discrimination between nominal and real among the various categorical discriminations in the Vijñaptimātrasiddhi. The treatise says: “Of the twelve links of existence, nine are real and three are nominal: 1. Because the six already-moistened links are collectively named existence; 2. That is, birth and death; 3. Because birth and death are established by the distinction of characteristics and states.” Now it corresponds to the first.