勝鬘寶窟 2.53

2.53

From "World-Honored One, the stage of ignorance that is unassociated with the mind and without beginning" onward is the second part, which explains the stage of ignorance. "Unassociated with the mind" distinguishes it from the previous "associated with the mind in a single instant." "Without beginning" distinguishes it from mind arising instant by instant. Active afflictions differ in substance from the mind and are associated with the mind. This stage of ignorance directly points to the substantial entity of the mind of false discrimination as being ignorance; there are no separate mental factors outside the mind that are associated with the mind, and therefore it is called "unassociated with the mind." Hence Aśvaghoṣa says: "The very mind being unawakened is constantly without difference, and is therefore called associated." This stage of ignorance has long been established as its nature, unlike active afflictions that manifest through forming thoughts, and so it is called "beginningless ignorance." A mind of dark delusion has no bright illumination of wisdom in its nature, and so is termed "ignorance." It serves as the basis for those active afflictions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and so is named "stage." Being able to produce [afflictions as numerous as] the sands of the Ganges, it is therefore called "ground." Some say: "Beginningless ignorance unassociated with the mind" refers to the affliction of the stage of ignorance. That is to say, within all minds of the three natures that are tainted, because minds of all three natures grasp at characteristics and do not awaken to the reality of principle, they are all termed "ignorance." Because it has no separate substance from the mind, it cannot be said to be associated, and is therefore called "unassociated." Being constantly present at all times, unlike other afflictions that may be present or absent, it is therefore said to be "without beginning." Truly, because ignorance has no separate substance from all minds of the three natures that are tainted, it cannot be said to be associated. Furthermore, because their senses differ, the various minds of the three natures are sometimes present and sometimes absent, whereas ignorance is constantly present; therefore it is said to be "without beginning." Its nature is not the bright illumination of wisdom, and so it is named "ignorance." Being established within all minds and unlike active manifestations, it is called "stage." Because this stage of ignorance produces all afflictions, it is spoken of as "ground." Question: In the four stages there are both stages and active [afflictions]; why is it that in ignorance only the stage is spoken of, and not the active ones? Answer: Because within the stage of ignorance there are no separate active ones, active ones are not separately spoken of. It is merely that the aforementioned [views, attachment to desires, etc.] are collectively spoken of as what is arisen from ignorance. Some say: This ignorance is the fundamental cause of birth and death, and therefore "without beginning" is the beginning. Thus the *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* says, "'Without beginning' is to reveal the cause." If there were a beginning, there would be no cause, for having a beginning entails having a first [moment], and the first [moment] would have no cause; because it is without beginning, it has a cause. The reason for clarifying that there is a cause is to reveal that the Buddha-Dharma is the principle of causes and conditions. Some say: As for "beginningless ignorance," when one initially turns one's back on the light and enters darkness, the afflictions are extremely subtle, and there is only this single identical ignorance without the sequential arising of four minds; therefore it is said to be "unassociated with the mind." This master says: The reason for clarifying associated and unassociated is to distinguish between coarse and subtle afflictions. Coarse afflictions possess four minds and are therefore associated; subtle afflictions lack four minds and are therefore unassociated. Regarding "without beginning," there are two explanations: First, it is said that ignorance has no beginning, and therefore sentient beings have no head and prajñā has no bottom. Second, it is said that ignorance is at the very beginning and truly recorded as having a beginning, but because no phenomenon precedes it, it is said to be "without beginning."