成唯識論述記 3.237

3.237

Question: In the case of matter, does the eighth consciousness cognize provisional phenomena such as shapes and shadows? Answer: It does not cognize them. Just as in the case of derived tangible objects, if it cognizes, it cognizes only the fundamental real [elements]. What is attached to, which is within the tangible-object base, is what is transformed by the eighth consciousness; it is strictly the generating elements and not the derived matter, because they lack an intrinsic entity, and it merely cognizes the four great elements that coexist with that attachment. Because the four great elements do not actually generate the tangible-object base, since the result is provisional, there is only the generation of the five faculties, the four objective domains, and the four great elements. When cognizing long and so forth, it simultaneously cognizes blue and so forth, and does not separately cognize long and so forth existing separately apart from blue and so forth; it is not like the mental consciousness, which can separately cognize the provisional, because these have no separate intrinsic entity and cannot be cognized; pots and bowls are also like this; that is to say, when it transforms into large and small, it merely cognizes according to the large and small of that blue and so on, without there being a separate long and so on. If spoken from the fundamental real, it may also be said to cognize long and so forth; therefore, by applying this to the tangible-object base, one should also speak in this way. However, derived tangible objects are differences in the states of the four great elements; when cognizing what is derived, it immediately cognizes the four great elements, because the provisional relies on the real, identical to long and so forth.