成唯識論述記 7.514

7.514

The Commentary states: This explanation of the external doubt contains two meanings. First, based on the eyes and so forth, forms and so forth, which are transformed by consciousness, the sūtra spoke of twelve kinds of āyatanas; it was not saying that apart from consciousness and outside the mind there exist separate eyes, forms, and so forth as the twelve āyatanas, so it does not contradict the sūtras. The Viṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā states in verse in response: "Consciousness arises from its own seed, / occurring with the appearance of an object; / to establish the internal and external āyatanas, / the Buddha spoke of them as ten." The manifesting consciousness that resembles form arises from its own seeds through the transformation and differentiation of concordant conditions; the Buddha, based on that seed and the manifested form, spoke of them respectively as the eye āyatana and form āyatana. In this way up to the manifesting consciousness resembling touch, arising from its own seeds through the transformation and differentiation of concordant conditions, the Buddha, based on that seed and the manifested touch, spoke of them respectively as the body āyatana and touch āyatana. Based on this intentional meaning, he spoke of the ten [āyatanas] such as form; it was not that there exist eye and form āyatanas apart from consciousness. The explanation of this is as given previously in the fourth fascicle. Second, because the eighth consciousness was not yet established, he concealed the five material sense faculties and did not speak of them, speaking of seeds as sense faculties for fear [people would take them as] apart from consciousness; the rest is as explained previously. Now, presenting the correct doctrine according to the fundamental consciousness and so forth, it differs from that [provisional teaching] and also succeeds, because they are transformations of consciousness.