唯識二十論述記 1.30

1.30

As for 'vijñapti-mātra', Master Gopa said: because it possesses three virtues, it is now established: 1. original virtue, because original nature is pure, meaning the nature of consciousness; 2. intermediate virtue, namely relying on vijñapti-mātra to practice the myriad practices, being able to sever all gross heaviness of skin, flesh, hide, etc., over three kalpas; 3. virtue not yet possessed, namely reaching the Buddha stage, where merit and wisdom are completely fulfilled and luminous, rare to encounter and peerless. 'Mātra' has the meaning of sole and only; 'vijñapti' has the meaning of cognition/discernment, its substantial nature being the five dharmas of mind, mental factors, etc. Why is this? Generally speaking, all phenomena have briefly three natures: namely, the imaginary nature, which is false vijñapti-mātra; the dependent nature, non-existent yet appearing as existent, produced by causes and conditions, which is causal vijñapti-mātra, namely the aspect (lakṣaṇa) of consciousness; and the consummate nature, the principle of the emptiness and non-existence of the imaginary upon the dependent, which is true vijñapti-mātra, namely the nature (svabhāva) of consciousness. Ordinary beings, confused about the consummate nature, grasp the dependent, etc., as one or different, claiming that there are definitely real phenomena existing outside the mind that are grasped by the mind; obscured by ignorance, correct knowledge does not arise. Now, in order to reveal that the real phenomena imagined apart from the mind as spoken by them do not exist, being mere appearances of false consciousness, and that there are only the conditioned dependent aspects of consciousness (causal vijñapti-mātra) and the unconditioned consummate nature of consciousness (true vijñapti-mātra), it is now stated generally that all phenomena are vijñapti-mātra, causing them to know existence and non-existence and to realize the fruit of transformation of the basis. These are spoken of with respect to the distinct substantial entities of aspect and nature.