起信論疏 1.29

1.29

From here below, the second part again reveals the essential nature and aspects of the dependent causes and conditions. In this there are two: first, briefly explaining that the causes and conditions are extremely profound; second, extensively revealing the distinctions among the causes and conditions. In the first there are three: first, stating its extreme profundity; next, explaining it; and finally, concluding. In the first part, the statement "the consciousness arising from the perfuming of ignorance" refers back to what was stated above: that based on the ālayavijñāna there is ignorance, non-enlightenment, and its arising, etc. Saying that it is not what others can know, but "only a Buddha can fully comprehend," states its extreme profundity. Below "Why is this?", next, the profound meaning is explained. "Because from the beginning its self-nature is pure, yet being defiled by ignorance there is its defiled mind" explains that it is pure yet constantly defiled. "Although there is a defiled mind, it is constantly and eternally unchanging" explains that it is in motion yet constantly quiet. Due to this principle, it is extremely profound and difficult to fathom. As the Śrīmālādevī-sūtra says: "The intrinsically pure mind is difficult to understand, and that this mind is defiled by afflictions is also difficult to understand." The Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra says: "Because the tathāgatagarbha has the aspect of purity, it is stained and impure through the adventitious afflictions. Relying on this meaning, for Queen Śrīmālā and other bodhisattvas, I taught that the tathāgatagarbha and ālayavijñāna arise together with the seven consciousnesses, which is called the aspect of evolving and ceasing. Mahāmati! The realm of the tathāgatagarbha and ālayavijñāna can now be comprehended and distinguished by you and those bodhisattvas endowed with extremely profound wisdom; all other śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, non-Buddhists, and those clinging to names cannot comprehend these two dharmas." The statement "Therefore, this meaning only a Buddha can know" is third, concluding its extreme profundity. Below "What is termed...", the second part extensively reveals the distinctions among causes and conditions. In this there are six: first, clarifying the essential nature and aspect of the cause, which is the mind-nature; second, revealing the essential nature and aspect of the condition, which is ignorance; third, clarifying the distinctions of the various conditions of the defiled mind; fourth, revealing the stages of counteracting and severing ignorance; fifth, explaining the meaning of associated and unassociated; sixth, distinguishing the meanings of the cognitive obstruction and the affliction obstruction. In the first part, the statement "Because the mind-nature is constantly free of thought, it is called unchanging" explains the meaning stated above that although there is a defiled mind, it is constantly unchanging; although the entire essence moves, it is fundamentally tranquil, hence it is said that the mind-nature is constantly free of thought. In the second part, the statement "not associated with the mind" clarifies that this ignorance is exceedingly subtle, without the distinction of subjective and objective, or primary mind and mental factors, hence it is called "not associated with the mind." Only this serves as the root, and there is no other defiled dharma subtler than this or preceding it; for this reason, it is said to "suddenly arise." As the Benye jing says: "Before the four entrenchments, no further dharma arises; therefore it is called the entrenchment of beginningless ignorance." This clarifies that before it there is no other beginning; only this is the root, hence it is called beginningless. This is identical to the meaning of "suddenly" in this treatise. This is stated as "having nothing prior" in terms of the gateway of the mutual dependence of subtle and coarse, and is also called "suddenly arising"; it is not spoken of as "suddenly arising" in terms of a temporal period. The characteristics of this ignorance are extensively distinguished as in the Chapter on the Two Hindrances. This explains the sentence above: "the self-nature is pure, yet there is defilement by ignorance, and there is its defiled mind." In this there are two: a general presentation and a specific explanation. In the specific explanation, counteraction and severance are simultaneously revealed. The six defilements here are the aforementioned mental consciousness and the five kinds of manas. However, previously, in order to clarify the meaning of arising in dependence on causes, the sequence was presented from subtle to coarse; now, wishing to simultaneously reveal the stages of counteraction and severance, the sequence is presented from coarse to subtle. The first, "defilement associated with attachment," is the mental consciousness, in the sense of being augmented by the afflictions of view and attachment; because it is associated with coarse discriminative grasping. In the case of practitioners of the two vehicles, when reaching the arhat stage, the afflictions of view and cultivation are completely abandoned; in the case of bodhisattvas, from the ten understandings upward they can be kept far away. Here, "the stage associated with faith" refers to the stage of the ten understandings, where the faculty of faith is perfected and without regression, which is called association with faith. As the Renwang jing says: "Thirty persons in the holy embryo of subduing-forbearance: the ten faiths, the ten stoppings, and the ten firm minds." One should know that here, the ten dedications are called firm, the ten practices are called stopping, and the ten faiths and understandings are called faith. When entering this stage, one has already realized the selflessness of persons, and the afflictions of view and cultivation cannot become active, hence it is called abandoning. One should know that what is clarified throughout this treatise speaks of counteraction and severance in terms of active manifestation. The second, "defilement associated with non-interruption," is the continuous consciousness among the five kinds of manas, which arises continuously in association with dharma-grasping; non-interruption is an alternative name for continuation. From the stage of the ten understandings, cultivating the contemplation of consciousness-only and the upāya of investigation, up to the first bhūmi where one realizes the three non-natures, discriminative dharma-grasping cannot become active; hence it says "because of being completely abandoned upon attaining the pure mind bhūmi." The third, "defilement associated with discriminative wisdom," is the fourth, the wisdom consciousness, among the five kinds of manas. Up to the seventh bhūmi, when the two wisdoms arise, it cannot become active; but when emerging from contemplation to engage with phenomena, at times of spontaneous mind, it can also become active; hence it says "gradually abandoned." From the seventh bhūmi upward, one enters contemplation for prolonged periods, so this manas never becomes active again; hence it says "completely abandoned at the stage of signless upāya." This seventh bhūmi has preparation and effort regarding signless contemplation, hence it is called the stage of signless upāya. The fourth, "unassociated defilement manifesting forms," is the third, the manifesting consciousness, among the five kinds of manas; like forms and images manifesting in a bright mirror, it is called the unassociated defilement manifesting forms. The "stage of mastery over form" is the eighth bhūmi; at this stage one has already attained mastery over the pure land, and coarse forms of defiled lands cannot manifest, hence it is said that one can abandon it. The fifth, "unassociated defilement of the perceiving mind," is the second, the evolving consciousness, among the five kinds of manas, because based on the moving mind it becomes capable of perceiving. The "stage of mastery over mind" is the ninth bhūmi; at this stage one has already attained the four unhindered knowledges, and obstructed subjective perceivers cannot actively arise, hence it is said that one can abandon it. The sixth, "fundamental karmic unassociated defilement," is the first, the karmic consciousness, among the five kinds of manas, because based on the power of ignorance the mind moves unconsciously. The "bodhisattva-exhaustion stage" is the tenth bhūmi, because the immaculate stage belongs to this stage. Speaking truthfully, in the tenth bhūmi there are also subtle evolving aspects and manifesting aspects, but gradual abandonment is spoken of merely in accordance with the aspects of the bhūmis. As the text below says: "based on karmic consciousness," up to "what is seen by the mind at the bodhisattva's ultimate stage is called the reward body." If separated from karmic consciousness, there would be no aspect of seeing; one should know that when karmic consciousness has not yet been exhausted, being capable of seeing and capable of manifesting are also not yet exhausted. Below "Failing to comprehend...", the fourth clarifies the counteraction and severance of ignorance. However, the entrenchment of ignorance has two aspects: speaking from the gate of entrenchment acquired through effort, it can be gradually severed from the first bhūmi upward; speaking from the gate of innately acquired entrenchment, it can only be severed by the wisdom of a Buddha's bodhi. Now, in this treatise, innate and acquired are not distinguished, but both are spoken of together and collectively called ignorance; hence it says "entering the pure mind bhūmi one abandons it according to one's portion, up to the Tathāgata bhūmi where one can completely abandon it." Below this, the fifth clarifies the meaning of associated and unassociated. Among the six kinds of defilement, the first three defilements are associated, and the latter three defilements and ignorance are unassociated. In the associated, the phrase "mind and mental dharmas differ" is the name for mental factors. In the Kātyāyanīputra-śāstra, they are called the mind and the mental dharmas associated with the mind. "Based on the distinctions of defilement and purity" refers to discriminating defiled and pure dharmas, the distinctions of views, pride, attachment, and so forth. "Identity of the aspect of knowing" means that the subjective knowing aspect is identical. "Identity of the aspect of objective support" means that the objective support is identical. Here, association is spoken of on the basis of three identities: "mind and mental dharmas differ" means the identity of essence, meaning that each of the various affliction factors has one individual essence, none having a second; "identity of the aspect of knowing" means identity of knowing; "identity of the aspect of objective support" means identity of objective support. Those first three defilements possess these three meanings and exist simultaneously, hence they are called associated. Question: The Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states: "Mind and mental dharmas share the same objective support, but do not share the same mental mode; they exist simultaneously and function individually." Here it is said that the aspect of knowing is also identical; since these contradict each other, how are they harmonized? Answer: Both meanings are present, so they do not contradict each other. How so? For example, the view of self is an operation of the nature of views, whereas the love of self is an operation of the nature of attachment; such differences in operation are called "not sharing the same mental mode"; yet view, attachment, and the rest all form the understanding of "self"; based on this meaning it is called "identity of the aspect of knowing." Therefore, the two explanations do not contradict each other. In the unassociated, the statement "in the mind's non-enlightenment there is constantly no difference" clarifies the absence of the identity of essence, because apart from the mind there are no distinct mental factors. Since there is no identity of essence, and apart from the mind there are no other factors, on what could the other two be based? Hence there is no meaning of identical knowing or identical objective support; therefore it says "not having identical aspects of knowing and objective support." Here, "not" means absence. Question: The Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states: "The ālayavijñāna is associated with five mental factors and takes two kinds of objects as support." This corresponds to the unassociated defilement manifesting forms in this treatise; why is it called unassociated here? Answer: The intention of this treatise is to speak of association in terms of the distinct operation of affliction factors. In the manifesting consciousness, there are no affliction factors; based on this meaning, it is called unassociated. The intention of that new treatise speaks of association in terms of omnipresent factors; by this principle, they also do not contradict each other. Below this, the sixth clarifies the meaning of the two obstructions: in the explicit gate they are called the two hindrances, while in the esoteric gate they are called the two obstructions; this meaning is fully explained in the Chapter on the Two Hindrances. Now in this text, the esoteric gate is explained, in which there are two: first, distinguishing the two obstructions. Below "This meaning...", the reasons are explained. In the first, "the meaning of defiled mind" reveals the six kinds of defiled mind. "Fundamental wisdom" is the wisdom that illuminates tranquility; because it opposes tranquility, it is called the "affliction obstruction." "The meaning of ignorance" is fundamental ignorance. The worldly karmic wisdom is the subsequent wisdom; since ignorance is dark and confused, lacking discrimination, it opposes the worldly discriminative wisdom. Based on this meaning, it is called the cognitive obstruction. In explaining the reason, this meaning is directly revealed. "Because based on the defiled mind, being capable of seeing, capable of manifesting, and falsely grasping objects" briefly lists the evolving consciousness, the manifesting consciousness, and the wisdom consciousness. "Opposing the nature of equality" means opposing the equality of subject and object of fundamental wisdom; this explains the meaning of the affliction obstruction. "Because all dharmas are constantly tranquil and without aspects of arising" presents the dharma-nature that is obscured by ignorance. "Ignorance and non-enlightenment falsely contradict dharmas" reveals the meaning of ignorance obscuring the dharma-nature; therefore, "being unable to attain... all-knowledge" directly clarifies the meaning of opposing worldly wisdom. The second part above, extensively explaining the causes and conditions of arising and ceasing, is finished.