[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大乘起信論別記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1845) › 1.48 # 大乘起信論別記 1.48 大乘起信論別記 1.48 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.48](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1845.1.48) 「此義云何」以下，第二別解。別解之中，約四相以明究竟不究竟義。此中先略決擇四相之義，然後消文。問此中四相，為當同時，為是前後？此何所疑？若同時耶，論說四位覺時差別。答前後耶？下言「四相俱時而有」。或有說者，此依薩婆多宗四相，以四體同時、四用前後，用前後故覺時差別，體同時故名俱時有。或有說者，是依《成實》前後四相而言俱時者，以本覺望四相則無四相前後差別故，言四相俱時而有而無自立。或有說者，此是大乘祕密四相，覺四相時前後淺深，所覺四相俱時而有。此義云何？夫心性本來離生滅相，而有無明迷自心性，由違心性離相寂靜故，能生起動念四相。無明四相相應力故，能令心體生住異滅。如似小乘論議之中，心在未來逕生滅，而由業力引能令心體生住異滅。大乘四相義亦如是。如經云「即此法界，為諸煩惱之所漂動，流轉五道，名為眾生。」此論云「自性清淨心，因無明風動。」正謂此乎！總相雖然，於中分別者，四相之內各有差別，謂生三、住四、異六、滅七。生相三者：一名業相，謂由無明，不覺念動，雖有起滅，見相未分，猶如未來生相將至正用之時。二者轉相，謂依動念，轉成能見，知彼生相至正用時；三者現相，謂依能見，境相已現，如未來生至現在時。無明與此三相相應，熏動心體與相和合，心隨動轉乃至現相。譬如小乘未來藏心，隨其生相漸至現在。大乘之中如來藏心，義亦如是。此三皆是梨耶識位所有差別，於中委曲至下文說。是名甚深三種生相。住相四者，由此無明與生和合，迷所生心無我我所故，能生起四種住相，所謂我癡、我見、我愛、我慢。如是四種依生相起，能生相心，令至住位內緣而住，故名住相。此四皆在第七識位。果相六者，無明與彼住相和合，不覺所計我我所空，由此能起六種異相，所謂貪、嗔、癡、慢、疑、見。如新論云「煩惱自性唯有六種」，此之謂也。無明與此六種和合，能相住心令至異位，外向攀緣，故名異相。此六在於生起識位。滅相七者，無明與此異相和合，不覺外塵違順性離，由此發起七種滅相，所謂身口七支惡業。如是七支，能滅異心令入惡趣，故名滅相。猶如小乘宗中滅相，滅現在心令入過去，大乘滅相義亦如是。是故當知，四相生起一心流轉，一切皆由根本無明。如經云「無明住地其力最大。」此論云「當知無明能生一切染法也。」又所相之一心，所來能相之相，無相所起。無相所起故，隨其所生，用有差別，取塵別相，名為數法。由其本無明違平等性故，一心所來故，隨所至處，皆作總主，了塵總相，說名心王，由其本一心諸法總原故。由是義故，諸外道等，多於心王計為宰主、作者、受者，以不能知由無自性隨緣流轉故。如《中邊論》云「唯塵智名心，差別名心法。」長行釋之「若了別塵通相名心，取塵別相名為心法。」《瑜伽論》中亦如是說。大乘四相，相心道現，略說如是。 > From "What does this mean?" onward is the second part, the separate explanation. Within the separate explanation, it clarifies the meaning of culmination and non-culmination in terms of the four characteristics. Here, one first briefly investigates the meaning of the four characteristics, and then interprets the text. Question: Are the four characteristics here simultaneous, or are they sequential? What doubt is there here? If they are simultaneous, the treatise speaks of differences in the times of awakening across the four stages. If you answer that they are sequential, it says below that "the four characteristics exist simultaneously." Some say: This relies on the Sarvāstivāda school's four characteristics, because their four essences are simultaneous while their four functions are sequential; because the functions are sequential, there are differences in the times of awakening, and because their essences are simultaneous, they are called existing simultaneously. Some say: This relies on the sequential four characteristics of the Tattvasiddhi, and speaking of "simultaneous" is because, when viewed from innate enlightenment with respect to the four characteristics, there is no sequential difference among the four characteristics; hence it says the four characteristics exist simultaneously and do not stand independently. Some say: These are the esoteric four characteristics of the Mahāyāna; the times of awakening to the four characteristics have sequential shallowness and depth, while the four characteristics that are awakened to exist simultaneously. What does this mean? The nature of the mind is fundamentally free from the characteristics of arising and ceasing, yet avidyā obscures its own mind-nature; because it contradicts the mind-nature's tranquility that is free from characteristics, it can generate the four characteristics of stirring thought. Due to the force of avidyā associating with the four characteristics, it can cause the essence of the mind to undergo arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing. It is like the debates in the Hīnayāna treatises where the mind undergoes arising and ceasing in the future, and through the power of karma leading it, it can cause the essence of the mind to undergo arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing. The meaning of the four characteristics in the Mahāyāna is also like this. As the sūtra says: "This very dharmadhātu, tossed and stirred by the afflictions, wanders through the five destinies and is called a sentient being." This treatise says: "The intrinsically pure mind is stirred by the wind of avidyā." This is precisely what it refers to! Although the general characteristic is thus, when distinguished within it, each of the four characteristics has distinctions: arising has three, abiding has four, changing has six, and ceasing has seven. The three characteristics of arising are: first, the karmic characteristic, meaning that due to avidyā, thoughts unconsciously stir; although there is arising and ceasing, the perceiver and the perceived are not yet differentiated, like when the future characteristic of arising is about to reach its actual function. Second, the evolving characteristic, meaning that based on the stirring thought, it evolves to become the capable seer, knowing that the characteristic of arising has reached its actual function. Third, the manifesting characteristic, meaning that based on the capable seer, objective characteristics have already manifested, like when the future arising reaches the present. Avidyā associates with these three characteristics, perfuming and stirring the essence of the mind to unite with the characteristics; the mind turns in accordance with the stirring up to the manifesting characteristic. Just as in the Hīnayāna the future storehouse of the mind, following its characteristic of arising, gradually arrives at the present, the tathāgatagarbha mind in the Mahāyāna is also like this in meaning. These three are all distinctions within the stage of the ālayavijñāna, the details of which will be explained in the text below. These are called the profound three kinds of characteristics of arising. As for the four characteristics of abiding, because this avidyā unites with arising, obscuring the arisen mind from having no self or mine, it can generate four kinds of characteristics of abiding: self-delusion, self-view, self-love, and self-pride. These four kinds arise based on the characteristic of arising, and can cause the mind of the characteristic of arising to reach the abiding stage and abide by conditioning internally; hence they are called characteristics of abiding. These four are all at the stage of the seventh consciousness. As for the six characteristics of changing, avidyā unites with those characteristics of abiding, unaware that the imputed self and mine are empty; through this it can generate six kinds of characteristics of changing: greed, anger, delusion, pride, doubt, and views. As the New Treatise says, "The intrinsic nature of afflictions is only of six kinds"—this is what it means. Avidyā unites with these six kinds and can characterize the abiding mind to cause it to reach the changing stage, conditioning externally; hence they are called characteristics of changing. These six reside at the stage of the arising consciousness. As for the seven characteristics of ceasing, avidyā unites with these characteristics of changing, unaware that external dust-objects are fundamentally devoid of concord and discord; through this it gives rise to seven kinds of characteristics of ceasing, namely the seven branches of unwholesome karma of body and speech. These seven branches can cease the changing mind and cause it to enter evil destinies; hence they are called characteristics of ceasing. Just as the characteristic of ceasing in the Hīnayāna school ceases the present mind and causes it to enter the past, the Mahāyāna characteristic of ceasing is also like this in meaning. Therefore one should know that the arising of the four characteristics and the transmigration of the One Mind are entirely due to fundamental avidyā. As the sūtra says: "The power of avidyāvāsabhūmi is the greatest." This treatise says: "One should know that avidyā can produce all defiled dharmas." Furthermore, the One Mind that is characterized, and the characteristics that are capable of characterizing that come forth, are produced from the unconditioned. Because they are produced from the unconditioned, in accordance with what is produced, their functions differ: grasping the specific characteristics of objects is called mental factors. Because the fundamental avidyā contradicts samatā, and because it comes from the One Mind, wherever it arrives it serves as the general master: comprehending the general characteristics of objects is called the mind-king, because it is the fundamental One Mind, the general source of all dharmas. For this reason, various non-Buddhists mostly reckon the mind-king to be a sovereign master, agent, and experiencer, because they are unable to know that it wanders through transmigration in accordance with conditions due to lacking intrinsic nature. As the Madhyāntavibhāga says: "Only the cognition of objects is called mind; distinctions are called mental factors." The prose commentary explains it: "If it discerns the general characteristics of objects, it is called mind; grasping the specific characteristics of objects is called mental factors." In the Yogācārabhūmiśāstra it is also explained like this. The four characteristics of the Mahāyāna characterizing the manifestations of the mind-path are briefly stated like this. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.47](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1845.1.47) - [Next: 1.49](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1845.1.49) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1845.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1845~en-mt.1.48) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (3) - [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.4.3) — Classical Chinese - [大乘起信論內義略探記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1849.1.28) — Classical Chinese - [起信論疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1844.1.20) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1845.1.48](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1845.1.48) · Pramāṇa