大乘起信論別記 1.149

1.149

Question: The Yogācārabhūmiśāstra states that "the ālayavijñāna is associated with the five [omnipresent] factors," which is precisely the defilement of the perceiving mind here. Why is it said here to be unassociated? Answer: The intent of this treatise is to speak of it as "associated" in terms of the operations of distinct defiled mental factors. The defilement of the perceiving mind lacks defiled mental factors, so it is called "unassociated"; hence there is no contradiction. Although there are the subtle five omnipresent factors, mind and dharmas penetrate marklessness, yet through taking marks, this is a general grasping at dharmas, but there is no view of examining wisdom factors separately; hence there is no distinctive grasping at dharmas as a self. The reason we know that the ālaya is also a grasping at dharmas is that, as the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra states, "On the eighth bhūmi and above, all defilements do not become active, but exist solely with the cognitive obstacle as support." And in this stage, the afflictions of the other seven consciousnesses do not become active; only the ālayavijñāna becomes active. Therefore we know that this consciousness is the cognitive obstacle. If we speak of the existence of seeds, the seeds of the afflictive obstacle are also not yet exhausted; therefore we know that that text speaks precisely with respect to the active cognitive obstacle.