大乘起信論內義略探記 1.53

1.53

Question: The Yogācārabhūmi says that the mind and mental dharmas share the same object, but have different active aspects, existing simultaneously together and operating individually. Why does this text speak of the cognizing characteristic being identical? Answer: Both meanings obtain and do not contradict each other. Why? Just as view of self is an operation of the nature of view, and love of self is an operation of the nature of attachment—such distinctions are called having different operations; yet view, attachment, and the like all form the apprehension of self, and with respect to this aspect, their cognition is called identical. Furthermore, apart from the mind there are no separate afflictions, nor are there separate cognizer and cognized; hence it is called associated. The treatise says: "The unassociated meaning is that the unawareness of the mind is always without difference, not identical in cognizing characteristic and objective condition." The meaning of this text is that these three defilements arise relying on avidyā and are not different from avidyā; furthermore, because this is the unawareness of the very mind, the true and the false are not separated from one another, and being extremely subtle, it is called unassociated. Therein, mental kings and factors are not differentiated, and there is no meaning of association with external objects, but there are the meanings of awareness and unawareness, and so forth.