大乘起信論裂網疏 3.14

3.14

The explanation of this has two parts: first, explaining in terms of beginningless ignorance; second, explaining in terms of present contemplative illumination. As for the first, explaining in terms of beginningless [ignorance]: from beginningless time, sentient beings spontaneously have the eight consciousnesses, which means they spontaneously have the various mental factors associated with them. These minds and mental factors are all formed by tathatā being immutable yet according with conditions, because from beginningless time through the endless future, there is never a time when tathatā does not accord with conditions. If it did not accord with defiled and pure conditions to create the ten dharmadhātus, how could its virtue of immutability be revealed? But because from beginningless time they have never awakened, pure conditions do not yet exist, and they only accord with defiled conditions, which is termed heedlessness. This heedlessness is one of the eight major secondary afflictions; its nature is unbridled laxity, unable to guard against the defiled or cultivate the pure, and its karma is that upon which increasing evil and diminishing good rely; hence it is said, 'relying on heedlessness, there is non-enlightenment.' Non-enlightenment is the delusion regarding phenomena abiding together in association with the sixth and seventh consciousnesses; because of its inability to truly know that the true Dharma is one, it causes the primary minds and mental factors—which from the perspective of the ultimate truth are without distinction of marks—to illusorily become their respective four aspects that are distinct in marks from the perspective of conventional truth. The essence of the inner two aspects is called the karmic mark, while the function of the outer two aspects is called the mark of the perceiving subject and the mark of cognitive objects. If the primary minds and mental factors do not arise, that is all; but once they arise, spontaneously these four aspects arise simultaneously and cannot be analyzed into separate differences; hence it is said, 'they are not separate from one another.' First, regarding 'the karmic mark of ignorance': the essence of the karmic-reward mind and mental factors moves in reliance on ignorance and non-enlightenment, and this movement is called karma. The essence of the eighth consciousness is purely karmic-reward, morally indeterminate retribution phenomena. Although the seventh is called obstructed indeterminate, together with a portion of the indeterminate retribution phenomena of the first six consciousnesses and their associated retribution mental factors, they are all called produced from retribution. The essences of these retribution phenomena are all called 'mind'; moving in reliance on ignorance and non-enlightenment, it is named 'karma.' The mind is the self-witnessing aspect, and karma is the self-awareness aspect. When enlightened, one accords with tathatā, and thus there is no movement. If unenlightened and moving, then its very essence is the suffering phenomena of karmic retribution. With movement as the cause, the suffering fruit of the mind is revealed; therefore the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi takes the third aspect, self-awareness, as the measuring instrument, and the fourth aspect, self-witnessing, as the fruit of the measure, just like the front and back of a mirror not being separate from each other; hence it is said 'the fruit is not separate from the cause.' Second, 'the mark of the perceiving subject': that is, when active manifestations of the primary minds and mental factors arise, there must be a vision aspect able to perceive objects; only when there is no movement is there no perception; once there is movement, there is perception—it is not that movement comes first and perception follows. Third, 'the mark of cognitive objects': that is, when active manifestations of the primary minds and mental factors arise, there must be an image aspect as the cognitive object; only when separate from perception is there no object; once there is perception, there are objects—it is not that perception comes first and objects follow. Solely because of non-enlightenment, the entire essence of tathatā is taken to become the respective three marks of the mind and mental factors; if one can awaken to the fact that the three marks are without marks and are only the one tathatā, then the karmic marks of all minds and mental factors are the essence of tathatā, all perceiving subjects are the marks of tathatā, and all cognitive objects are the functions of tathatā. Therefore the earlier text says: 'If there are sentient beings who can contemplate all deluded thoughts as markless, they will realize the Tathāgata's wisdom.' As for the second, explaining in terms of present contemplative illumination: if one contemplates all deluded thoughts as markless, then one thought in accord is one thought of Buddhahood, and thought after thought in accord is thought after thought of Buddhahood; this is called non-heedlessness, and called enlightenment. The so-called ordinary person endowed with bonds who is able to know the Tathāgata's secret treasury, though having flesh eyes, is called possessing the Buddha eye, and there are no three marks or six marks that can be taken as real before the mind. If for a single thought one is heedless and loses contemplative illumination, then there is non-enlightenment, causing the three marks and the subsequent six marks to appear abruptly and in profusion. Aside from the nine marks manifested by a single present thought of ignorance, could there be another nine marks produced by beginningless ignorance?