大乘起信論裂網疏 4.13

4.13

From beginningless time, sentient beings inherently possess the eight consciousnesses. As for these eight consciousnesses and their various mental factors, because they are true their marks are not differentiated; their essence is just the one dharmadhātu, also called tathatā. Tathatā is the basis of delusion and awakening. Because from beginningless time they have never awakened, the seventh consciousness gives rise to the nescience deluded about principle and does not know in accordance with reality that the true dharma is originally one; therefore it is said that relying on tathatā, nescience arises to become the cause of all defilements. If one were to say that tathatā exists first and only then nescience arises, and due to the existence of nescience there comes to be the ālayavijñāna, and due to the ālayavijñāna there come to be the first seven evolving consciousnesses, then sentient beings would have a beginning—how would this differ from the non-Buddhists' primal nature producing intelligence? Yet 'this nescience then perfumes tathatā' means that an active manifestation of a single thought of nescience directly perfumes into the storehouse consciousness, forming seeds of nescience. The essence of the storehouse consciousness is itself tathatā—just as when water is moved, its wet nature is immediately moved; therefore it is said to perfume tathatā. This is spoken with regard to the non-difference between consciousness and tathatā. However, although the water moves, its wet nature does not alter; it is the essence that accords with conditions yet is immutable. Relying on this meaning, the Vijñaptimātratā teachings further state that it does not perfume tathatā, which is spoken with regard to the non-identity of consciousness and tathatā. These precisely illuminate the marvelous principle together without conflict. 'Having perfumed it, it produces the mind of deluded thoughts': relying on the aspect of arising and ceasing, conventionally speaking their marks are differentiated, so there are the four divisions of the essence and function of the eight consciousnesses and their mental factors, with differences between seeds and active manifestations. Yet these differences are all devoid of intrinsic nature. Due to nescience, failing to penetrate this absence of intrinsic nature, one produces the differentiated attachment to dharmas conjoined with the sixth consciousness, which is called the mind of deluded thoughts. 'This mind of deluded thoughts in turn perfumes nescience': in the eighth consciousness there are originally seeds of nescience, causing the seventh consciousness thought after thought to give rise to active manifestations of nescience deluded about principle; and this active manifestation of the deluded thought of attachment to dharmas of the sixth consciousness perfumes into the eighth fundamental consciousness, spontaneously forming seeds of deluded thoughts, and can also assist the potency of those seeds of nescience; hence it is directly called perfuming nescience. 'Because of this perfuming, it does not awaken to the true dharma': from the delusion regarding dharmas, delusion regarding the self and so forth further arise. 'Because it does not awaken, the marks of deluded objective realms appear': due to delusion regarding the self, the six dust objective realms of portioned birth and death in the three realms appear. 'Due to the perfuming power of the mind of deluded thoughts, all kinds of differentiated attachments are produced': these are precisely the various delusions of view and thought within and beyond the realms. 'Creating all kinds of karma': these are tainted good, evil, and unmoving karma, as well as the untainted, biased-toward-emptiness karma, and so forth. 'Undergoing diverse retributions of suffering of body and mind': these are the two kinds of birth and death, portioned and transformational. Yet although the three of afflictions, karma, and suffering cycle unceasingly, when investigating their root origin, it is solely due to nescience being deluded about the true dharmadhātu. And nescience has no substance; it is not separate from the original awakening nature of tathatā. It is like a person asleep and dreaming: in the dream undergoing limitless saṃsāra, suddenly upon awakening from sleep, there is nothing at all to be obtained. If there were no mind of the waking state, how could there be a dream mind? If one does not examine this dream mind, where else could one search for the mind of the waking state?