大乘義章 3.63

3.63

Next is the explanation of the meaning of having cultivation and lacking cultivation. Within these three consciousnesses, there is cultivation in all cases. Within the conceptualized nature, cultivation is of two kinds: first, cultivation within phenomenal consciousness, contemplating that the five skandhas are not self nor belonging to self, and contemplating that the five skandhas are false, provisional, and without intrinsic nature; all dharmas follow this pattern. Second, cultivation within deluded consciousness, contemplating that all dharmas are manifested by the deluded mind and that there are no objects outside the mind, and contemplating that the deluded mind transforms dependently and has no distinct substance of delusion. Within the dependent nature, cultivation also has two kinds: first, contemplating the emptiness of persons; second, contemplating the emptiness of dharmas. Between these two, one first produces wisdom born of hearing; hearing the two kinds of selflessness perfumes the root consciousness, and the root consciousness, being perfumed, forms the perfuming of hearing. Within the root consciousness there is the real and the deluded: the real receives pure perfuming, and the deluded receives defiled perfuming. Once the real has received perfuming, it in turn perfumes ignorance, making ignorance thin. Because ignorance becomes thin, the seeds of the view of self, accumulated through beginningless habituation within ignorance, gradually thin out accordingly. Once these seeds have thinned out, the ādāna's grasping of a self gradually lightens. Once this grasping lightens, the view of self produced in the six consciousnesses also lightens. Once this view lightens, the hearing that is produced becomes increasingly superior, and through this superior hearing one again perfumes the root consciousness. In this manner, in successive turns, the branches perfume the root, and the root turns back to perfume the branches. Thinking and cultivation are also like this. By having the branches perfume the root, one destroys the seeds of the view of self within the root consciousness and accomplishes the seeds of the supramundane dharmakāya. By having the root perfume the branches, one stops and cuts off arising delusions, enhances pure conduct, and reaches the ultimate. How can there be cultivation within the consummate nature? The explanation says: the purely real in itself entails no cultivation. However, when it is said to exist, all cultivation arises jointly from the real and the deluded: subsuming cultivation under delusion, it is entirely deluded cultivation; subsuming cultivation under the real, it is entirely real cultivation. Just as with the previous three natures, the union of the real and the deluded is named the dependent nature; when isolating the deluded aspect within the dependent, it is named the conceptualized nature; when isolating the real aspect, it is named the consummate nature. Cultivation is also like this: because there is cultivation, when delusion is exhausted, the real alone accomplishes virtue. The accomplishment of virtue is twofold: first, the true conscious mind has exhausted delusion and accords with the root, accomplishing the practice of realization; second, giving rise to function from essence, accomplishing the practice of teaching. Both of these take preparatory application (prayoga) as cause; cultivating with conscious effort is called preparatory application. The preparatory application prior to realization is of two kinds: first, contemplating that all dharmas are originally solely real and have no delusion to follow, which enables the deluded mind to no longer draw forward subsequent [moments], so that the subsequent does not arise from the prior and [delusion] is reduced to ashes, leaving the true mind alone revealed; second, contemplating that outside the mind there is no distinct principle of tathatā, and outside the principle of tathatā there is also no distinct mind; without mind outside tathatā, mind is not different from tathatā; without tathatā outside mind, tathatā is not different from mind. Since mind is not different from tathatā, illuminating it is ever tranquil; since tathatā is not different from mind, tranquil it is ever illuminating. Through these two contemplations, the practice of realization is accomplished. The preparatory application prior to teaching is also of two kinds: first, contemplating that the essence of the true mind is the dharma-gate of all merits, capable of generating all practices; second, cultivating and generating various wholesome roots accordingly. Through these two, the practice of teaching is accomplished. The meaning of cultivation is thus. (Here ends the fourth section.)