大乘義章 3.77

3.77

Next, to broadly distinguish and explain the characteristics of perfuming. First, arising of defilement is explained; thereafter, arising of purity is explained. Under the arising of defilement, there are two distinct points: first, explaining the sequence in which they mutually produce each other based on the aforementioned four phenomena; second, separately explaining the differences in what is produced by perfuming. As for the meaning of mutual production, as stated in the treatise: 'Because it is based on the first phenomenon, tathatā, the second [phenomenon], the defiled cause of ignorance, immediately arises. Because there is the causal phenomenon of defiled ignorance, by perfuming tathatā it immediately gives rise to the deluded mind.' Just as when a person is in a deep stupor, because the retribution mind is obscured, the dreaming mind immediately arises. 'Because there is the deluded mind perfuming ignorance, not understanding that tathatā is quiescent and equal, unaware, thoughts arise and immediately produce deluded objects.' Just as a person's dreaming mind stirs and initiates deep stupor, producing dream objects. 'Because there are deluded objects perfuming and stirring the deluded mind, it immediately gives rise to thoughts and attachments, creating various kinds of karma and undergoing various kinds of suffering.' 'Thoughts' is like craving; 'attachments' is like views. In this phenomenal consciousness, the afflictions of views and craving create karma and undergo suffering; all arise dependent on delusion. Mutual production is thus. Next, explaining the differences in what is produced by perfuming. As stated in the treatise: 'Tracing from the branch to the root, one distinguishes them in sequence. What is produced by the perfuming of deluded objects is twofold: first, augmenting thoughts—thoughts being like craving; second, augmenting grasping—grasping being like views. What is produced by the perfuming of the deluded mind is also twofold: first, perfuming to produce the fruit of transformation, meaning undergoing the transformation of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and the subtle suffering of bodhisattvas; second, producing the fruit of fragmented portions, meaning undergoing the coarse suffering of fragmented portions of ordinary persons. Because by the power of continuity in the deluded consciousness it maintains various karmas and attains those fruits. What is produced by the perfuming of ignorance is also twofold: first, because ignorance confounds and obscures the true mind, it receives deluded perfuming and forms deluded seeds in the deluded consciousness; second, because ignorance confounds and obscures the true mind, it receives good and evil perfuming and forms phenomenal seeds, producing them in the phenomenal consciousness. What is produced by the perfuming of tathatā is also twofold: first, producing ignorance; second, producing the deluded mind. Because that tathatā is non-conceptual, it can give rise to ignorance; because of its conscious nature, when obscured by delusion, it immediately gives rise to the deluded mind. Just as a person's grasping mind is of a knowing nature, when obscured by deep stupor, it immediately gives rise to dream knowledge.' Arising of defilement is thus. Next, explaining the arising of purity. Arising of purity has two [aspects]: first, explaining the true perfuming the deluded; second, the deluded perfuming the true. Within the true perfuming the deluded, first the active perfumer is explained, and thereafter the object of perfuming is explained. The active perfumer is twofold: first, perfuming of the true essence; second, perfuming of the true function. As for the perfuming of the essence, as stated in the treatise: 'From beginningless time, it is endowed with untainted phenomena and the nature of inconceivable activity; perfuming the deluded mind, it can cause sentient beings to abhor the suffering of birth-and-death and happily seek nirvāṇa, believing of themselves that their own bodies possess the phenomenon of tathatā, giving rise to the mind [of awakening] and practicing.' The fundamental essence of the dharmakāya is called untainted phenomena; the fundamental aspect of the retribution Buddha is called the nature of activity. These two are also thoroughly and broadly distinguished as in the section on the meaning of Buddha-nature. Due to these two, it is able to perfume the deluded. Question: If the true can indeed perfume the deluded to produce good practices, since all sentient beings possess tathatā, why does it not perfume them equally, causing all equally to give rise to the mind [of awakening], undertake the cultivation of practices, and enter into nirvāṇa? Yet sentient beings have faith or lack faith, with immeasurable distinctions of superiority and inferiority, earlier and later. The treatise itself explains: 'Tathatā is fundamentally one, yet the afflictions of sentient beings have distinctions of being thick or thin, not identical; therefore, earlier and later, superior and inferior are not equal. Furthermore, in the Buddha-Dharma there are causes and there are conditions; only when these two are complete can [fruition] be accomplished. It is just like the nature of fire within wood: only when a person drills it does it come forth; if no person drills it, it cannot burn of itself. Sentient beings are like this: although they possess the nature of Suchness, because they lack the direct cause, if they lack the conditions of spiritual friends, Buddhas, and bodhisattvas giving rise to practice, the true phenomenon cannot of itself eliminate afflictions or of itself accomplish nirvāṇa.' As for the perfuming of function, the treatise itself explains: 'It is the power of sentient beings' external conditions; namely, Buddhas and bodhisattvas realizing Suchness give rise to function, gathering and transforming sentient beings to cause them to cultivate good phenomena.' Herein there are two: first, differentiated conditions; second, equal conditions. As for differentiated conditions, the treatise itself explains: 'Practitioners rely on Buddhas and bodhisattvas from their first aspiration up to the attainment of Buddhahood; during this interval, whether seeing or hearing Buddhas and bodhisattvas, [the latter] become either kin, preceptors, intimate friends, servants, or even enemies. Toward these sentient beings, Buddhas and bodhisattvas, with compassionate expedients and the four means of embracing, gather them in, causing them to augment good practices and enter the correct path; these are called differentiated conditions. Within these differences, there are near and far: the near are swift, the far are prolonged.' This is indeed transformation through the response body. As for equal conditions, the treatise itself explains: 'Buddhas and bodhisattvas long ago made great vows swearing to cross over all [beings]. Due to the perfuming power of these roots of goodness, they naturally and constantly follow all sentient beings, manifesting in accordance with what should be seen and heard; that is, manifesting the equal dharmakāya of the Tathāgata, causing all sentient beings, relying on the power of samādhi, to see the Buddha equally.' This is indeed the benefit of the true body. The active perfumer is thus. Regarding the object of perfuming, as stated in the treatise, the object of perfuming is twofold: first, not yet corresponding, meaning it perfumes ordinary persons, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and those among bodhisattvas who have newly generated the mind, causing them to faithfully follow and practice within the minds of the six consciousnesses and seventh consciousness, not yet able to abandon delusion and correspond with reality; second, already corresponding, meaning it perfumes world-transcending dharmakāya bodhisattvas, causing them to abandon the deluded mind, eliminate ignorance, tally with and realize tathatā, and correspond without discrimination with the dharmakāya of the Buddha Tathāgata, purely relying on the power of phenomena to practice naturally and advance toward the ocean of Buddha-wisdom. The preceding section explained the true perfuming the deluded to assemble and give rise to pure phenomena; next is explained the deluded mind perfuming the true to generate pure phenomena. Herein there are two: first, the active perfumer; second, the object of perfuming. Within the active perfumer, there is general and specific. As for general perfuming, the treatise itself explains: 'Because there is the deluded mind abhorring and renouncing birth-and-death and seeking nirvāṇa, it perfumes the true mind. Believing of itself that its own nature is solely tathatā, that outside of Suchness there are no phenomena, and that there are only inverted views of the deluded mind. Because it knows that external objects do not exist, it cultivates through various expedients the practices of departing from defilement and advancing toward the true. Although there is cultivation, it does not grasp and does not cogitate; due to the power of long cultivation, ignorance is extinguished. Because ignorance is extinguished, the deluded mind does not arise. Because the deluded mind does not arise, deluded objects cease accordingly; mental marks are completely ended, which is called attaining nirvāṇa. Because nirvāṇa is attained, it naturally accomplishes inconceivable activities and functions that fill the dharma realm.' The general aspect is thus. As for specific perfuming, the treatise's explanation has two: first, perfuming by phenomenal consciousness, meaning ordinary persons, people of the two vehicles, and the like, abhorring the suffering of birth-and-death and advancing toward nirvāṇa, through expedients within these six consciousnesses cultivate and perfume so as to generate the true; second, perfuming by the manas, meaning bodhisattvas, seeing that false phenomena are not to be coveted or grasped, and knowing that the phenomenon of tathatā is quiescent and secure, arouse the mind vigorously to advance toward great nirvāṇa, through expedients within this seventh consciousness cultivating and perfuming so as to generate the true. Truly, because the deluded consciousness can produce phenomenal consciousness, being that upon which the production of phenomenal consciousness relies, it is called manas, not the mind-faculty realm within phenomenal consciousness. The active perfumer is thus. The object of perfuming is twofold: first, perfuming to produce, perfuming to produce the expedient merits of the retribution Buddha; second, perfuming to manifest, perfuming to manifest the naturally pure merits of the Dharma Buddha. Perfuming of the distinct consciousnesses of the true and deluded is thus. Question: Do the true and the deluded perfume each other sequentially, or are they simultaneous? Explanation: Mutual perfuming must be simultaneous. What does this mean? Defiled and pure phenomena are co-arisen by the true and the deluded; the true alone does not produce, and the deluded alone does not accomplish. Why is it like this? If there were only the true without the deluded, the true nature is eternally clear, unconditioned, and unchanging, hence there is no initiation or action. If there were only the deluded without the true, the essence of delusion would not be established, hence there is also no action. Therefore, the Śrīmālā [-sūtra] says: 'If there were no storehouse consciousness, the seven phenomena would not abide, one could not plant suffering, and one could not abhor suffering or happily seek nirvāṇa.' The true and the deluded rely on each other, and only then can they create all phenomena, because they act together. Subsuming phenomena under sentiment, all is the doing of delusion; subsuming phenomena under the root, all is the doing of the true mind. Just as with various things done by a person in a dream: subsuming the affairs under the branches, they are the doing of deep stupor; subsuming the affairs under the root, they are the creation of the retribution mind. It is also like worldly people seeing a rope as a snake: subsuming the snake under sentiment, it is the doing of deluded sentiment; subsuming the snake under the root, it is entirely made by the rope. All phenomena are like this. Although the true can make, the making necessarily follows sentiment—just as the rope makes the snake, the snake is due to the darkened sentiment; although delusion can make, the making necessarily relies on the true—just as sentiment makes the snake, the snake must rely on the rope. The true lacking [action except] through sentiment is called the deluded perfuming the true; deluded action being through the true is called the true perfuming the deluded. Perfuming each other like this, in principle there is no before and after, therefore it is said to be simultaneous. The essential import of mutual perfuming of the true and deluded lies in this; it must not fail to be remembered.