大乘義章 3.80

3.80

Next, the differences in how the three consciousnesses receive perfuming are explained. There are distinctively three aspects: first, perfuming to produce; second, perfuming to transform; third, perfuming to constitute. As for 'perfuming to produce,' all three consciousnesses belong to the gateway of arising and ceasing of mind, and all possess the meaning of mutual perfuming and mutual production. Question: In what way is the fundamental consciousness produced through perfuming? As the Laṅkāvatāra states: 'The Tathāgatagarbha, perfumed by those beginningless evil habituations, is called the storehouse consciousness. When the ground of ignorance arises, they together constitute the fundamental consciousness.' Therefore it is called 'producing.' What are these evil habituations? Analytically, there are three: First, within the fundamental consciousness, the entrenchment of ignorance arises successively before and after. The prior ignorance perfumes the true mind, producing the subsequent ignorance, just as when a person is habituated to sleep, when the time comes, they fall asleep. Second, the ādāna-consciousness's mind grasping a self perfumes the fundamental consciousness, forming seeds. These seeds defile the true, failing to see the reality of dharmas, producing ignorance. Third, the afflictions arising within the six consciousnesses perfume the fundamental consciousness, forming defiled seeds. These seeds defile the true, failing to see the reality of dharmas, producing ignorance. What is the characteristic of the arising of the ādāna-consciousness? Some people declare: It produces only the grasping of self, and cannot produce the understanding of non-self. Why is this? Where there is no grasping of self, it is no longer subsumed by the ādāna-consciousness. For this reason, all understanding of non-self is not the ādāna-consciousness; yet this reasoning is not exhaustive. What is its meaning? Ordinary beings originally and repeatedly hear talks of a self, generate the ideation of a self, perfume the fundamental consciousness, and form seeds of self. By the power of these seeds, they generate a clinging mind and definitively postulate that there is a self. Later on, when this person hears talks of non-self, they generate an understanding of non-self, perfume the fundamental consciousness, and form seeds of non-self. By the power of these seeds, they generate a clinging mind and definitively postulate non-self. Why should this not be possible? For this reason, all śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and minor bodhisattvas at all times constantly postulate non-self; both this self and non-self are produced from perfuming. The mind grasping a self is called the affliction obstacle in the Mahāyāna; the clinging to non-self is called the cognitive obstacle in the Mahāyāna. What is the characteristic of the arising of the six consciousnesses? Due to the defiled seeds within the fundamental consciousness, they perfume and arouse the six consciousnesses, increasing the faults of defilement all the more; due to the pure seeds within the fundamental consciousness, they perfume and produce the six consciousnesses, causing the arising of purity to become ever more superior. Question: As between the ādāna and the six consciousnesses, can there be the meaning of mutual perfuming and mutual production or not? Explanation: It can also be obtained. Due to the ādāna's mind grasping a self, it perfumes the fundamental consciousness, forms seeds of self, and produces the six consciousnesses, causing the view of self to increase ever more. Due to the ādāna's clinging to non-self, it perfumes the fundamental consciousness, forming seeds of non-self. By the power of these seeds, it produces the six consciousnesses, within which the view of self gradually wanes and the understanding of non-self increases. Such is perfuming to produce. As for 'perfuming to transform,' the three consciousnesses are not fixed; within them, all possess the meaning of perfuming and transforming. How is there perfuming to transform within the fundamental consciousness? There are two kinds of explanations: First, due to the various consciousnesses cultivating good and giving rise to evil, they perfume the fundamental consciousness, causing the two kinds of seeds—good and evil—within the fundamental consciousness to shift and transform without constancy, either increasing or decreasing. Second, through the power of cultivating the true contemplation, it perfumes and extinguishes ignorance, causing the true to accord with its origin and remain constantly quiescent and unmoving; contemplating dharmas as originally purely true without delusion is the true contemplation. How is there perfuming to transform in the ādāna-consciousness? Analytically, there are two: First, hearing talks of non-self within the six consciousnesses, one gives rise to [wisdom derived from] hearing, reflection, and cultivation, perfuming the fundamental consciousness and forming seeds of non-self. By the power of these seeds, it perfumes the ādāna so that its grasping of self gradually wanes and the understanding of non-self arises. Second, hearing talks within the six consciousnesses that the Buddha-nature is the permanently abiding true self, impartial through past and present, of a single flavor as tathatā, one gives rise to hearing, reflection, and cultivation, perfuming the fundamental consciousness and destroying the ground of ignorance. Because ignorance is destroyed, the fundamental consciousness does not come to be. Because the foundation does not come to be, seeds are not established. Because seeds are not established, the clinging consciousness does not arise. Because clinging does not arise, the understanding of non-self is extinguished. The former departure from grasping of self is called eliminating the affliction obstacle in the sūtras; the latter departure from non-self is called removing the cognitive obstacle. How is there perfuming to transform within the six consciousnesses? Analytically, there are three: First, cultivating good and creating evil within the six consciousnesses perfumes the fundamental consciousness, forming seeds of good and evil. Once these seeds are formed, they perfume and produce the six consciousnesses with good and evil being unfixed. When evil seeds perfume and arise, evil increases and good decreases, as in a person whose roots of good are severed; when good seeds perfume and arise, good increases and evil decreases, as in a person in whom good is born. Second, cultivating the contemplation of emptiness within the six consciousnesses, contemplating the non-self of persons and the non-self of dharmas, perfumes the fundamental consciousness and forms seeds of understanding. Once these seeds are formed, they destroy the seeds of the view of existence within the fundamental consciousness. Because the seeds of existence are destroyed, the produced six consciousnesses do not give rise to the view of existence. Because the view of existence ceases, delimited [transmigration] gradually diminishes. Third, cultivating the true contemplation within the six consciousnesses, contemplating dharmas as originally purely true without delusion, enables deluded dharmas to arise no more, and further perfumes the fundamental consciousness to destroy the ground of ignorance. Because ignorance is destroyed, the fundamental consciousness does not come to be; because the foundation does not come to be, the seeds of the six consciousnesses have nowhere to stand; because seeds are not established, the six consciousnesses do not arise within delimited [transmigration]; because the six do not arise, the contemplation of emptiness is also extinguished; because the contemplation of emptiness is extinguished, transformational [transmigration] is completely brought to an end; the point where transformational [transmigration] ends is called attaining nirvāṇa. Such is perfuming to transform. Next, the constitution through perfuming is distinguished. Perfuming so as to constitute seeds is called 'constitution.' In this section, only the fundamental consciousness receives perfuming to constitute seeds, while the others receive none at all. Why is this? There are seven explanations: First, because the fundamental consciousness is the basis of conditioned arising, it can gather and can disperse, and can receive the perfuming of all dharmas. Gathering and accumulating to constitute seeds is called being able to gather; dispersing and producing all dharmas is called being able to disperse. The other consciousnesses are not so, and therefore do not receive [perfuming]. Second, because the fundamental consciousness is the source of all consciousnesses, transforming into the various consciousnesses; within the various consciousnesses, cultivating good and creating evil are all its function, gathering everything back to the origin; hence the fundamental consciousness receives the perfuming of all dharmas, accumulating to constitute seeds. The others are not so, and therefore do not receive [perfuming]. Third, the fundamental consciousness possesses both dharmas of light and darkness: the true mind is light, and ignorance is darkness. Darkness can receive defilement, increasing birth and death; light can receive purity, heading toward nirvāṇa; therefore it universally receives perfuming. The other consciousnesses are not like this, and therefore do not receive [perfuming]. Fourth, the fundamental consciousness intimately contains the true substance, firm and hard to destroy, its power able to sustain all karmic fruits; therefore it receives all defiled, pure, and other perfumings, gathering them to constitute seeds and employing them to receive fruits; the others are not like this, and for this reason do not receive [perfuming]. Fifth, the fundamental consciousness is subtle and subtly permeates all dharmas, arising and ceasing together with all dharmas, viewed in the sense of being companions; therefore it can universally receive the perfuming of all dharmas. The other consciousnesses are not so, and therefore do not receive [perfuming]. Sixth, the fundamental consciousness is without intentional focus, having no distinct memory regarding good, evil, and the like. Because it has no distinct memories, these dharmas and those do not obstruct one another; therefore it can universally receive the perfuming of all dharmas, gathering and accumulating to constitute seeds. The other consciousnesses have distinct memories, mutually obstructing one another, and therefore do not universally receive the perfuming of all dharmas. Seventh, the fundamental consciousness is of the nature of mental consciousness and knowing; mind naturally receives and retains with respect to dharmas. Receiving distinctly is being able to accept; remembering is being able to maintain. Therefore, within the fundamental consciousness, it universally receives all dharmas, maintaining them so that they are not lost. Other dharmas that are not mental cannot do so, and therefore do not receive perfuming. Among the seven, the first six distinguish it from the other consciousnesses, and the last one distinguishes it from insentient things. Such is constitution through perfuming. The meaning of perfuming is difficult, and even an analogy is merely approximate.