大乘法苑義林章 4.13

4.13

Second, identifying the essential nature [of nutriment]. Fascicle sixty-six [of the Yogācārabhūmi] states: 'Material nutriment should be said to be subsumed under the bases of odor, taste, and tangibles.' The Cheng weishi lun states: 'It refers to the three—odor, taste, and tangibles—bound to the desire realm.' This statement is intended to show that only the three—odor, taste, and tangibles bound to the desire realm—which provide nourishment when undergoing transformation and disintegration, are called nutriment, and not all [tangibles etc.] below, nor the tangibles and so forth above. Fascicle ninety-four states: 'All sāsrava contact can serve as nutriment for joy and pleasure.' The Weishi also states: 'It refers to sāsrava contact that, when apprehending an object in general, takes in joy, pleasure, and beneficial equanimity, thus capable of performing the function of nutriment.' This statement is intended to show that contact associated with the eight sāsrava consciousnesses across the three realms, when taking in and benefiting joy, pleasure, and beneficial equanimity, and thereby benefiting the body, is the essential nature of contact-nutriment. If it induces suffering, grief, and non-beneficial equanimity, the essence of contact is not nutriment, because it does not provide nourishment or benefit. Therefore, the Weishi states: 'Although this contact is associated with all consciousnesses, the meaning of nutriment is especially prominent in those belonging to the six consciousnesses.' This clearly reveals that contact-nutriment applies to that associated with the eight consciousnesses, and implicitly harmonizes with Vasubandhu's Mahāyānasaṃgraha-bhāṣya, fascicle three, which says: 'Here, contact-nutriment belongs to the six consciousness-bodies; by contacting coarse and conspicuous objects, its nourishment is superior, and thus it does not take other contacts.'

There is an opinion: Only contact associated with the six consciousnesses is taken as the essential nature of nutriment. Although contact in the treatise generally operates in association with the eight consciousnesses, that which constitutes the essential nature of nutriment is only associated with the six consciousnesses, because contact associated with the seventh and eighth entirely lacks the ability to induce the two feelings of joy and pleasure, as well as beneficial equanimity; and the equanimity associated with the eighth has identical cognitive aspects in all stages and times. The previous explanation is incorrect. It is not required that contact must induce joy, pleasure, and other feelings that arise simultaneously with itself to be called nutriment; whenever it induces joy and so forth associated with other consciousnesses to arise and benefit the body, it is entirely [nutriment]. Because contact of the eighth [consciousness] and so on excels in its own object and induces simultaneous joy and so forth in the six consciousnesses, it is also nutriment. However, based on the various texts, the second explanation is superior, as they merely state that taking in and benefiting joy and so forth is nutriment, not the seventh or eighth.

The Cheng weishi lun states: 'Volition-nutriment refers to sāsrava volition operating together with desire.' It also states: 'Although this volition is associated with all consciousnesses, the meaning of nutriment is especially prominent in that belonging to the mental consciousness.' This intent precisely shows that volition associated with the eight sāsrava consciousnesses across the three realms, when desiring a desirable object and benefiting the body, is entirely the essential nature of volition-nutriment. This implicitly harmonizes with fascicle fifty-seven and Vasubandhu's Mahāyānasaṃgraha-bhāṣya, which say: 'Taking a future object as its condition and benefiting consciousness is called volition-nutriment, because the mind's volition has superior hope toward the object.' For this reason, fascicle ninety-four states: 'If it is volition capable of encountering an object on the mental ground, it is called volition encountering through the mind, which can serve as nutriment for all focused longing toward desirable objects.'

There is another opinion: All sāsrava volition associated with the six consciousnesses that longs for an object and benefits the body constitutes the essential nature of volition-nutriment. The seventh and eighth are not so, because they lack this cognitive aspect. The various texts only say that what is associated with the mind-ground conditions the future because it is the most prominent. Because there is also volition that longs for a present object, it is permitted to apply to the five consciousnesses. When the Weishi speaks of association with all consciousnesses, it clarifies the essential nature of volition being conjoined, while nutriment belongs only to the six.

There is an opinion: Volition-nutriment is conjoined only with the sixth, because the various texts only speak of conditioning the future. The five consciousnesses condition the present through the strengthening power of contact, not volition-nutriment. The Weishi states that 'the essence of volition applies to all consciousnesses, but that which accomplishes the meaning of nutriment is conjoined only with the sixth.' Therefore Vasubandhu said: 'Volition-nutriment is that which can hope; through hope, it benefits its basis. Just as seeing water from afar prevents dying of thirst because the mind hopes using the eye as a gateway, it is not that the five consciousnesses have hope for the future.'

Although there are these three interpretations, the second interpretation is superior. The five consciousnesses possess subtle volition toward objects, which can have longing. Otherwise, the five consciousnesses would not be associated with desire. Following this, the third [interpretation] agrees with the Weishi's position that does not accept the non-standard doctrine that the specific-state [mental factors] are conjoined with the five. Therefore, we know that the correct one is the second master's superior view.

The Cheng weishi lun states: 'Consciousness-nutriment refers to sāsrava consciousness. Although this consciousness generally applies to the intrinsic nature of all consciousnesses, the meaning of nutriment is especially prominent in the eighth consciousness.' This shows that consciousness-nutriment takes the eight sāsrava consciousnesses throughout the three realms, but that which properly is capable of appropriating is only the eighth consciousness, because of its superior maintenance in a uniform continuity. Both the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and Weishi take the eighth, though it actually applies to the eight consciousnesses. However, the Yogācārabhūmi and other texts merely speak generally of consciousness, without specifically calling it the eighth, because only the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and Weishi take the eighth. Although it is known that all eight consciousnesses can be called nutriment, not all consciousnesses establish the name of nutriment; the entire eighth consciousness in the sāsrava state is taken because it perpetually maintains. Fascicle fifty-seven says: 'Because the three nourish consciousness, and consciousness in turn nourishes the sense faculties and primary elements, it is established as nutriment.' Therefore, we know that any consciousness that does not provide nourishment is not subsumed under nutriment, just like contact, volition, and the rest. Only in the third section below, when distinguishing the characteristics through the fourfold analysis, should this be understood. However, the seventh consciousness is sāsrava; all [such aspects] are because it serves as the simultaneous support for the basic consciousness and can maintain it. That is, the seventh and eighth in their entirety and a small portion of the six consciousnesses [are nutriment], or the seventh is excluded because it does not provide nourishment.

Because of this, the third fascicle of the Abhidharmasamuccaya states: 'It is subsumed under a portion of three aggregates, five bases, and eleven dhatus. Material nutriment is the aggregate of matter; volition and contact are the aggregate of formations; the eight consciousnesses are the aggregate of consciousness. The five bases are the three—odor, taste, and tangibles—and the two bases of dharmas and mind. The eleven dhatus are odor, taste, tangibles, dharmas, and the seven mind dhatus. The four anāsrava ones are excluded, because they do not provide benefit. The phrase "a portion" means that not all of the three—odor, taste, and tangibles—are the essential nature of nutriment, because they do not [all] provide nourishment.' Fascicle fifty-seven states: 'That which can nourish is called nutriment; that which is contrary to this is not nutriment.' As it is for material nutriment, so it is for the other nutriments.