八識規矩補註 1.14

1.14

This refers to the meaning of consciousness arising through nine conditions. As for the nine conditions, they are: space, light, sense-base, sense-object, attention, discrimination-basis, defilement-and-purity basis, root-basis, and seed. 'Space' refers to the empty gap between the sense-base and the sense-object; 'light' refers to the illumination of the sun, moon, and lamps; 'sense-base' refers to the bases on which the eight consciousnesses rely; 'sense-object' refers to the objects cognitive of by the eight consciousnesses; 'attention' is attention among the five omnipresent [factors]; 'discrimination-basis' is the sixth consciousness. (The first five consciousnesses take the sixth as their discrimination-basis, while the sixth consciousness takes the first five as its gateway of clear manifestation.) The 'defilement-and-purity basis' is the seventh consciousness. (The *Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra* states that the consciousnesses have two kinds of arising, abiding, and ceasing: the arising, abiding, and ceasing of the continuous flow, and the arising, abiding, and ceasing of phenomenal marks. In Sanskrit it is *nigraha* (niga?), translated here as uninterrupted continuous flow, which exclusively designates the eighth [consciousness], whose three characteristics are subtle and hidden, with seeds and actual states uninterrupted; hence it is named 'continuous flow'. Because the karmic consciousness initially arises through ignorance as a condition, it is called 'arising'; continuing for long eons, it is called 'abiding'; reaching the vajra-like samādhi at equal awakening, cutting off fundamental ignorance in a single thought-moment is called 'ceasing of the continuous flow'. As for the 'arising, abiding, and ceasing of phenomenal marks': the mental states and objects of the other seven consciousnesses are coarse and apparent, hence they are called 'phenomenal marks'. Although the seventh cognizing the eighth is subtle compared to the sixth, because it possesses the four afflictions, it is also called coarse. Relying on that manifesting consciousness, its own seeds and various objects concur to give rise to the seven consciousnesses, which is 'arising of phenomenal marks'; perfuming through long eons is called 'abiding of phenomenal marks'; progressing from the branches back toward the root, gradually subduing and then eliminating [them], reaching the fulfillment of the seventh stage, is called 'ceasing of phenomenal marks'. Relying on the former arising and ceasing, the basis of delusion and awakening is established; relying on the latter arising and ceasing, the basis of defilement and purity is established. The former is long and the latter is short, the affairs dividing into two distinct types; establishing defilement and purity is this.) The 'root-basis' is the eighth consciousness; the 'seed-condition' refers to the directly productive seed. Among the nine conditions, the seed-condition is the direct cause-condition among the four conditions; the object-condition among the nine is the cognitive-object-condition among the four; the remaining seven of the nine are the augmentative conditions and the equal-and-immediate condition, which are the main minds and mental factors of the eight consciousnesses, where the ceasing and arising before and after are uninterrupted within their own category, their capacity to induce and to be induced being equal. Although this verse cryptically abbreviates it, Vijñaptimātra encompasses it, so the verse says: 'The eye consciousness arises from nine conditions; the ear consciousness follows only eight (excluding the light condition); nose, tongue, and body, these three, have seven (excluding the two conditions of space and light); the latter three (referring to the sixth, seventh, and eighth consciousnesses) have five, three, and four (referring to conditions).' If one adds the equal-and-immediate condition, each increases by one from the start. That which says 'five, three, and four': the sixth consciousness arises from five conditions, namely the sense-base condition, which is the mental sense-base; the sense-object condition, which is the eighteen realms; the attention condition, which is one among the five corresponding omnipresent [factors]; the root condition, which is the ālaya; and the seed condition, which is the directly productive seed of the sixth consciousness. The three conditions of the seventh consciousness are: the seed condition, which is the directly productive seed of the seventh consciousness; the attention condition (see the note above); while the sense-base condition and the sense-object condition are both the eighth consciousness, hence it is said, 'depending on it, it revolves; cognizing it, it takes it as object'. The eighth consciousness arising from four conditions means: the sense-base condition, which is the manas; the sense-object condition, which is seeds, sense-organ-endowed body, and the receptacle world; the attention condition, which is one among the five [omnipresent] mental factors; and the seed condition, which is the directly productive seed of the eighth consciousness. As for the equal-and-immediate condition, it is where the preceding thought-moment of each consciousness has already ceased, thereby opening up a space and inducing the succeeding thought-moment to arise without any interval. If the eight consciousnesses add this condition, the eye has ten, up to the eighth which possesses five. Why do the various consciousnesses arise only by relying on conditions? Because conditioned phenomena depend on causes and rely on conditions; lacking them, they do not arise. Therefore, where conditions are many, interruption is frequent; where they are few, they are constant. This verse alludes to and abbreviates the latter three, hence the three are not explicitly said to possess conditions.