八識規矩補註 1.16

1.16

This states that the eye and ear consciousnesses apprehend objects in separation, whereas the three of nose, tongue, and body apprehend objects in contact. 'Observe' designates the apprehending darśanabhāga, namely the five consciousnesses such as the eye and their mental factors. 'Sensory world' is the apprehended nimittabhāga, namely the five dusts such as visible form. Some might ask: if the two consciousnesses of eye and ear apprehend objects in separation, then the objects are outside the mind, so how can this be vijñaptimātra, especially since the Hīnayāna and others all claim that real phenomena exist outside the mind? If so, not only would this contradict the vijñaptimātra tenet, but how would it not also conform to those non-Buddhist and Hīnayāna systems? However, when the verse speaks of 'separation', it refers to the sense-base and the object. For the eighth [consciousness's] svasaṃvittibhāga transforms into the two divisions of darśana and nimitta: darśana is the phenomena of mind and mental factors, and nimitta is the phenomena of sense-bases, body, and the receptacle world. When it says here that the eye and ear consciousnesses apprehend objects separate from the sense-bases, how could they ever be separate from the substance of the svasaṃvittibhāga that transforms them? If one distinguishes them by knowing the location versus not knowing the location, or by injuring the sense-base versus not injuring the sense-base, then the separation and contact of the object with the sense-base can be seen. Therefore it is said: speaking of separation and contact is based on the sense-base illuminating the object; discussing vijñaptimātra is based on the mind cognizing the object. Because apprehending in separation has superior function, it is established as common [to the two].