八識規矩補註 2.32

2.32

Furthermore, the sūtra states that for one who abides in the cessation attainment, the activities of body, speech, and mind are all ceased without exception, yet life span and warmth still remain, the sense faculties are not damaged, and consciousness does not depart from the body; if this consciousness did not exist, the consciousness not departing from the body for one who abides in the cessation attainment could not exist. That is to say, the mental modes of the eye and other consciousnesses are coarse and active; when arising with respect to their cognitive objects they inevitably toil and worry; weary of them, one temporarily seeks their resting, gradually suppressing and eliminating them until they are entirely exhausted; based on this stage, one who abides in the cessation attainment is established; therefore, in this attainment, those consciousnesses are all ceased; if one does not accept that there is a subtle, uniform consciousness that constantly and pervasively holds life span, warmth, and so forth, based on what could it be said that "consciousness does not depart from the body"? If there were completely no consciousness, one would be the same as tiles and stones, merely insentient. By this reasoning, one who abides in the cessation attainment definitely has consciousness; stages such as non-conception should be understood as analogous to this: this explains the meaning of the three characters "mind of the cessation attainment" (mie ding xin). Furthermore, the sūtra states that because the mind is defiled, sentient beings are defiled; because the mind is pure, sentient beings are pure; if this consciousness did not exist, that defiled and pure mind could not exist. This is because defiled and pure phenomena take the mind as their root, arise because of the mind, and abide depending on the mind. This explains the three characters "defilement and purity of mind" (xin ran jing)—for the character "mind" (xin) applies both above and below. (This briefly cites the text of the Cheng weishi lun; for those wishing to have the doctrine clarified in detail, please read fascicles three and four of the treatise.) It also says that the lines of reasoning proving the existence of this consciousness are boundless; looking at this statement, how could there be only ten meanings? The Yogācārabhūmi also has eight meanings proving the existence of this consciousness, which are not cited for fear of prolixity. The citation and explanation of the verse on the ten proofs is concluded above. Because the Hīnayāna does not believe in this eighth consciousness, the treatise master Dharmapāla earnestly instructed and repeatedly argued; thus the verse says, "Due to this, disputes can arise among treatise masters"—this is it!