法界圖記叢髓錄 2.5

2.5

The Tanxuan [ji] states: In the second section, "Fully Endowed with All Sufferings," there are three parts: first, revealing the characteristics of the twelve links; second, from "as such" downward, concluding the mass of suffering; third, from "herein" downward, clarifying the emptiness of the substance of conditions and revealing that existence is an inversion. In the treatise, within the preceding first section, the first three links are combined into one division; second, from "in the three realms" downward, the latter nine links are analyzed. Therein, the author of the treatise divides them into three characteristics: first, the individual characteristic; second, the identical characteristic; third, the inverted characteristic. The explanation has two approaches: first, in terms of temporal stages; second, in terms of corresponding meaning. In the former, regarding the "individual characteristic": this clarifies the substance and state of the present causes and conditions. Second, regarding the "identical characteristic": this means that future causes and conditions are identical to the present. In terms of principle, the present also has birth, old age, and so forth, and the future also has consciousness, name-and-form, and so forth; but here, by temporal stages and distinct characteristics, two characteristics are established. Third, regarding the "inverted [characteristic]": this shows that the substance of conditions is truly empty, and shows that grasping existence is an inversion. In the second [approach], in terms of corresponding meaning: first, in terms of the subtle modes of activity arising from causes, this is the individual characteristic of pratītyasamutpāda; second, in terms of the characteristic of fruit, it directly demonstrates the faults and afflictions of pratītyasamutpāda, which universally pervade the fruit stage, hence called the identical characteristic; third, conditions are truly without self, and falsely grasping them is inversion. Question: Within the identical characteristic, the two links are entirely fruits and entirely manifest activities; are the seven links of the individual characteristic manifest fruits or causal seeds? If so, what fault is there? Both entail faults. If one takes them to be causal seeds, one should not say "sprouts emerge in the soil of the three realms"; if one takes them to be manifest fruits, then the first four are not different from birth, etc., and the latter three are furthermore not subsumed under the produced fruits. Answer: These are all at the stage of manifest born fruits, but are referred to by their causal names in order to show their individual characteristics. Within the seven links of the individual characteristic, the treatise divides them into three: First, the retribution characteristic, where name-and-form are born together with the ālaya-vijñāna: within the link of name-and-form, there is an interpretation that it universally subsumes all nominal seeds. The ālaya is the consciousness link, which generally has three meanings: First, according to fascicle 4 of the Samuccaya, taking karmic seeds as the consciousness link, it belongs to the seeds of consciousness that can lead, being subsumed under the link of name. Therefore, the reason the first three links in this text are explained together in one place is that all are "that which can lead." Second, taking the seeds of the fundamental consciousness as the consciousness link: therefore, here the seeds of consciousness and seeds of name-and-form and so forth, by the power of defilement and karma to lead and moisten, give rise to these seeds, causing them to produce the fruit of suffering. Third, the active eighth consciousness is also the consciousness link; therefore, regarding the characteristic of the cause here, it is said that name-and-form are not separate from the fundamental consciousness. That is to say, after this name-and-form born together with consciousness has arisen, it relies on the active eighth consciousness, and because it is held and maintained by it, it is called the characteristic of the cause. In truth, the five seeds here—consciousness and the rest—are born simultaneously through the preceding perfuming; it is only based on the sequence of stages in their future manifest arising that they are described as prior and posterior; therefore, it is called the sequential characteristics of its fruits. Although craving, grasping, and existence are not what is produced, yet at the time of actual birth they fully possess these; thus the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi says that producing and leading are simultaneous; this is the meaning (and so forth). This clarifies that the fundamental consciousness harmonizing with that which relies on it is called the retribution characteristic. Second, it manifests that that which relies on it lacks self-substance with respect to that on which it relies, so this consciousness is called the characteristic of the cause. Third, the characteristics of that which relies on it are exhausted, and only that on which it relies evolves; evolving into that stage is called the fruit, and it is also through the fundamental consciousness evolving that this fruit is formed; therefore, the other characteristics are gradually eliminated until all are exhausted, and only consciousness remains. The above is according to the initial teaching. If according to the final teaching, then this fundamental consciousness is the tathāgatagarbha: initially it harmonizes with defilement; next, defiled phenomena rely on the real; finally, defilement is not different from the real, so only the real evolves. From "conditions as such" downward, it concludes the mass of suffering. From "herein without self" downward, it shows the inverted characteristic. All are as explained in the treatise.