摩訶止觀 5.228

5.228

若心自生者，前念為根，後念為識；為從根生心？為從識生心？若根能生識，根為有識故生識？根為無識故生識？根若有識，根識則並，又無能生、所生。根若無識而能生識，諸無識物不能生識，根既無識，何能生識？根雖無識而有識性，故能生識者，此之識性是有？是無？有已是識，並在於根，何謂為性？根無識性，不能生識。又識性與識，為一、為異？若一，性即是識，無能、無所；若異，還是他生，非心自生。如是推求，畢竟知心不從自生。若言心不自生，塵來發心故有心生。引經云：「有緣思生，無緣思不生。」若爾，塵在意外，來發內識，則心由他生。

If it is generated from the mind itself, the prior thought-moment is the faculty, and the subsequent thought-moment is consciousness: does the mind arise from the faculty, or does the mind arise from consciousness? If the faculty can generate consciousness, does the faculty generate consciousness because it possesses consciousness, or does the faculty generate consciousness because it lacks consciousness? If the faculty possesses consciousness, then faculty and consciousness exist side by side, and furthermore there is neither generator nor generated. If the faculty lacks consciousness yet can generate consciousness, all non-conscious things cannot generate consciousness; since the faculty lacks consciousness, how could it generate consciousness? If one says that although the faculty lacks consciousness it possesses the nature of consciousness and therefore can generate consciousness: is this nature of consciousness existent, or is it nonexistent? If it is existent, it is already consciousness, existing side by side in the faculty—how could it be called "nature"? If the faculty lacks the nature of consciousness, it cannot generate consciousness. Furthermore, are the nature of consciousness and consciousness identical or different? If identical, the nature is consciousness itself, and there is neither generator nor generated; if different, it is still generation from other, not the mind generating itself. Investigating in this manner, one ultimately knows that mind does not arise from itself. If one says that mind does not arise from itself, but that an object comes to stimulate the mind and therefore mind arises, one cites the sūtra: "With conditions, thoughts arise; without conditions, thoughts do not arise." If so, the object is outside the mind and comes to stimulate the internal consciousness, so mind is generated from other.