宗鏡錄 50.19

50.19

答。論云。然依親生此識種子。由業所引功能差別。住時決定。假立命根。釋云。言此者。簡親生餘識種子。言識者。簡相應法種。唯取識故。言種者。簡現行。不取第八現。行為命根故。彼所簡者。非皆命根。今取親生之名言種上。由先世業所引持身差別功能。令色心等住時決定。依此功能。說為命根。非取生現行識義。以此種子為業力故。有持一報之身功能差別。令得決定。若此種子無此功能。身便爛壞。阿賴耶識現行。由此種故。能緣。及任持於眼等法。亦名能持。此種正能持於現行之識。若不爾者。現行之識應不得有。及無能持餘根等法。由此功能故。識持於身。現行內種力故。生。及緣持法。不名命根。非根本故。由種生故。此種不由現行有故。種為諸法之根本故。又現行識是所持故。從所持說。能持種識。名命根。命根之法持體。非命根。今六處住時決定故。故種子為命根。餘現行色心等非命根。不恒續故。非業所引故。然業正牽時。唯牽此種子。種子方能造生現行。非謂現行名命根故。唯種是根。又夫命根者。依心假立。命為能依。心為所依。生法師云。焚薪之火。旋之成輪。輪必攬火而成照。情亦如之。必資心成用也。命之依心。如情之依心矣。

Answer: The treatise says: "However, based on the seeds that directly produce this consciousness, through the differentiated capacity induced by karma, whose duration of abiding is determinate, the life-faculty is nominally established." The commentary explains: "Saying 'this' excludes seeds that directly produce other consciousnesses. Saying 'consciousness' excludes seeds of associated dharmas, because only consciousness is taken. Saying 'seeds' excludes active manifestation, because the active manifestation of the eighth [consciousness] is not taken as the life-faculty. What are thus excluded are not all the life-faculty. Here, taking the nominal seeds that directly produce [it], upon which the differentiated capacity to sustain the body—induced by karma of prior lives—determines the duration of abiding of matter, mind, and so forth: based on this capacity, it is designated as the life-faculty, not by taking the sense of producing the actively functioning consciousness. Because this seed is driven by karmic force, it possesses a differentiated capacity to sustain the body of a single retribution, causing it to be determinate. If this seed lacked this capacity, the body would immediately rot and decay. The active manifestation of the ālayavijñāna, due to this seed, is able to take objects and to maintain dharmas such as the eyes; it is also called 'able to sustain'. This seed directly sustains the actively functioning consciousness. Were it not so, the actively functioning consciousness could not exist, and there would be nothing able to sustain dharmas such as the remaining faculties. Due to this capacity, consciousness sustains the body. Through the power of the internal seeds of active manifestation, the dharmas of arising, taking objects, and sustaining are not called the life-faculty, because they are not fundamental; they arise from seeds, whereas this seed does not exist by depending on active manifestation, for seeds are the root of all dharmas. Furthermore, the actively functioning consciousness is that which is sustained; spoken of from the perspective of what is sustained, the conscious seed that is able to sustain is called the life-faculty. The dharmas that are the life-faculty sustain the substance, but are not [themselves] the life-faculty. Now, because the duration of abiding of the six bases is determinate, seeds are the life-faculty. The remaining actively functioning matter, mind, and so forth are not the life-faculty, because they are not continuous and are not induced by karma. When karma directly impels, it impels only this seed; only then can the seed generate and produce active manifestation. It is not that active manifestation is called the life-faculty; therefore, only the seed is the faculty. Furthermore, the life-faculty is nominally established based on mind; life is that which relies, and mind is that upon which it relies. Master Sengzhao said: 'The fire that burns firewood, when swung around, forms a circle; the circle necessarily gathers the fire to produce illumination. Sentience is also like this; it necessarily relies on mind to accomplish its function.' Life's reliance on mind is just like sentience's reliance on mind."