宗鏡錄 53.32

53.32

答。以依眼等五種。解釋。道理。成就。非於色等。何以故。眼中之識。故名眼識。依眼處所。識得生故。又由有眼。識得有故。所以者何。若有眼根識定生。不盲暝者。乃至闇中亦能見故。不由有色眼識定生。以盲暝者。不能見故。又眼所發識。故名眼識。由眼變異。識亦變異。色雖無變。識有變故。如迦末羅病。損壞眼根。於青等色。皆見為黃。又屬眼之識。故名眼識。由識種子。隨逐於眼而得生故。又助眼之識。故名眼識。作彼損益故。所以者何。由根合識。有所領受。令根損益。非境界故。又如眼之識。故名眼識。俱有情數之所攝故。色則不爾。不決定故。眼識既然。餘識亦爾。

Answer: Because the explanation, reason, and establishment are based on the five [faculties], such as the eye, and not on form and so forth. Why is that? The consciousness within the eye is called eye consciousness because consciousness can arise relying upon the base of the eye. Moreover, because the eye exists, consciousness can exist. Why is this? If the eye faculty exists, consciousness necessarily arises, since those who are not blind can see even in the dark; it is not that eye consciousness necessarily arises because form exists, since those who are blind cannot see. Moreover, the consciousness produced by the eye is called eye consciousness because when the eye undergoes modification, consciousness also undergoes modification; even though form does not change, consciousness changes—just as with jaundice (kāmalā), which impairs the eye faculty so that all forms such as blue are seen as yellow. Moreover, the consciousness belonging to the eye is called eye consciousness because the seeds (bīja) of consciousness arise following along with the eye. Moreover, the consciousness that assists the eye is called eye consciousness because it causes benefit or harm to it. Why is this? Because when the faculty unites with consciousness, there is feeling (vedanā) which causes benefit or harm to the faculty, not to the objective sphere. Moreover, the consciousness that is like the eye is called eye consciousness because both are subsumed under the sentient realm; form is not like this, because it is not determinate. Just as this is so for the eye consciousness, the other consciousnesses are also like this.