宗鏡錄 69.27

69.27

答。謂眼曾現見色。及此種了積集異熟。阿賴耶識。是眼界相。眼曾見色者。謂能持過去識受用義。以顯界性。現見色者。謂能持現在識受用義。以顯界性。及此種子積集異熟阿賴耶識者。謂眼種子。或唯積集。為。引當來眼根故。或已成熟。為。生現在眼根故。此二種名眼界者。眼生因故。如眼界相。耳鼻舌身意界相。亦爾。

Answer: It means that the eye has seen form in the past and presently sees form, and that the seeds of this are accumulated in the maturation ālayavijñāna: this is the characteristic of the eye element. "The eye has seen form in the past" refers to being able to uphold the meaning of past enjoyment by consciousness, in order to manifest the nature of the element. "Presently sees form" refers to being able to uphold the meaning of present enjoyment by consciousness, in order to manifest the nature of the element. "And that the seeds of this are accumulated in the maturation ālayavijñāna" means that the eye-seeds are either merely accumulated in order to induce the future eye faculty, or have already matured in order to produce the present eye faculty. These two kinds are called the eye element because they are the causes for the arising of the eye. As with the characteristic of the eye element, the characteristics of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mental elements are also like this.