宗鏡錄 73.19

73.19

答。大乘說能記憶法。有三。一自證分。能記憶見分。二別境中念。能記憶曾所更事。三識中種子。能不妄生自現行。唯識疏云。如不曾更境。必不能憶。如現行色。曾被見分緣者。後必能憶。若不曾為相分緣者。後時必不能記憶也。以能緣見分。於過去時及現在世。但緣相分。不曾自緣。前已滅心。既過去已。今時見分有何所以。能自憶持。以於昔時。不曾返緣自見分故。既許今時心心所法。能自記憶。明由昔時有自證分。緣於見分。證彼緣境。作量果故。故今能憶。

Answer: The Mahāyāna says there are three dharmas capable of memory: 1. The svasaṃvittibhāga (self-awareness part), which can remember the darśanabhāga; 2. Smṛti among the object-determining mental factors, which can remember things previously experienced; 3. The seeds within the consciousness, which can unerringly generate their own actual activity. The Commentary on Vijñaptimātra says: 'If an object was never experienced, one certainly cannot remember it. For example, actualized form that was once cognized by the darśanabhāga can certainly be remembered later; if it was never cognized as a nimittabhāga, it certainly cannot be remembered at a later time. Because the cognizing darśanabhāga, in past times and in the present lifetime, only cognized the nimittabhāga and never cognized itself, and since the previous citta that has ceased is already past, by what means could the present darśanabhāga remember it of itself? Because in past times it never turned back to cognize its own darśanabhāga. Since it is granted that the present citta and caitta dharmas can remember of themselves, it is clear that this is because in past times there was the svasaṃvittibhāga, which cognized the darśanabhāga and verified that cognized object, serving as the pramāṇaphala (fruit of cognition); therefore, one is now able to remember.'