宗鏡錄 76.9

76.9

答。古釋。習氣自體。總有三義。習氣者。與種子名異體同。習氣。即約熏習時而論。種子。即對現行立號。都有三義。一種子名習氣。氣者氣分。習謂熏習。由彼現行熏習。得此氣分故。二現行亦名習氣。謂都由種子能生現行。是種子家之氣分。三習氣名習氣。如裹香紙。而有氣分。唯識論云。而熏本識起自功能。即此功能說為習氣。功能者。是習氣義。體。即種子。略有三種習氣。一名言習氣。二我執習氣。三有支習氣。一名言習氣。謂有為法各別親種。名言有二。一表義名言。即能詮義音聲差別。二顯境名言。即能了境心心所法。隨二名言。所熏成種。作有為法。各別因緣。二我執習氣。謂虛妄執我我所種。我執有二一。俱生我執。即修所斷我我所執。二分別我執。即見所斷我我所執。隨二我執。所熏成種。今有情等。自他差別。三有支習氣。謂招三界異熟業種。有支有二。一有漏善。即是能招可愛果業。二諸不善。即是能招非愛果業。隨二有支。所熏成種。令異熟果。善惡趣別。應知我執有支習氣。於差別果。是增上緣。前云生死因業習氣者。應知即是有支習氣。二取習氣。應知即是我執名言二種習氣。取我我所。及取名言。而熏成故。皆說名取。釋云。表義名言者。唯第六識。能緣其名。能發其名。餘皆不緣。亦不能發。即唯詮義音聲之差別。簡非詮表聲。彼非名言故。名唯無記。然名是聲上屈曲差別。唯無記性。不能熏成色心等種。然因名故。心隨其名。變似五蘊三性法等。而熏成等種。因名起種。號名言種。一切熏種。皆由心心所。心心所種。有因外緣。有不依外者。不依外者。名顯境名言。若依外者。名表義名言。分二別。然名自體。不能熏種。顯境名言者。即能了境心心所法。即是一切七識見分等心。非相分心。不能顯境故。是以分段生死。從正使有。即是凡夫。若變易生死。從習氣生。即是二乘。雖斷正使。不斷習氣。於中有二。一煩惱習氣。二業習氣。一煩惱習氣者。如難陀有欲習。往昔數生。身為國王。習近五欲故。舍利弗有嗔習。往昔數生。曾受蝎身。畢陵伽婆蹉有慢習。往昔數生。身是大婆羅門。博學多才。我慢輕物。乃至槃特比丘。有癡餘習等。二業習氣者。如牛呞比丘。往昔是牛身。林間奔走。觸著遺棄故破袈裟。以是因緣。雖獲道果。以業習故。使之然也。又如迦葉聞琴起舞。阿難常好歌吟。俱以往昔曾為樂人。以業習之餘故。若煩惱餘習。是變易緣。有業餘習。是變易因。感變易生死。即是果報。此二乘人。未得如來一心三點涅槃。於無學位。雖見修惑盡。所有無知。皆是無明之餘習。亦名無明住地。亦名所知之障。亦名塵沙無知。又菩薩約化門有十種習氣。華嚴經離世間品云。佛子。菩薩摩訶薩。有十種習氣。何等為十。所謂菩提心習氣。善根習氣。教化眾生習氣。見佛習氣。於清淨世界受生習氣。行習氣。願習氣。波羅蜜習氣。思惟平等法習氣。種種境界差別習氣。是為十。若諸菩薩安住此法。則永離一切煩惱習氣。得如來大智習氣。非習氣智。故知染淨二業。昇沈兩門。皆從熏習而生。不是無因而得。應須勤修白業。淨法時熏。念念功夫。自成妙果。所以一一眾生八識藏中。各具十法界種子。本自具足。非從新生。雖常內熏。須假外緣熏發。若聞十惡。熏發三塗種子。若聞戒善。熏發人天種子。若聞諦緣。熏發二乘種子。若聞六度。熏發菩薩種子。若聞一乘。熏發諸佛種子。各隨習熟濃厚處先發。如今多習三塗種子。人天尚少。豈況佛乘。然地獄界現行時。佛種子亦不沒。只是轉更賒遠。如今既在人天。直須努力。常親知識。樂聽一乘。內外資熏。一生取辦。故佛誡羅睺羅頌云。十方無量諸眾生。念念已證善逝果。彼既丈夫我亦爾。何得自輕而退屈。

Answer: Ancient commentaries explain that the intrinsic essence of impression (vāsanā) has, in general, three meanings. 'Impression' has a different name but the same essence as 'seed' (bīja). 'Impression' is spoken of in terms of the time of perfuming; 'seed' is designated in contrast to active manifestation. In all, there are three meanings: First, a seed is named an impression. 'Pression' (qì) means a portion of influence; 'im-' (xí) means perfuming. Because it is perfumed by that active manifestation, this portion of influence is obtained. Second, an active manifestation is also named an impression, meaning that it is entirely produced by seeds, being the portion of influence belonging to seeds. Third, an impression is named an impression, just as paper wrapping incense comes to have a portion of fragrance. The Vijñaptimātratāsiddhiśāstra states: 'Perfuming the root consciousness, they arouse their own functional capacities; these very functional capacities are called impressions.' 'Functional capacity' is the meaning of impression; its essence is the seed. Briefly, there are three kinds of impressions: first, impressions of nominal designation; second, impressions of grasping at a self; third, impressions of the members of existence. First, 'impressions of nominal designation' refers to the distinct, direct seeds of conditioned phenomena. Nominal designation is of two kinds: 1. Nominal designation expressing meaning, which is the distinction of sounds that can express meaning; 2. Nominal designation revealing objects, which refers to the citta and caittas that can cognize objects. According to these two kinds of nominal designations, the seeds formed by perfuming act as distinct causes and conditions for conditioned phenomena. Second, 'impressions of grasping at a self' refers to the seeds of falsely grasping at a self and what belongs to a self. Grasping at a self is of two kinds: 1. Innate grasping at a self, which is the grasping at a self and what belongs to a self severed by cultivation; 2. Conceptually differentiated grasping at a self, which is the grasping at a self and what belongs to a self severed by vision. According to these two kinds of grasping at a self, the seeds formed by perfuming cause the distinction between self and other among sentient beings. Third, 'impressions of the members of existence' refers to the karmic seeds that summon the heterogenous maturation of the three realms. The members of existence are of two kinds: 1. Contaminated goodness, which is the karma capable of summoning agreeable fruits; 2. The various non-virtues, which are the karma capable of summoning disagreeable fruits. According to these two kinds of members of existence, the seeds formed by perfuming cause the heterogenous maturation fruits to be distinguished into good and evil destinies. One should know that the impressions of grasping at a self and the impressions of the members of existence are sovereign conditions (adhipatipratyaya) with respect to differentiated fruits. The aforementioned 'impressions of karma as the cause of birth and death' should be known to be none other than the impressions of the members of existence. 'Impressions of the two graspings' should be known to be the two kinds of impressions: grasping at a self and nominal designation. Because they are formed by perfuming through grasping at a self and what belongs to a self, and grasping at nominal designation, both are called 'grasping'. The commentary explains: As for nominal designation expressing meaning, only the sixth consciousness can take its name as an object and give rise to its name; the remaining [consciousnesses] neither take it as an object nor give rise to it. It is solely the distinction of sounds that express meaning, excluding sounds that do not express or indicate, because those are not nominal designations. Names are exclusively indeterminate (avyākṛta). However, names are inflected distinctions upon sound, purely of an indeterminate nature, and cannot perfume to form seeds of matter, mind, and so forth. Yet because of names, the citta conforms to their names, transforming into semblances of the five aggregates, phenomena of the three natures, and so forth, thereby perfuming and forming corresponding seeds. Because seeds arise on account of names, they are termed seeds of nominal designation. All perfumed seeds arise entirely from citta and caittas. The seeds of citta and caittas partly depend on external conditions and partly do not depend on external [conditions]. Those that do not depend on the external are named nominal designations revealing objects; those that depend on the external are named nominal designations expressing meaning. Thus two distinctions are divided. However, the intrinsic essence of a name cannot perfume seeds. As for nominal designations revealing objects, these are the citta and caittas capable of cognizing objects—that is, the cittas such as the darśanabhāga of all seven consciousnesses, not the citta of the nimittabhāga, because [the latter] cannot reveal objects. Therefore, birth and death of delimited portions arises from the principal afflictions; this pertains to ordinary beings. Transmutation birth and death arises from impressions; this pertains to the two vehicles. Although they have severed the principal afflictions, they have not severed the impressions. Herein there are two kinds: first, kleśa-impressions; second, karma-impressions. First, as for kleśa-impressions: for example, Nanda had impressions of desire because in numerous past lifetimes his body had been a king and he was habituated to the five desires. Śāriputra had impressions of dveṣa because in numerous past lifetimes he had taken the body of a scorpion. Pilindavatsa had impressions of māna because in numerous past lifetimes his body had been a great brāhmaṇa, broadly learned and talented, who was arrogant and held things in contempt. Up to the monk Panthaka having residual impressions of moha, and so forth. Second, as for karma-impressions: for example, the monk Gavāmpati ('Cow-Chewer') had in the past been the body of an ox, running about in the forest and brushing against discarded old, torn kāṣāya robes. Due to these causes and conditions, although he attained the fruit of the Path, it was brought about on account of his karma-impressions. Again, for example, Mahākāśyapa danced upon hearing a harp, and Ānanda always enjoyed singing and chanting; both had been musicians in the past, and did so on account of the residue of their karma-impressions. If it is the residual impressions of kleśas, they are the conditions of transmutation [birth and death]; if there are residual impressions of karma, they are the causes of transmutation [birth and death]. The transmutation birth and death that is brought about is the retributive fruit. These people of the two vehicles have not attained the tathāgata's one mind and three dots of nirvāṇa. In the stage beyond learning (aśaikṣa), although their delusions of vision and cultivation are exhausted, whatever ignorance they still possess is entirely the residual impressions of avidyā. It is also named the entrenchment of avidyā (avidyāvāsabhūmi), the hindrance to what is known (jñeyāvaraṇa), and the ignorance as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Furthermore, for a bodhisattva, there are ten kinds of impressions according to the gate of conversion. The 'Leaving the World' chapter of the Avataṃsakasūtra says: 'Children of the Buddha, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva has ten kinds of impressions. What are the ten? They are: the impression of the bodhicitta; the impression of roots of goodness; the impression of converting sentient beings; the impression of seeing buddhas; the impression of taking birth in pure worlds; the impression of practice; the impression of vows; the impression of the pāramitās; the impression of contemplating the equal Dharma; and the impression of the distinctions among various realms. These are the ten. If bodhisattvas dwell securely in these dharmas, they will forever leave behind all kleśa-impressions and attain the impressions of the great wisdom of the tathāgata, which are wisdom free of impressions.' Thus we know that the two karmas of defilement and purity, and the two gates of ascension and sinking, are all produced from perfuming; they are not obtained without a cause. One ought to diligently cultivate white karma, perfuming with pure dharmas at all times; with effort in thought after thought, the wondrous fruit will naturally be completed. Therefore, within the eight-consciousness store of each and every sentient being, the seeds of the ten dharmadhātus are each fully present; they are fundamentally complete of themselves, not newly produced. Although they constantly perfume within, they must rely on external conditions to be perfumed and aroused. If one hears of the ten unwholesome actions, it perfumes and arouses the seeds of the three evil paths; if one hears of the precepts and goodness, it perfumes and arouses the seeds of humans and devas; if one hears of the [four] truths and conditions, it perfumes and arouses the seeds of the two vehicles; if one hears of the six perfections, it perfumes and arouses the seeds of bodhisattvas; if one hears of the one vehicle, it perfumes and arouses the seeds of all buddhas. Each is aroused first according to where habituation is ripe and thick. Nowadays, people mostly cultivate seeds of the three evil paths; those for humans and devas are still few, so how much less the Buddha vehicle! However, when the hell realm is actively manifest, the Buddha-seed also does not perish; it is merely rendered even further removed. Now that we are already among humans and devas, we must make direct efforts, constantly associating with good spiritual friends, taking joy in listening to the one vehicle, perfuming both internally and externally, and accomplishing it in a single lifetime. Therefore, the verse in which the Buddha admonished Rāhula says: 'Countless sentient beings of the ten directions / Have realized the fruit of the Sugata in thought after thought. / If they are heroes and I am also one, / Why belittle oneself and shrink back?'