宗鏡錄 4.19

4.19

Answer: There are two explanations regarding the spontaneous mind. One says that it does not perfume seeds because it naturally conditions objects and is not strong. The second says that if it conditions a novel object, it does not perfume seeds; if it conditions an object previously heard and familiar, it perfumes seeds due to the power of repeated practice. The other minds all perfume seeds. Now it is explained: for example, when spontaneity hears a sound-object, regardless of whether it is an unfamiliar or familiar sound-object, it always perfumes real seeds of sound. Furthermore, there are nine minds forming a wheel. Their broad and abbreviated accounts differ, but their true principle is one. The mind is like a wheel, revolving according to objects. Hence the sutra says: 'The body is not the wheel of thought; it revolves according to thought.' What is its meaning? The masters of the Sthavira school establish the wheel of nine minds: 1. the bhavāṅga [mind of life-continuum]; 2. the provoking [mind]; 3. the seeing [mind]; 4. the seeking [mind]; 5. the penetrating [mind]; 6. the establishing [mind]; 7. the functional force [mind]; 8. the retrospective [mind]; 9. the substance of bhavāṅga. For instance, when first taking rebirth, before one can discriminate, the mind merely revolves in natural conditioning of objects, which is called the bhavāṅga. If an object arrives and the mind is about to condition it, an alert awareness is produced, which is called the provoking [mind]. Once the mind revolves upon this object, seeing illuminates and perceives it; having seen it, it turns to seeking, examining its goodness or badness. Having examined it, it penetrates and cognizes its goodness or badness, and with the establishing mind, gives rise to verbal discrimination speaking of its goodness or badness. According to its goodness or badness, it then possesses actions and functional force. Once action has arisen, wishing to cease and rest, it retrospectively conditions the actions previously performed. Having retrospectively conditioned them, it returns again to the bhavāṅga, naturally conditioning objects; these are called the nine minds, constituting the meaning of a wheel. Among them, the seeing mind extends to the six consciousnesses; the rest are only the mental consciousness. The bhavāṅga mind extends to birth and death; the retrospective mind occurs only at death. For one free from desire, death occurs only in the bhavāṅga mind, since having no self-love, there is nothing to retrospectively condition and no longing arises. Those not free from desire die with the retrospective mind, because longing and attachment exist. If an object arrives, the mind may arise; if there is no differing object, it constantly abides in the bhavāṅga, continuing naturally. However, the order between seeing and seeking is not fixed.