宗鏡錄 48.23

48.23

Answer: Examining this now, conditioned dharmas are divided into three grades. The first is the superior grade: such as the seven transforming consciousnesses and their associates, etc. Because they possess a portion that can cognize and deliberate, their power is strongest; all have the power to perfumed [seeds] by themselves. The second is the middling grade: such as the nimittabhāga of the five sense-objects, etc. Although they possess perfuming power, their power is rather slight; relying on the citta to lend them power, they then perfume [their own seeds] by themselves. The third is the inferior grade: namely, the extremely weak indeterminate [dharmas]. Like an extremely emaciated, sick, and powerless person who cannot rise on their own—even if another lends power to support them, they still cannot rise—the fundamental consciousness and its category are also like this: originally lacking perfuming power, even if one says citta lends them power, they still cannot perfume. By this principle, the extremely weak indeterminate [dharmas] are entirely powerless and therefore are not active perfumers. They are not like the nimittabhāga of the five sense-objects: the latter have their own power, but because their power is rather weak they cannot perfume alone; relying on the assistance of the citta, they have half the power themselves, and thus are active perfumers. By this principle, the correct explanation now is: the aggregate of the eighth consciousness, along with the nimittabhāga of the retributive five sense-faculties and the retributive supporting faculties transformed by it, as well as the retributive prior six consciousnesses, etc., entirely lack new seeds, because they are extremely weak and are not active perfumers; they are produced from originally existing old seeds. The nourished five sense-faculties, their supporting faculties, and the nimittabhāga of the five sense-objects of equal outflow transformed by the prior six consciousnesses can each have both new and original seeds.