宗鏡錄 52.14

52.14

Answer: The treatise says: Because sacred teachings and correct reasoning are valid authorities. That is to say, the Bhagavān, across diverse sūtras, spoke of the three distinct meanings of citta, manas, and vijñāna. Accumulating and originating is called citta; pondering is called manas; and discerning is called vijñāna. These are the three distinct meanings. Although these three meanings apply generally across the eight consciousnesses, they are designated according to what is preeminent: The eighth is called citta because it accumulates the seeds of all dharmas and originates all dharmas; the seventh is called manas because, taking the ālayavijñāna and so forth as its object, it constantly and deliberately ponders them as a self and so forth; and the remaining six are called vijñāna because they discern and function with respect to the six distinct objects in a manner that is coarse, moving, and intermittent. As a verse in the Laṅkāvatārasūtra says: 'The ālayavijñāna is called citta; / that whose nature is pondering is called manas; / that which can discern the characteristics of objects / is that which is designated as vijñāna.' The commentary explains: Although they apply generally across the eight consciousnesses such that all are called citta, manas, and vijñāna, they are designated according to what is preeminent: The eighth is called citta because it is perfumed by and accumulates the seeds of all dharmas through all active manifestations, with active manifestations as the basis and the seed consciousness as the cause, being able to generate all dharmas; this is 'originating all dharmas.' As for the seventh being called manas, in the causal stage when it is defiled, it takes only the self as its object; when undefiled, it takes the eighth [consciousness] and tathatā as objects; and in the fruitional stage it is allowed to take all dharmas as objects. The remaining six consciousnesses are called vijñāna because, with respect to the six distinct objects, their substances are coarse and moving and they are intermittent dharmas, discerning and functioning [accordingly]. What is easily discerned is called 'coarse'; what alters and shifts is called 'moving'; and what is not continuous is called 'intermittent.' Each possessing these preeminent [traits], each separately receives its name. Furthermore, the treatise says: That is to say, a sūtra states that unshared avidyā operates subtly and constantly, concealing and obscuring the real. If this [seventh] consciousness did not exist, that [avidyā] could not exist. This means that all beings who are presently born constantly produce the unshared avidyā that misapprehends principle in all divisions [of mind], concealing the real truth and obstructing the eye of supreme wisdom. As a verse says: 'When the mind of true meaning is about to arise, / it constantly serves as an obstruction; / accompanying all divisions, / it is called unshared avidyā.' Therefore the sūtras say that the class of ordinary beings constantly abides in a long night, blinded by avidyā, their minds entangled in stupor and intoxication, never awakening. If in the stage of ordinary beings there were a time when this avidyā temporarily did not arise, that would contradict the meaning of the sūtra. To say that in the stage of ordinary beings the avidyā that misapprehends principle sometimes operates and sometimes does not operate is unreasonable. This cannot be established on the basis of the six consciousnesses, for these [six] are intermittent, whereas that [avidyā] constantly takes [its object]. If one accepts that manas exists, then there is no such fault. The commentary explains: As the Pratītyasamutpādasūtra states, there are four avidyās: first, manifest; second, seed; third, associated; fourth, unassociated. Or they are divided into two: shared and unshared, and so forth. What is now spoken of as unshared means that it operates subtly and constantly, its mode of activity being difficult to know; it conceals the principle of non-self and obscures undefiled wisdom, which is called 'concealing and obscuring the real.' 'Real' has two aspects: first, the principle of non-self; second, the undefiled view. 'Truth' (artha) has two meanings: first, the meaning of object, because it is the object of the darśanabhāga; second, the meaning of principle, because tathatā is precisely principle.