宗鏡錄 61.9

61.9

Answer: Ancient masters said: As for calling the manifest consciousness a 'form-consciousness', this phrase 'form-consciousness' takes its name from the object. Because the darśanabhāga consciousness transforms so as to resemble form, it is called form-consciousness. Its substance is actually consciousness; because it can transform into form, it is called form-consciousness. This takes the darśanabhāga consciousness as the substance; because it can cognize form or transform into form, it is called form-consciousness. Furthermore, because the form of the nimittabhāga is not separate from consciousness, it is called form-consciousness. This takes the form of the nimittabhāga as the substance; the form of the nimittabhāga is not actually consciousness, but because it is transformed from consciousness and is not separate from consciousness, it is called form-consciousness. Or, the nimittabhāga is called form, and the darśanabhāga is called consciousness; this takes both dharmas of consciousness and object together as the substance, because darśana and nimitta share the same seed. This admits the meaning of the nimittabhāga of the preceding moment serving as the objective condition (ālambanapratyaya) for the consciousness of the subsequent moment. That is, the nimittabhāga of the consciousness of the preceding moment serves as the object for the consciousness of the subsequent moment; it is produced within the fundamental consciousness, arising in thought by the efficacy of its own fruit, which is the reason why the nimitta of the consciousness of the preceding moment serves as the object for the consciousness of the subsequent moment. That is to say, because of what was cognized in the preceding moment, it perfumes and produces seeds; due to the seeds, the present moment is produced; through continuous transformation, tracing the efficacy back to its source, it is indeed what was cognized in the preceding moment that serves as the condition for the present consciousness. 'Its own fruit' is the active manifestation (samudācāra) of the nimittabhāga; 'efficacy' is the seed. That is, with the nimittabhāga of the consciousness of the preceding moment serving as the perfumer, it perfumes and gives rise to its own seeds; within the fundamental consciousness, they can produce the nimittabhāga form and so forth of the consciousness of the subsequent moment, serving as the object for the consciousness of the subsequent moment. Because the preceding moment's nimitta perfumes seeds, which produce the objective mark of the subsequent moment, the nimittabhāga of the preceding moment is said to be the ālambanapratyaya of the subsequent consciousness.