宗鏡錄 70.33

70.33

Answer: One differentiates it by means of that which is relied upon (suǒtuō). The meaning is: when the mind cognizes phenomena that lack real substance, although the meaning of 'that which is deliberated upon' (suǒlǜ) is present, the meaning of 'that which is relied upon' is lacking. Because sky-flowers and the like lack real substance, they do not serve as that which is relied upon for the cognizing mind. That does not prevent them from merely being an object of cognition (ālambana), but they do not constitute a condition (pratyaya). Therefore, one must distinguish them by four propositions:
1. There is that which is deliberated upon, but not relied upon: namely, the falsely clung-to self and phenomena of pervasive conceptualization (parikalpita) and the like. Because they lack real substance, they are merely that which is deliberated upon, not that which is relied upon.
2. There is that which is relied upon, but not deliberated upon: namely, people and so forth reflected in a mirror or water. Here there is merely that which is relied upon, but not deliberated upon, because a mirror or water is not capable of deliberating.
3. Both: namely, the real nimittabhāgas of all objective conditions (ālambanapratyaya).
4. Neither: namely, other things not cognized, apart from what is reflected in a mirror or water.

Furthermore, 'immediate cognition' (qīnyuán) means pressing close, proximity; that is, like the nimittabhāga pressing directly close to the darśanabhāga without any other part intervening. 'Mediate' (shū) means distant, being separated by the nimittabhāga; that is, the archetype (vastu / original model).

Furthermore, immediate objective conditions (qīn suǒyuányuán) comprise four categories in total:
1. There is an immediate objective condition that transforms and arises from both the archetype and the mind: namely, the nimittabhāga cognized by the five consciousnesses when cognizing the five dust-objects.
2. There is an immediate objective condition that transforms solely from mind, without relying on an archetype to arise: namely, the nimittabhāga of the three realms cognized by the eighth consciousness.
3. There is an immediate objective condition that neither transforms from mind nor arises from an archetype: namely, tathatā realized by fundamental wisdom (mūlajñāna).
4. There is an immediate objective condition that is not a nimittabhāga: namely, the inner two parts cognizing each other.

Ci'en states: 'If it is not separate in substance from the cognizer and is inwardly deliberated upon and relied upon by the darśanabhāga and so on, one should know that it is an immediate objective condition.' 'If it is with the cognizer' refers to the darśanabhāga; 'not separate in substance' means not separate in substance from the svasaṃvittibhāga. The meaning is: the nimittabhāga is the immediate objective condition of the darśanabhāga, and the darśanabhāga is the immediate objective condition of the svasaṃvittibhāga; neither is separate from the substance of the svasaṃvittibhāga. This explicitly excludes mediate objective conditions (shū suǒyuányuán), for the archetype, relative to the cognizing darśanabhāga, is separate from the eight consciousnesses. This also excludes the nimittabhāga transformed by others, as well as the respective nimittabhāgas transformed by one's own eight consciousnesses, which, relative to one another, are not immediate. Here we take only the nimittabhāga transformed by one's own consciousness as 'immediate'. Relative to the transforming darśanabhāga, it is not separate in substance, and nothing intervenes in between; only then is it 'immediate'.

As for the phrase 'inwardly deliberated upon and relied upon by the darśanabhāga and so on': 'darśanabhāga and so on' includes the svasaṃvittibhāga and the fourth part (saṃvittisaṃvittibhāga), as well as fundamental wisdom cognizing suchness, etc.; all of these constitute immediate objective conditions. For instance, the nimittabhāga is the immediate objective condition of the darśanabhāga; the darśanabhāga is the immediate objective condition of the svasaṃvittibhāga; the svasaṃvittibhāga is the immediate objective condition of the saṃvittisaṃvittibhāga; tathatā is the immediate objective condition of fundamental wisdom; and further, 'and so on' includes citta and caittas cognizing their immediate nimittabhāgas, which are also immediate objective conditions. All of the above cognize by holding [the object] directly (xiédài).