[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016) › [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt) › 73 # 宗鏡錄 73 English (machine translation) 73 - **Language:** English ### [73.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.1) Compiled by Chan Master Zhijue, Yanshou, Abbot of Huiri Yongming Temple. ### [73.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.2) Now, among the eight consciousnesses, which conceal the true and habituate to the false, which consciousness creates karma, which consciousness serves as the cause, which consciousness serves as the support, and produces the seeds of delusion? ### [73.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.3) Answer: The first five consciousnesses grasp sense objects; the sixth consciousness serves as the cause; the seventh consciousness reckons a self and creates karma; the eighth consciousness serves as the support. By this means, the bitter fruit of birth and death is unceasing. A verse in the Laṅkāvatārasūtra says: / 'Just as when a great flow of water is exhausted, / Waves no longer arise, / So when the manovijñāna ceases, / The various consciousnesses do not arise.' / An explanation says: the five consciousnesses grasp sense objects and turn into the sixth consciousness; the sixth consciousness records dharmas as the cause; the seventh consciousness clings to the six consciousnesses, creating wholesome and unwholesome karma, resulting in future birth and death, which covers and obstructs the eighth consciousness so that it cannot be manifested. If the five consciousnesses do not grasp sense objects, then there is no sixth consciousness. Because the sixth consciousness is absent, the seventh consciousness does not arise. Because the seventh consciousness does not arise, there is no wholesome or unwholesome karma. Because there is no wholesome or unwholesome karma, there is no birth and death. Because there is no birth and death, the tathāgatagarbha citta is serene and constantly abiding. This is precisely the cessation of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, establishing the eighth consciousness. Furthermore, the eighth consciousness is what the fifth, sixth, and seventh consciousnesses rely upon. That which acts as the cause for the various consciousnesses is the citta of the sixth consciousness; the various consciousnesses rely upon it. Just as when water is exhausted there are no waves, when the sixth consciousness ceases, the seventh consciousness also does not arise. Therefore it is said: 'A wind of a single thought of ignorance stirs the ocean of tathatā.' When the wind of ignorance is exhausted and the waves of consciousness do not arise, then the ocean of enlightenment is pristine at its source, and the serene source of enlightenment is originally subtle. ### [73.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.4) Question: When cause and effect in all the mundane world mutually recompense and birth and death do not cease, which consciousness is primary among the consciousnesses? ### [73.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.5) Answer: The causes and conditions of arising and ceasing initially rely on the ālayavijñāna as substance and take the manovijñāna as function. In this way, cause and effect in the three periods of time cycle without ceasing; the efficacy lies in the manovijñāna. By this meaning, intention (manas) is called the continuous consciousness. The Awakening of Faith says: 'Furthermore, the causes and conditions of arising and ceasing mean that sentient beings turn in reliance on citta, manas, and vijñāna. What does this mean? Relying on the ālayavijñāna, there is ignorance and non-enlightenment, which gives rise to that which can see, that which can manifest, and that which can grasp sense realms, discriminating and continuing; this is called manas. This manas also has five different names: 1. It is called the karmic consciousness (karmavijñāna), meaning that by the power of ignorance, the non-enlightened citta moves. 2. It is called the evolving consciousness (pravṛttivijñāna), meaning that relying on the moving citta, it can see the characteristics of the realm. 3. It is called the manifesting consciousness (khyātivijñāna), meaning that it manifests all characteristics of sense realms, just like a bright mirror manifesting all forms and images. The manifesting consciousness is also like this: according to its five sense realms, it manifests immediately upon contact, without before or after, not relying on effort. 4. It is called the knowing consciousness (vastuprativikalpavijñāna), meaning discriminating the various differentiated dharmas of defilement and purity. 5. It is called the continuous consciousness (smṛtivijñāna), meaning constantly corresponding with attention without interruption, sustaining past wholesome and unwholesome karma so that it is not lost, ripening the present and future retribution of suffering and pleasure so that there is no deviation, suddenly recollecting matters already experienced, and falsely discriminating matters not yet experienced. Therefore, all things in the three realms take citta as their intrinsic nature; apart from citta, there are no realms of the six dusts. Why? All dharmas take citta as primary and arise from false thought. Whatever is discriminated is all discriminating one's own citta. Citta does not see citta; no characteristic can be attained. Therefore, you should know that all characteristics of mundane sense realms are established in reliance on the ignorance and false thoughts of sentient beings. Like images in a mirror, they have no substance to be attained; they only evolve from the false and discriminating citta. When citta arises, various dharmas arise; when citta ceases, various dharmas cease.' Therefore, an explanation says: Generally speaking, all five consciousnesses are called manas. In terms of the root, one takes only the karmic consciousness, because it is the most subtle and serves as the root of the various consciousnesses. Such a karmic consciousness has not yet divided into darśanabhāga and nimittabhāga. However, bodhisattvas know that citta moves falsely without external realms before it, and they understand that all dharmas are merely measures of consciousness; abandoning former external attachments, they accord with the meaning of karmic consciousness, hence it is called karmic consciousness. 'Citta does not see citta, and no characteristic can be attained' clarifies the meaning that dharmas are non-existent. A verse in the Ru laṅqie jing says: / 'The body, sustenance, and abiding, / If they arise as in a dream, / There should be two kinds of citta, / Yet citta has no dual characteristics. / Just as a knife does not cut itself, / Just as a finger does not touch itself, / Just as citta does not see itself, / Its matter is also like this.' / If the various matters seen in a dream were real existents, there would be the two characteristics of the grasper and the grasped; yet within that dream, there are truly not two dharmas. All minds of the three realms are like this dream. Apart from citta, there is nothing that can be discriminated; therefore it is said that all discriminations are discriminating one's own citta. Yet with respect to one's own citta, it cannot see itself, like the knife, the finger, and so forth; hence it is said that citta does not see citta. Since there is no other to be seen, nor can it see itself, and what is seen is non-existent, that which can see is not established. Both characteristics of grasper and grasped cannot be attained; hence it is said that no characteristic can be attained. Furthermore, because the one mind moves according to ignorance to make the five kinds of consciousness, the three realms are said to evolve from citta only. Although this citta seems to manifest variously according to perfuming, when one investigates its causes and conditions, it is made by citta only. Apart from the manifesting consciousness, there are no realms of the six dusts; conversely testing the six dusts, they are only the one mind. Therefore it is said: 'Apart from citta, there are no realms,' and so forth. ### [73.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.6) Question: Currently the realms of the six dusts exist; how can they be citta only? ### [73.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.7) Answer: Because all dharmas are this citta arising according to perfuming, having no other substance, they are therefore said to be citta only. ### [73.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.8) An objection asks: How do they produce the various dharmas? ### [73.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.9) Answer: Because of the perfuming of false thoughts, they give rise to the various dharmas; hence it is said that they 'arise from false thoughts'. One might also doubt: 'Since dharmas are citta only, why do I not see it, and what I see is only a different citta?' The explanation says: a 'different citta' is made by the discrimination of false thoughts; hence it is said that 'false thoughts arise'. Since realms are consciousness only and there are no external, different dharmas, therefore all the various discriminations are one's own citta. Thus dust has no characteristics and consciousness does not take itself as an object; therefore without dust, consciousness does not arise, which means citta does not see citta. The Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: 'There is no distinct dharma that can grasp a distinct dharma.' Since grasper and grasped are exhausted, no characteristic can be attained. As for 'When citta arises, various dharmas arise; when citta ceases, various dharmas cease'— ### [73.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.10) The Yogācārabhūmiśāstra asks: When practitioners of contemplation see the marklessness of the parikalpita-svabhāva, into what nature should they be said to enter? ### [73.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.11) Answer: They enter the pariniṣpanna-svabhāva. ### [73.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.12) Question: When entering the pariniṣpanna-svabhāva, what nature should be said to be expelled? ### [73.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.13) Answer: One eliminates the paratantrasvabhāva (dependent nature). From this it should be known that when the contemplation of vijñaptimātra is perfected, there is no consciousness. The gāthā in the Laṅkāvatārasūtra also says: 'The measure of mind which is devoid of mind, I call the measure of mind'—this is what it means. If one relies on this treatise, avidyā moves tathatā to form the conditioned arising of production and cessation. When the wind of avidyā ceases, the waves of consciousness immediately stop, and there is solely tathatā, equal and uniform. Outside the citta, this realm has no substance that can be found. Furthermore, precisely because it is citta, it again has no substance. It is just as there is no substance outside the mirror, and likewise no substance inside the mirror. It may be doubted: 'Since it has no substance, why does it appear so clearly and distinctly?' The explanation is: All are unreal appearances falsely manifested upon the true mind; where could there be any substance that could be found? It may be doubted: 'How is it known that they manifest upon the citta?' The explanation is: When the citta arises, various dharmas arise. Through the power of avidyā, the citta unawares moves and is able to manifest all realms; then the citta moves in accordance with perfuming, and hence it is called "arising." If avidyā ceases, the realms cease accordingly, and all discriminating consciousnesses are extinguished without remainder; hence it is said that when the citta ceases, various dharmas cease. Here, the source of the citta returns to purity, and hence it is called "cessation." Since the citta, following non-awareness, falsely manifests various objects, it is thereby proven that all objects are only citta and have no substance. Furthermore, as for the citta, it takes shape before any omen; in movement and stillness there is nothing that does not respond to one's own citta. As the Book of Odes says: 'Wishing \[for someone\], one sneezes.' "Wishing" means thinking of; "speech" refers to oneself; it means that when someone thinks of oneself, one sneezes. Thus we know that the citta responds across a thousand li; if there is someone in a distant place thinking of me, I will know it. Therefore, regarding all things, only the citta knows beforehand; hence it can be called the "spiritual citta"—this is what it refers to. For example, Wu Bowu of Mount Tai was separated from his younger brother for more than twenty years. Meeting in the marketplace, they ended up coming to blows. Bowu felt grief and sorrow in his heart-spirit; upon inquiry, it turned out they were indeed brothers. ### [73.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.14) Question: In the causes and conditions of production and cessation, specifically what serves as the cause and what serves as the condition for them to arise? ### [73.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.15) Answer: Ancient masters explained: 'The causes and conditions of production and cessation have two aspects in substance and characteristics. First, the citta-substance of the ālayavijñāna, not keeping to its own nature, transforms into various dharmas; this is the cause of production and cessation. Fundamental avidyā perfuming and moving the citta-substance is the condition of production and cessation. Furthermore, avidyā-bhūmi, the root of all defilements, gives rise to various productions and cessations; hence it is spoken of as the cause. The objects of the six sense-dusts are able to move the seven consciousnesses into billowing productions and cessations; these are the conditions of production and cessation. Relying on these two meanings, causes and conditions are revealed. The various characteristics of production and cessation gather together and are produced; hence they are named "sentient beings" (saṃskṛta/beings). Yet they have no separate substance; they rely solely on the citta-substance. Hence it is said, "relying on the citta"—that is, the characteristic of the ālayavijñāna's own citta.' Furthermore, the conditioned arising of the various consciousnesses from the harmony of the true and the false is discerned through four propositions: 1. The tathāgatagarbha solely neither arises nor ceases, like the wet nature of water; 2. The seven consciousnesses solely arise and cease, like the waves of water; 3. The ālayavijñāna both arises and ceases, and neither arises nor ceases, like the ocean containing movement and stillness; 4. The inverted graspings of avidyā neither arise and cease, nor do not arise and cease, like the fierce wind raising waves, being neither the water nor the waves. ### [73.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.16) Question: Since the ālayavijñāna encompasses both movement and stillness, it should not belong solely to the gate of production and cessation. ### [73.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.17) Answer: Because stillness is aroused to become movement, there is no separate substance of movement. Therefore the nature of stillness accords with movement and is also within the gate of production and cessation. It is not merely that the ālayavijñāna possesses movement and stillness and is within this production and cessation; the tathāgatagarbha, being solely unmoving, is also within this gate. Why is this? Because that production and cessation has no separate substance, just as water makes waves. Furthermore, the Treatise on the Awakening of Faith says: Taking avidyā as cause and the objective realm as condition produces the consciousnesses of the three subtle aspects and the characteristics of the six coarse aspects; then, following the conditions of delusion, one sinks into the six destinies. Taking initial awakening as cause and the five pāramitās as condition, one then follows the conditions of awakening and ascends to the ekayāna. It also says: In delusion there are falsely defiled dharmas exceeding the sands of the Ganges, which means that defiled conditions arise and pure conditions cease; in awakening there are all pure merits exceeding the sands of the Ganges, which means that pure conditions arise and defiled conditions perish. Yet all this is made by the one mind alone, and there are no two sources. In terms of meaning it is spoken of as pursuing awakening or pursuing delusion, but in reality there is neither that which pursues nor that which is pursued. Hence the treatise says: 'Because all dharmas are produced from false thoughts arising from the citta, whatever is discriminated is only a discrimination of one's own citta; the citta does not see the citta, and no characteristic can be obtained.' As ancient worthies explained, regarding the metaphor of waves and water for the two gates of tathatā and production and cessation: the wetness of water illustrates the citta-tathatā, and the movement of the waves illustrates the citta's production and cessation. Since the waves are not a movement separate from wetness, there is no production and cessation separate from tathatā: identifying water to discern the waves is conditioned arising without altering the nature. Since water is not a wetness separate from movement, there is no tathatā separate from production and cessation: identifying the waves to illuminate the water is not abandoning conditions while being identical with the real. ### [73.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.18) Question: To which dharma does the phenomenon of memory definitely belong in its arising? ### [73.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.19) Answer: The Mahāyāna says there are three dharmas capable of memory: 1. The svasaṃvittibhāga (self-awareness part), which can remember the darśanabhāga; 2. Smṛti among the object-determining mental factors, which can remember things previously experienced; 3. The seeds within the consciousness, which can unerringly generate their own actual activity. The Commentary on Vijñaptimātra says: 'If an object was never experienced, one certainly cannot remember it. For example, actualized form that was once cognized by the darśanabhāga can certainly be remembered later; if it was never cognized as a nimittabhāga, it certainly cannot be remembered at a later time. Because the cognizing darśanabhāga, in past times and in the present lifetime, only cognized the nimittabhāga and never cognized itself, and since the previous citta that has ceased is already past, by what means could the present darśanabhāga remember it of itself? Because in past times it never turned back to cognize its own darśanabhāga. Since it is granted that the present citta and caitta dharmas can remember of themselves, it is clear that this is because in past times there was the svasaṃvittibhāga, which cognized the darśanabhāga and verified that cognized object, serving as the pramāṇaphala (fruit of cognition); therefore, one is now able to remember.' ### [73.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.20) Question: Within the gate of production and cessation, in the stage of outflows, according to the teachings, how many kinds of saṃsāra (birth and death) are there? ### [73.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.21) Answer: Briefly, there are two kinds: 1. Paricchedacyuti (delimited birth and death); 2. Acintyapariṇāmikacyuti (inconceivable transformational birth and death). The Vijñaptimātratāsiddhiśāstra says: 'First, delimited birth and death refers to all defiled good and bad karma which, through the supportive power of the kleśāvaraṇa as condition, results in the coarse vipākaphala (maturation fruit) of the three realms. The length of life and body has definite limits according to the power of causes and conditions; hence it is called "delimited." Second, inconceivable transformational birth and death refers to all undefiled karma with discrimination which, through the supportive power of the jñeyāvaraṇa as condition, results in an exquisite, subtle maturation fruit. Through the power of compassionate vows, the body and life are transformed without definite limits; hence it is called "transformational." That which is directly supported and brought about by undefiled samādhi and vows is called "inconceivable" because its wonderful function is difficult to fathom. It is also called manomayakāya (mind-made body), because it is accomplished according to the intention of vows. As the sūtras say: "Just as taking grasping as condition, the cause of karma with outflows continues subsequent existence, thereby giving birth to the three existences; in this way, taking the avidyāvāsanābhūmi as condition, and undefiled karma as cause, there are the three kinds of mind-made bodies of arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas who have attained mastery." It is also called nirmāṇakāya (transformational body), because through the power of undefiled samādhi, it is transformed and made different from the original like an apparition.' ### [73.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.22) Question: The treatise says: 'The jñeyāvaraṇa does not obstruct liberation, having no function of generating karma and moistening birth.' Why then is it used to support and bring about the suffering of saṃsāra? ### [73.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.23) Answer: It is in order to accomplish the two benefits that \[the body\] must further be sustained to produce \[life\]. The treatise says: 'To personally realise bodhi and to benefit and gladden others.' This means that pratyekabuddhas and śrāvakas of indeterminate nature, as well as bodhisattvas who have attained mastery and have great vows, have already permanently severed or subdued the obstacle of the kleśas; therefore, it is impossible for them to again receive a future demarcated body. Fearing that their long-term cultivation of the bodhisattva conduct might be abandoned, they thereupon, through the power of uncontaminated superior samādhi and vows—like the method for prolonging life—sustain the cause of their present body, causing it to yield fruit continuously for a long time. In this way, by repeatedly using the assistance of samādhi and vows, \[they proceed\] up to realising unexcelled bodhi. Why, furthermore, do they require the assistance of the obstacle to the knowable? Since they have not yet completely realised signless great compassion, if they did not cling to bodhi and sentient beings as truly existent, they would have no basis for giving rise to fierce and sharp compassionate vows. Furthermore, the obstacle to the knowable obstructs great bodhi; in order to permanently sever it, they retain the body to dwell long. Furthermore, the obstacle to the knowable is the support for the contaminated; if this obstacle did not exist, the latter certainly could not exist. Therefore, it provides great assistance to the abiding of the body. If the retained body is sustained by contaminated samādhi and vows, it is subsumed under the demarcated body, because it is an object known to the two vehicles and ordinary beings. If it is sustained by uncontaminated samādhi and vows, it is subsumed under the transformational body, because it is not their object. From this one should know that transformational saṃsāra is by nature subsumed under contaminated vipākaphala; with respect to uncontaminated karma, it is an adhipatiphala. The commentary explains: 'Bodhisattvas who have attained mastery and have great vows have already permanently severed or subdued the obstacle of the kleśas' means that for bodhisattvas from the eighth bhūmi onward, although they rely on kleśas and saṃsāra to take birth, unlike ordinary beings and the two vehicles—where manifest \[kleśas\] and seeds are said to moisten \[rebirth\]—it is only by generating the karmic force of the kleśas that benefits sentient beings that they can induce the fruit of saṃsāra. If the kleśas are subdued, the karmic force is exhausted; therefore they must rely on attachment to dharmas to aid their vows in taking birth. Thus, having already permanently severed or subdued \[the obstacle of the kleśas\], it is impossible for them to again receive the future demarcated fruit. Since there is the benefit of the two benefits, upon discerning that the retribution of the demarcated \[body\] is ending, and fearing that their long-term cultivation of the bodhisattva conduct might be abandoned, they thereupon enter superior uncontaminated samādhi. Through the power of their superior vows, like the arhat's method for prolonging life, they sustain the cause of their present body—namely, they sustain the past karma that brought about their present body—causing that karma to yield fruit continuously for a long time. As for 'since they have not yet completely realised signless great compassion, if they did not cling to bodhi and sentient beings as truly existent, they would have no basis for giving rise to fierce and sharp compassionate vows': since they have not yet become buddhas, completely realising signless great compassion and the understanding of one-taste equality, if they did not cling to bodhi as something to be sought and sentient beings as those to be saved as truly existent, they would have no cause or basis to be able to generate fierce great compassion and fierce vows. Because taking what is to be sought and what is to be saved as the clingings of the obstacle to the knowable comes first, they are only then able to give rise to uncontaminated karma. Karma is spoken of as the cause because it is predominant; avidyā is spoken of as the condition because it is distant. It is not like kleśas sustaining contaminated karma, but the sense of being a condition is the same, being partially similar. Furthermore, the obstacle to the knowable obstructs great bodhi because it directly obstructs wisdom; in order to permanently sever this obstacle to the knowable, they retain the body to dwell long, which is spoken of as a condition—because it is a condition \[for what is\] to be severed. Furthermore, this obstacle to the knowable can serve as the support for all that is contaminated; because this obstacle exists, the conditioned phenomena associated with it do not become uncontaminated. If this obstacle that serves as the support did not exist, that which relies on it—the contaminated—would definitely not exist. Now, since they retain the body to dwell long, having the obstacle to the knowable as a condition, this obstacle is therefore said to provide great assistance to the abiding of the body, and is spoken of as a condition. This transformational saṃsāra is precisely the bodhisattva's fulfilling of non-vows and perfecting of bodhi. Demarcated saṃsāra, on the other hand, is created by the deluded mind of ordinary beings, who indulge in clinging thought after thought, entering the great wheel of suffering without cessation. As the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra says: The Buddha addressed Kāśyapa: 'Worldly sentient beings have their minds covered by inversion; they crave and cling to the characteristic of birth and loathe old age and death. Kāśyapa, the bodhisattva is not like this: seeing its initial arising, he has already seen its faults. Kāśyapa, it is as if a woman enters another's house. This woman is shapely and upright, her face and features beautiful and refined, and she adorns her body with fine necklaces. Having seen her, the householder immediately asks: "What is your name? To whom do you belong?" The woman answers: "I am the Great Goddess of Meritorious Virtue." The householder asks: "Wherever you go, what do you do?" The woman answers: "Wherever I go, I can bestow all kinds of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, real pearls, coral, amber, mother-of-pearl, agate, elephants, horses, carriages, male and female slaves, and servants." Having heard this, the householder is endlessly delighted and overjoyed in mind: "Because of my present merit, you have been caused to come to my residence!" He immediately burns incense, scatters flowers to make offerings, and pays homage with reverent prostrations. He then sees another woman outside the gate. Her appearance is ugly and deformed, her clothing tattered and ruined, covered in much grime and grease, her skin chapped and cracked, and her complexion wan and pale. Having seen her, he asks: "What is your name? To whose house do you belong?" The woman answers: "My name is Darkness." He again asks: "Why are you named Darkness?" The woman answers: "Wherever I go, I cause all the wealth and jewels of that house to decay and be exhausted." Having heard this, the householder immediately takes a sharp knife and speaks thus: "If you do not leave, I will cut off your life!" The woman answers: "You are extremely foolish and have no wisdom." The householder asks: "Why am I called foolish and lacking wisdom?" The woman answers: "The one inside your house is my elder sister. I always accompany my elder sister in coming and going, staying together. If you drive me away, you must also drive her away." The householder goes back inside and asks the Goddess of Meritorious Virtue: "There is a woman outside who says she is your younger sister. Is this truly so or not?" The Goddess of Meritorious Virtue says: "She is truly my younger sister. I and this younger sister stay together in moving and dwelling, never having been separated from each other. Wherever we dwell, I always do good and she always does evil; I always bring benefit and she brings decay and exhaustion. If you love me, you should also love her; if you show reverence to me, you should also revere her." The householder immediately says: "If there are such good and bad matters, I want neither of you; go each as you please!" At that time, the two women together take each other along and return to where they dwell. At that time, seeing them return and leave, the householder is endlessly delighted and overjoyed in mind.' The commentary says: The Goddess of Meritorious Virtue is an analogy for birth; the Dark Woman is an analogy for death. They are simply the two worldly phenomena of birth and death, the root of all evils and the source of all suffering, together condemned by the worthy and the noble, yet obscured by ignorance. 'Having seen her' refers to the mind gazing upon an object; this is called 'seeing'. 'Immediately asks' refers to discerning birth with understanding to seek the truth of birth; this is called 'asking'. 'The woman answers' refers to the object facing the mind; in meaning it is termed 'answering'. 'The Great Goddess of Meritorious Virtue' illustrates that birth is the characteristic of emerging. The lord of retribution of meritorious virtue possesses the brilliance of the six consciousnesses, illuminating the realms of the six dusts; hence she is named the Goddess of Meritorious Virtue. 'To whom do you belong?' should mean belonging to kleśa and karma. 'My present merit' means that having cultivated good causes in the past, one now receives heavenly retribution; this is called 'coming to my residence'. 'Outside the gate' means death casting off the house of the body; in meaning it is called 'outside the gate'. 'To whose house do you belong?' means that when conditions correspond, death immediately occurs, belonging to nowhere. 'My name is Darkness' means that death is the characteristic of perishing; although having the five sense faculties, there is no awareness or perception, hence it is called 'Darkness'. 'I always accompany my elder sister in coming and going, staying together' means that birth is immediately death, which constitutes coming and going together. 'The householder immediately says: If there are such good and bad matters, I want neither of you' means that one who takes no pleasure in birth does not sorrow when seeing death. 'At that time, seeing them return and leave, the householder is endlessly delighted and overjoyed in mind' means that when realising the first bhūmi, one is freed from demarcated death and enters the Pramuditābhūmi (Stage of Joy); hence it is said: 'joy is endless'. ### [73.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.24) Question: If there is only internal consciousness and no external conditions, why is it further said that there is saṃsāra in the six āyatanas, with birth and death continuing uninterrupted? ### [73.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.25) Answer: The verse in the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhiśāstra states: 'Due to the vāsanās of various karmas, together with the vāsanās of the twofold grasping, when the previous ripening is exhausted, another ripening is born again.' 'Various karmas' refers to meritorious karma, unmeritorious karma, and immovable karma; that is, the volitional karmas (cetanā-karma) of contaminated wholesome and unwholesome states. The associates of volitional karma are also designated as 'karma', because together they attract and complete ripening results. Although karma ceases immediately without interval as soon as it arises, and has no actual entity capable of attracting the future ripening result, it perfumes the fundamental consciousness and generates its own functional capacity; this very capacity is called a vāsanā. It is formed by the perfuming of the karmic energy component; to distinguish it from past actual karma, it is termed 'vāsanā'. Such vāsanās continue successively in an unbroken chain, and when they reach maturity, they attract the ripening result. This shows the superior adhipati-pratyaya (predominant condition) for the future result. Nimitta and darśana, nāma and rūpa, citta and caitta, root and branches, and grasping them—all are subsumed under the 'twofold grasping'. That which is perfumed and aroused by them, the capacity on the fundamental consciousness that is directly capable of producing them, is called the 'vāsanās of the twofold grasping'. This shows the future ripening-result citta and its associated causal seeds (hetupratyaya-bīja). That they are 'together' means the karmic seeds and the seeds of the twofold grasping exist together, which means the distal and proximal conditions mutually assist one another. Because karma prominently initiates rebirth, it is stated first in the verse. 'The previous ripening' refers to the ripening results of karmas in earlier and earlier lives. 'Another ripening' refers to the ripening results of karmas in later and later lives. Although the seeds of the twofold grasping receive results without end, karmic vāsanās have an end in receiving results. Because a ripening result is different in nature \[from its karma\], it is difficult to attract; whereas an outflow-concordant result (niṣyanda-phala) and a predominant result (adhipati-phala) are identical in nature, and thus easy to induce. Because the seeds of karma and the like that induce other lives mature, when the enjoyment of the previous ripening result is exhausted, subsequently they can distinctively generate another ripening result. From this, birth-and-death turns endlessly in saṃsāra; why rely on external conditions for continuity to obtain? The meaning of this verse is to state: birth-and-death and saṃsāric transmigration, due to karma and the twofold grasping, are never apart from consciousness, because citta and caittas constitute their nature. The commentary explains: Regarding 'Although this ceases immediately without interval as soon as it arises, and has no actual entity capable of attracting the future ripening result': Although the present function does not have a past substantial entity that can attract the true ripening result of the future, when present karma is performed, it perfumes the fundamental consciousness to give rise to the functional capacity of its own karma. 'Functional capacity' is precisely the vāsanā. The vāsanās continue successively in an unbroken chain, and upon reaching maturity, attract the ripening result. Regarding 'Nimitta and darśana, nāma and rūpa, citta and caitta, root and branches, and grasping them—all are subsumed under the twofold grasping': First, nimitta and darśana: grasping what is genuinely the grāhaka (grasping subject) and genuinely the grāhya (grasped object) is termed the twofold grasping. Second, grasping nāma and rūpa: rūpa is the rūpa-skandha; nāma is the other four skandhas; this means holding and grasping the five skandhas. In the previous mention of 'nimitta', it also generally included unconditioned dharmas as the fundamental substance (mūladravya); here, it only shows the grasping of the immediate object-support (pratyakṣālambana), because one cannot perceive dharmas outside the mind. Furthermore, the objective image-aspect (nimittabhāga) transformed from unconditioned dharmas is also subsumed under nāma, because it is not apart from citta and so forth. Third, grasping citta and caitta: all dharmas of the five skandhas are not apart from these two. Fourth, root and branches: grasping the direct result; the eighth consciousness is the root of all ripenings, and because it is the category of general retribution, it is called the 'root'; the ripenings and distinct retributions of the remaining consciousnesses and so forth are called the 'branches'; this refers to grasping a single ripening. Fifth, 'grasping them': grasping the aforementioned four. All these graspings are subsumed under the twofold grasping; that is, they are active graspings. Regarding 'Although the seeds of the twofold grasping receive results without end, karmic vāsanās have an end in receiving results. Because a ripening result is different in nature and difficult to attract, whereas an outflow-concordant result and a predominant result are identical in nature and easy to induce': The seeds of the twofold grasping receive results without end; the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says that \[karmic\] vāsanās have an end. Why is this so? Because for a ripening result: first, its nature is different, being distinct in nature from the karma and not largely conforming with it; second, it is difficult to attract, for although karma attracts it, its result necessarily matures only in a different life. Therefore, karmic vāsanās have an end, just as musk and foul herbs wither and dissipate. As for its outflow-concordant result and predominant result: first, they are identical in nature, their intrinsic nature mutually conforming; second, they are easy to induce, because they arise simultaneously; once perfumed in this mind-moment, they can immediately generate the result; therefore, the seeds of the twofold grasping easily induce results. What is outflow-concordant, and what is predominant? 'Predominant' is broader, but what is outflow-concordant is necessarily predominant. 'Outflow-concordant' means that the seed acts as a co-arising and homogeneous cause (sabhāga-hetu) for the present activity and for seeds of its own kind. The predominant sphere has no separate entity, for it is of the very nature of outflow-concordance. Furthermore, because it is an outflow-concordant result, its nature is identical; because it is a predominant result, it is easy to induce. Again, the seed in relation to present activity is predominant; in relation to seeds of its own class, it is outflow-concordant. Karmic seeds in relation to those present activities and seeds are of a different nature in both cases; therefore, they are only ripening. When the enjoyment of the previous ripening is exhausted, it cannot further produce another ripening result. This means: because the seeds of karma and so forth that induce future subsequent lives mature, when the enjoyment of the previous ripening result is exhausted in the present body—which is precisely the moment near death of this body—those matured karmas can again distinctively produce that other result to arise. That is, when the former karma is exhausted, and the seeds of the subsequent result mature, the ripening result is born again. Hence, birth-and-death is never cut off. Therefore, karmic results have no interruption, and birth-and-death continues in unbroken succession, turning endlessly in saṃsāra. Why rely on conditions outside the mind for birth-and-death to continue? This continuing consciousness has no time of interruption. If one has not formed contemplation in every circumstance and clearly understood one's own citta, one will produce doubt toward objects and grasp that external dharmas exist. All birth-and-death is entirely this doubting state of mind. If one only comprehends mind-only, naturally there will be no fault. It is like falling ill from suspecting a snake—how could there be a real object residing in the mind? It is like hanging sand to stop hunger—it is merely a thought arising in one's own mind. As recorded in the biography of Yue Guang in the Book of Jin: Guang had a close guest who had not visited for a long time. Guang asked him the reason, and he replied, 'Previously while seated, I was favoured with wine, and saw a snake in the cup. I was deeply disgusted by it. After drinking, I fell ill.' At that time, on the wall of the Henan government office, there was a bow, and beside the bow was painted a snake. Guang realized that the snake in the cup was the shadow of the bow. He placed the wine in the previous spot again, and the guest suddenly had his doubt resolved, and his chronic illness was cured at once. Furthermore, in the chapter on the four nutritions in the Vinaya, the manual of the ancient masters' doctrinal gates states: Regarding nutrition by volition, during a famine year, a small child begged his mother for food, weeping without stopping. The mother hung up a bag of sand, deceiving him by saying, 'This is cooked rice.' For seven days the child stared intently at the bag, taking it to be food. After seven days, the mother untied it to show him. When the child saw it was sand, he lost all hope and died on that account. This proves that birth, old age, sickness, and death are all one's own citta; earth, water, fire, and wind ultimately have no separate entity. Therefore, sentient beings are attached to birth-and-death, and the two vehicles revile and fear birth-and-death; neither understands that there are no dharmas outside the mind, and both are detained by objects. Although their grasping and rejecting differ, neither is liberation. Why? Sentient beings are bound by birth-and-death; the two vehicles are bound by nirvāṇa. As the Laṅkāvatārasūtra says: 'Furthermore, Mahāmati, the śrāvakas, fearing the suffering of the false discrimination of birth-and-death, seek nirvāṇa, not knowing that the distinction between birth-and-death and nirvāṇa is entirely the existence of false discrimination; because it is non-existent, they falsely calculate that the future cessation of sense organs and objects is nirvāṇa, not knowing that by realizing the realm of self-realization, they transform the underlying ālayavijñāna into great nirvāṇa. Those foolish persons do not know the realm of self-mind taught by past, future, and present Buddhas; they grasp objects outside the mind, and constantly transmigrate in birth-and-death without cease.' ### [73.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.26) Question: If the continuity of birth-and-death results in ripening effects due to the existence-limbs (bhavāṅga) of the twofold grasping and the two kinds of vāsanās—self-grasping and conventional designation—then to which consciousness does the karma of birth-and-death that comes first and departs last definitively belong? ### [73.27](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.27) Answer: Only the eighth consciousness is the root of all ripenings. If this consciousness did not exist, birth-and-death could not be established, because the preceding seven evolving consciousnesses have interruptions and are not primary. This consciousness is also named the 'appropriating consciousness' (ādānavijñāna), as it is able to hold and maintain the seeds and the sense-facultied physical body. In the first moment, it has the sense of grasping rebirth and connecting lives in succession—that is, the sense of realms, destinies, and modes of birth. This grasping rebirth and connecting lives does not extend to the fruit stage; from the eighth bhūmi upward, grasping rebirth and connecting lives no longer applies. Here we only take the sense of holding and maintaining the seeds and the sense-facultied physical body, hence it is named the meaning of 'holding and maintaining'. This extends to all stages. This is the stage of birth: initially grasping the womb to form a physical body, up until the time of death, when all the preceding consciousnesses become darkened and pass away; only the ripening consciousness is the last to hold and appropriate the physical parts of the body. Where it relinquishes its appropriation, cold touch immediately arises, because lifespan, warmth, and consciousness are inseparable. When cold touch arises, it is insentient matter; although it is transformed and also perceived, it is no longer appropriated. Therefore, for ordinary beings and noble ones alike, it constantly acts as the basis, and in relinquishing a birth and proceeding to a birth, it is ever the master. ### [73.28](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.28) Question: Regarding the bases of birth-and-death, approximately how many matters are there? ### [73.29](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.29) Answer: The matters upon which the transmigration of birth-and-death relies are three. The sūtra states that there are three kinds of transmigration: first is the transmigration of place, through discrimination of self in the three times; second is the transmigration of affairs, through grasping and clinging to the self by means of the six external sense bases; third is transmigrating in such a manner, through the continuous transmigration of karmic ripenings. ### [73.30](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.30) Question: If birth-and-death is established through the vāsanās of the twofold grasping, it must rely on active functions before becoming vāsanās. What active dharmas perfume to produce birth-and-death? ### [73.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.31) Answer: Initially, because of avidyā and non-comprehension, karma is initiated; subsequently, because of emotional affection and greedy craving, rebirth is moistened. Therefore it is said: 'From delusion arises affection, and thereupon my illness arises.' Because of delusion and affection, thoughts continue moment to moment. One should know that a thought is itself birth-and-death. The sūtra says: 'Arousing one good thought, one receives a human or heavenly body; arousing one evil thought, one receives a body in the three wretched realms.' Therefore, one knows that day and night, moment by moment, bodies of future birth-and-death are created; how could there be an end to it? The preface to the Ānāpānasmṛtisūtra says: 'Within the snap of a finger, citta transforms nine hundred and sixty times; in a day and a night, there are one billion three hundred million thoughts; in each thought there is a body, yet citta itself does not know it, like the seeds of the great elements.' The Bodhisattva-garbhasthasūtra says: 'In the snap of a finger, there are three billion two hundred million thoughts; every thought forms a bodily form, and every form has consciousness. The awe-inspiring spiritual power of the Buddha enters into those subtle consciousnesses, causing them all to attain deliverance.' This consciousness is what is taught and transformed; it is not non-conscious. ### [73.32](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.32) Question: Is the dharma of birth-and-death existent or non-existent? ### [73.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.33) Answer: It is neither existent nor non-existent. Why is that? If one says it is existent, earth, water, fire, and wind inside and outside one's body are each empty of inherent nature and have never gathered or dispersed. Therefore, the arising of the unarisen can be spoken of as "arising," and the cessation of the unceasing can be spoken of as "cessation." As the Sutra of the Lion's Roar of the Ultimate Meaning by the Girl Andijā says: "If one can clearly understand that the four conditions of earth, water, fire, and wind have ultimately never obtained any combination of their own, and yet can speak in accordance with what is appropriate, this is the meaning of arising. ... Up to, if one can clearly understand that earth, water, fire, and wind ultimately do not obtain any dispersion or destruction of their own, and yet can speak in accordance with what is appropriate, this is the meaning of death." If one says it is non-existent, it is because defiled and pure tathatā does not abide by its own nature, but unconsciously accords with conditions to give rise to illusory arising and ceasing; hence it is said that when the dharmakāya transmigration through the five destinies, it is called "sentient beings." As explained above regarding the two kinds of birth and death of ordinary beings and noble ones, one must understand the Middle Way of birth and death; only then does one leave behind annihilation and permanence. Thus, the unarisenness of arising is such that the true nature is clear and tranquil; the arising of the unarisen is such that karmic fruits are vividly apparent. That the true nature is clear and tranquil means one cannot grasp at permanence; that karmic fruits are vividly apparent means one cannot grasp at annihilation. Furthermore, the appearance of the Buddhas in the world is still like sky-flowers erratically arising and erratically ceasing; how much more so the inverted birth and death of sentient beings, which is merely like a false dream or like mad intoxication—how could it be real? Master Rong said: "For all ordinary beings and noble ones, from the three destinies on up to sarvākārajñatā on down, all imagine \[phenomena\] to exist; they are all within a dream. Just as someone in a dream sees themselves in hell and seeks escape through various expedients, vainly generating toil and bitterness, but if they just shake themselves awake, all those matters come to an end and are non-existent; so too all actions done now are within a dream, and dream-retributions are received in return. Furthermore, it is like a mad, drunken person who constantly turns following objects. Therefore, all sentient beings drink the wine of avidyā, lie upon the five abodes of affliction, and remain dazed for long kalpas—who is awake? When one suddenly comes to see the nature, it is like awakening from drunkenness. As a sutra verse says: 'Just like a dazed and drunken person / Who awakens after the wine wears off, / Attaining the unsurpassed body of the Buddha, / Which is my true dharmakāya.' Also, if one enters into the mirror of the source, one suddenly illuminates the true nature; looking back upon worldly birth and death, names and characteristics are deceptive and false, just like children's play or like actors. Although their transformations are of a thousand differences, the one nature is vividly unmoved. As the verse by Venerable Caotang says: 'The entertainer was originally a single body, / Suddenly acting as an official, suddenly as a slave. / Although names and garments change, / From beginning to end, slave and master are not different at all.'" ### [73.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.34) Record of the Mirror of the Source, Fascicle Seventy-Three ### [73.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73.35) Blocks carved under the supervision of the Branch Office of the Grand Canon in the wushen year. ## Linked texts (1) - [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.73.1) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.73) · Pramāṇa