維摩經疏 1.8

1.8

In the second part, on understanding, "deeply entering conditioned arising and severing wrong views" constitutes their svārtha. Entering deeply into conditioned arising clarifies their ability to comprehend and remedy. Contemplating exhaustively is called "deep"; understanding and according [with it] is called "entering." As for "conditioned arising," it refers to the twelve links of conditionality. In the sūtras, it is called causes and conditions (hetupratyaya), also called conditioned arising (pratītyasamutpāda), and also called aggregation through conditions. Relying on causes and depending on conditions all dharmas are able to arise, hence they are called "causes and conditions." Dharmas depend on conditions to arise, hence "conditioned arising." Dharmas gather through conditions, hence "aggregation through conditions." What are their names? They are from ignorance up to old age and death. How does one deeply enter the dharma of causes and conditions? Reality alone does not produce [them], and delusion alone does not complete [them]. Only when reality and delusion unite do they gather and arise. Within this, the expanding and contracting, the detailed and the brief, are not fixed. Or it is divided into two: solely reality and delusion. If based on delusion to comprehensively encompass the twelve links of causes and conditions, they are all arisen from the deluded mind, and are called delusion. If based on reality to comprehensively gather them, they are all arisen from the true mind, and are said to be reality. Or it is taken as three: first, the conditioned arising of phenomenal affairs, where the twelve links of causes and conditions are all produced by the six kinds of phenomenal consciousness; second, the conditioned arising of delusion, where, based on delusion to comprehensively encompass the twelve links of causes and conditions, they are all made by the deluded conceptualising mind of the seventh consciousness, like seeing a floating speck of dust—hence the sūtra says that the three realms are false and deceptive, all made by one mind, made by the deluded mind; third, the conditioned arising of reality, where, based on reality to comprehensively encompass the twelve links of causes and conditions, they are all made by the true mind, like waves made of water—this is as explained in the sixth bhūmi of the Daśabhūmika-sūtra, and therefore that sūtra states: "The twelve links of causes and conditions are all made by one mind," meaning made by the true mind of the ālayavijñāna. Subdivided, there are six: within the aforementioned causes and conditions of the phenomenal consciousness, there are two distinct meanings: first, the causes and conditions of phenomenal marks, transmigrating through the three times, not self and not of self, as the Abhidharma explains; second, nominal and conventional causes and conditions, where the twelve links of causes and conditions are all conventional existence of names and functions, devoid of intrinsic nature, as the Tattvasiddhi explains. Within the aforementioned causes and conditions of the deluded consciousness, there are also two distinct meanings: first, the causes and conditions of deluded marks, where the twelve links of causes and conditions exist with the marks of actual illusions and falsehoods, like a phantasm or a mirage, having marklessness as their mark, marks being itself markless—not only is there no intrinsic nature, marks are also unattainable; second, the causes and conditions of deluded conceptualisations, where the twelve links of causes and conditions all arise from the deluded mind, there being no dharma outside the mind, just as what is seen as a floating speck of dust is merely mind seeing, with no dharma outside the mind. Within the aforementioned causes and conditions of the true consciousness, there are also two distinct meanings: first, the causes and conditions of true function, where the nature of the tathāgatagarbha, untainted yet tainted, gives rise to the twelve links—hence the sūtra states: "The nature of the tathāgatagarbha is the cause of all wholesome and unwholesome things, able universally to produce all destinies and births, just like a magician manifesting various destinies"; and the sūtra also states: "This very dharmadhātu revolving in the five destinies is called a sentient being"—these are all the causes and conditions of true function; second, the causes and conditions of the true essence, where the nature of the tathāgatagarbha is the essence of causes and conditions, and is called causes and conditions, yet within this essence there are no marks of causes and conditions—because the real nature of the tathāgatagarbha is truly the essence of conditions, the sūtras proclaim the twelve links of causes and conditions to be the Buddha-nature, and seeing the twelve links of conditions is called seeing the Buddha, seeing the Dharma, and seeing the Saṅgha. These bodhisattvas are all able to penetrate and exhaustively comprehend them as such, hence it is said that they "deeply enter." This clarifies comprehension and remedying.