大乘百法明門論開宗義決 1.236

1.236

Regarding "or transforming the objective-aspect (nimitta-bhāga) of the five sensory fields of the eighth [consciousness], etc.": this means that the great earth, the great oceans, and so forth are all the objective-aspect of the eighth consciousness. Through the power of mastery in samādhi of bodhisattvas and others, they are transformed into appearances such as gold, silver, butter, and curd. However, there are two theories concerning this: Some say it is provisional, not real: because the mind of meditative absorption and wisdom of bodhisattvas and others is the conceptual discrimination of the sixth consciousness, it transforms without real function, merely causing sentient beings to see it temporarily; yet the great earth and so forth do not truly transform. If it were not so, it should remain permanently fixed; how could it exist temporarily and then immediately disappear? Others say it is truly transformed: because through the power of meditative absorption and wisdom of bodhisattvas and others, they forcefully strike and arouse the common-mark seeds in the root consciousness, causing them to transform into various material appearances; even the real earth and so forth transform according to their wisdom. Although the transformed appearances are real and not false, because the karma of sentient beings is strong, they return to their original appearance. If it were not so, they would lack real substance; how could they enable sentient beings to experience their use? Furthermore, they would be wholesome and not called indeterminate, because they hold to the provisional and real marks of the mind-only meditative absorption. Although their transformation is entirely due to the meditative mind, because they derive from seeds, they are truly existent; their nature is solely indeterminate, and they are objects of the root consciousness; therefore, they obtain the name 'result of supernatural power that is indeterminate'.