大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 3.61

3.61

The treatise says: "Retaining and maintaining past [good and bad karma without letting it be lost] ... unconsciously [and falsely thinking of the things of the present and future]."

Exposition: This is the third part, revealing function. Some maintain: this reveals the functions of the five [aspects of] manas. Previously it merely explained the individual characteristics of the five aspects of manas; this collectively and illustratively reveals the five functions, not meaning to separately reveal the meaning of continuity, because in the preceding nine marks this text was absent. "Retaining and maintaining past immeasurable..." reveals the functions of the fundamental consciousness of the preceding three subtle [marks]. Because of the ālayavijñāna of karma, manifestation, and appearance, it gathers and stores the seeds of good and bad karma of all dharmas; hence it can retain and maintain the good and bad karma of many past lives without letting it be lost. This explains that the fundamental consciousness can hold seeds: because it gathers karmic seeds without letting them be lost, and produces good fruits in accordance with good and bad seeds, it can bring to fruition the fruits and retributions of the present and future without discrepancy. This explains that the fundamental consciousness can give rise to active manifestations. "Being able to cause things already experienced in the present..." and below reveals the functions of the subsequent two [marks of] phenomenal consciousness. Because of that phenomenal consciousness's discrimination through attachment to dharmas, it can be mindful of and deliberate upon things of the three times; hence it says "unconsciously and falsely thinking," etc.

Some maintain: it merely reveals the functions of phenomenal consciousness. Because this can keep the causes and effects of the three times from being severed, it is called the continuing consciousness. Among the preceding nine marks, it was treated provisionally according to its own substance; here, it further explains the meaning of continuity according to function, not meaning to collectively reveal the five functions. Otherwise, the manifesting consciousness manifests the five sense fields, etc., and all such marks should extend to the first two.

When mental consciousness gives rise to delusions, it has three aspects regarding karma: first, giving rise to delusions of view, it initiates unarisen karma, causing it to arise; second, giving rise to delusions of cultivation, it moistens unripened karma, causing it to ripen; third, giving rise to both view and cultivation, it leads unproduced karma, causing it to be produced. By this it can cause birth-and-death to continue. Now in this passage it merely cites the latter two: because it can give rise to these afflictions that moisten karma, it leads and maintains the seeds of karma initiated in the past without losing their function, causing them to form an existence capable of producing future fruit; hence it says "retaining and maintaining... without letting it be lost." Furthermore, because it can give rise to afflictions that lead karma, it can cause ripened seeds of good and bad karma to correspond to the cessation of that vipāka karmic fruit in accordance with what is appropriate; hence it says "maturing without discrepancy." This leading and ripening causes birth in this way: the continuity and uninterrupted circulation of cause and effect across the three times has its function manifested by the manas, and its consciousness-function is coarse. Possessing this function, it is named the continuing consciousness based on its function. Next, citing the mindfulness and deliberation of things across the three times reveals the subtle discrimination of the distinct cognitive consciousness; hence it says "being able to cause... falsely thinking."