大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 4.13

4.13

Treatise: "Furthermore, defiled mind [...] karma-cognition." Commentary: Next is the revelation of the meaning of the two hindrances. Herein there are two parts: first, directly revealing the two hindrances; second, questioning and explaining the reason. This is the first. In the text there are two parts: first, afflictions; second, cognitions. One opinion holds: Here, "hindrance" (礙) differs from "obstruction" (障). In the explicit gate they are called the two obstructions; within the implicit gate they are called the two hindrances. That is, within the coarse and superficial gate of the Dharma-characteristic school, the one hundred and twenty-eight instances of greed, anger, ignorance, and so on, headed by attachment to self, afflict sentient beings and can obstruct nirvāṇa; they are called the affliction obstruction. Views, doubt, ignorance, craving, conceit, and so on, headed by attachment to dharmas, veil the knowable realm and can obstruct bodhi; they are called the knowable obstruction. These two obstructions reside exclusively in the seven distinct consciousnesses and definitely do not accompany the eighth consciousness. Within the esoteric gate of the Dharma-nature school, not only the two attachments and two obstructions in the consciousnesses, but also those eight consciousnesses together are collectively called affliction; the fundamental avidyā, because it is subtle and is that on which they rely, is called the hindrance to cognition. To sever this divergent view, the word "hindrance" (礙) is used. Due to this meaning, "hindrance" differs from "obstruction". Another opinion holds: This explanation is certainly not reasonable. The new translation uses "obstruction" (障) and does not say "hindrance" (礙); therefore, the Liang translation of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and so on, following the former school's meaning, also use the word "hindrance". How could it be esoteric? The translators used "obstruction" or "hindrance" interchangeably without difference. One can only follow the schools in revealing the depth or shallowness of meaning. "Defiled mind": the six kinds of defiled mind can obstruct, etc., reveals the meaning of hindrance. The marvelous wisdom that illuminates quiescence, the cognition of reality, is called the fundamental cognition. "Fundamental cognition" means either the cognition of the fundamental or that the fundamental is itself cognition; both interpretations are admissible. This is the "characteristic of cognitive purity" mentioned above. This fundamental cognition is said to be tathatā: first, because it is the original awakening cognition of tathatā; second, because it is cultivated and produced in reliance on tathatā; third, because it illuminates the fundamental principle of tathatā. These defiled minds are vexing, disturbing, and moving, obstructing this quiescence, and are called the affliction hindrance; this is a karmadhāraya compound. "Avidyā": that fundamental avidyā obstructs karma-cognition reveals its meaning of hindrance. That is, the subsequent cognition of quantity can, in accordance with the worldly, initiate its own active karma; because it has the active karma of the worldly sphere, it obtains this name; it is a bahuvrīhi compound. This is the inconceivable karma-cognition spoken of above. The arising of this karma also has three meanings: first, because original awakening follows defilement and forms it; second, because it is cultivated and produced in accordance with quantity; third, because it attains this substance of quantity. Avidyā is muddled and makes no distinctions, conflicting with the functioning of this cognition, and is called the hindrance to cognition. It is the hindrance of cognition, so it is a tatpuruṣa compound.