大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 4.30

4.30

The treatise states: "These deluded sensory realms [...] grasping-perfuming."
The commentary states: Below, the three perfumings are explained in detail. The preceding three meanings are divided into three, proceeding from back to front. First, sensory realms are explained. This expands upon the previous statement, "Because there are sensory realms, they forthwith perfume the deluded mind, etc." That is, because the realms manifested by the manifesting consciousness have those marks of resembling dharmas and resembling self, they can in turn assist in perfuming the deluded mind of the manifesting consciousness, giving rise within phenomenal consciousness to the thoughts and grasping of dharma and self; hence it is said that the perfuming of realms has two aspects. If it were not so, there would be no distinction between the two perfumings. Because this consciousness possesses fundamental avidyā and does not realize the markless dharma of tathatā, it is said that the object of cognition is like an orb of color, abiding in the realm and wisdom traversed by impure cognition. Based on this, the Madhyāntavibhāga verse says: "Sense organs, dust-objects, self, and consciousness—the fundamental consciousness arises resembling them." Thus, the manifesting consciousness manifests two realms: first, the realm resembling differentiated real marks of dharmas; second, the realm resembling universal marks of a real self. Due to the perfuming power of the realm resembling dharmas, it gives rise to that characteristic of cognition and characteristic of continuity—namely, thoughts of attachment to dharmas within phenomenal consciousness; hence it says "increasing the perfuming of thought." Due to the perfuming power of the realm resembling self, it gives rise to the characteristic of grasping and the characteristic of attachment to names—namely, the grasping of the view of self within phenomenal consciousness; hence it says "increasing the perfuming of grasping." If so, then phenomenal consciousness should grasp external realms without possessing reflected image-realms manifested by itself. The answer is: in truth, there are also realms manifested by itself, because both realms manifested by these two consciousnesses possess the meaning of arising mind based on mind. Just as the evolving and manifesting consciousnesses give rise to various realms, precisely due to the manifested realms the evolving and manifesting consciousnesses are completed; because realms draw forth and produce mental characteristics manifested in consciousness, the attachment to dharma-self manifests realms of dharma-self, and due to the realms of dharma-self the attachment to dharma-self is accomplished, since grasper and grasped are mutually established. Now, in this text it only speaks of the arising of mind and does not speak of the realms manifested by phenomenal consciousness, intending to show that manifested realms further perfume the fundamental consciousness, increasingly giving rise to the thoughts and graspings of dharma and self in phenomenal consciousness; hence it speaks of "increasing combined perfuming," and so forth.