英語訳
[Right page, upper section]
Even if there are objects, without the capability to properly know them, how could one know? Therefore, the essence of mind transforms and produces the capability to know objects well. This function of knowing well is called the subjective division. What is called the witnessing-self-witnessing division is the capability that knows the self-witnessing division well. The self-witnessing division, as the essence of mind, exists in the center and knows both the subjective division and the witnessing-self-witnessing division. Mind as a thing is pure and clear, like a bright mirror. Therefore, it not only knows its own functions but also returns to know its own essence well. Such inconceivable principles are discussed only by our school. To speak in detail again, for example, when using a bright mirror to illuminate the forms of objects, reflections also appear within the mirror. Those reflections never exist outside the mirror. Simply because the mirror's essence is pure, when it faces objects it necessarily illuminates them, manifesting as the function of illuminating. What the mirror's light intimately illuminates are the reflected images. What it distantly illuminates are the original forms of the objects facing the mirror. The mirror's light is the capability of clearly polished copper. The mirror's body is the clearly polished copper itself. Therefore, the moving reflections are the light that illuminates them and the mirror's function. Separate from the mirror, those object-bodies do not exist. When mind knows objects, floating the objects to be known within mind is called the objective division, like reflections in a mirror. The form that serves as the foundation of that objective division is called the original substance.
[Right page, lower section]
That original substance is also the objective division of ālaya consciousness. It has no separate original substance. What arises upon the mind with the function of knowing well is called the subjective division, like the light of a mirror. The time of the function that floats well and knows well is called the self-witnessing division, like the pure copper of the mirror's body. When eye consciousness temporarily arises and perceives colors like blue and yellow, those colors float and appear before eye consciousness. This is the objective division. The original substance of those colors is precisely the objective division of the eighth consciousness. The function of eye consciousness seeing this well is the subjective division. What generates both this function of colors being seen and the function of the seeing subjective division is the essence of eye consciousness. The essence is precisely the self-witnessing division. The mental factors that follow this are all likewise. The state of mind-kings and mental factors when ear consciousness hears sounds, nose consciousness smells fragrances, and even when mental consciousness thinks of myriad things and engages in conceptual discrimination are all like this. These should be gradually understood and comprehended. However, I have not yet explained how manas and ālaya consciousness know objects. Manas faces the subjective division of ālaya consciousness and thinks "this is me, me." Beyond this, it does not know objects. Since beginningless time, ālaya consciousness has thus known seeds, the five sense organs, and the container world. What are called seeds are the seeds of all dharmas. What are called the five sense organs are the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body among the eleven form factors. What is called the container world includes mountains, rivers, great earth, dwellings, fields, and gardens. Both manas and ālaya consciousness have the same manner of four divisions. The mental factors that follow them are
[Left page, upper section]
also thus. Therefore, form factors are not separate from the one mind—everything is consciousness-only. Next, I shall explain various aspects of seeds. First, what kind of thing are seeds? How do they arise? In what way do they produce things? What are called seeds are the vital essence of the various dharmas of form and mind. In both form and mind, each has real dharmas and provisional dharmas. Among these, real dharmas all arise from seeds and perfume seeds. Perfuming means leaving one's vital essence behind. The way of leaving it behind is this: first, when eye consciousness temporarily arises and is about to see color, it immediately perishes. When it is about to perish, it immediately arises. What is called arising means immediately seeing color. During this momentary arising and perishing, when both the perceived color and the arising eye consciousness are generated, they necessarily each leave behind their vital essence. The vital essence that is left behind, both of form and of mind, all hide and sink down so that their forms are difficult to see. The vital essence that falls and gathers together within ālaya consciousness is called seeds, and what arises from these seeds as form and mind is called manifest activity. Form manifests from form seeds. It necessarily manifests from its own vital essence and does not manifest from other vital essences. What is called manifest activity means that when it exists as seeds, what was hidden and sunken has appeared and arisen. Like eye consciousness, when ear consciousness arises and hears sounds, and even when manas consciousness perceives the subjective division of ālaya consciousness, all likewise
[Left page, lower section]
perfume seeds. Generally, all conditioned dharmas arise and perish moment by moment. What is called a moment is extremely short time—even faster than cutting a hair, even swifter than lightning. You should understand this through the gradual passing of time. Passing is precisely perishing, called the past. Coming is precisely arising, called the present. What has not yet come is called the future. What thing is not like this? There is nothing that wavers and remains even briefly. Even heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers that seem to exist timelessly—today is not yesterday's, and this moment is not what came before. Examining this by pressing closer step by step, the swiftness of perishing has nothing to which it can be compared. Even things in the world that seem to last long are like this—how much more so other things that need not be mentioned. However, though we speak of perishing like this, things that appear to exist constantly generate the same form when they perish. The swiftness of their arising is also like their perishing. Therefore, they appear to exist constantly. For example, it is like snow falling on water—when it falls it immediately melts, when you look it is immediately falling. Though we say it melts, it appears like the state of snow on water. Things in the world that people think are impermanent perish and arise again slowly, and though they arise immediately,