英語訳
[Right Upper Section]
Question: In the position of "mutual functioning of the faculties" in the sutra text, can the five faculties take other particles (dust)?
See this as in the fifth volume commentary of the Jinsi-shō.
Question: The sutra text states "from the Brahmā heavens up to the peak of existence, all the bodily fragrances of the gods are also heard." Are these then karmic result fragrances? The Xuanzan states "These are supernatural power result fragrances, not karmic results." Regarding this, the Yogācāra treatise explains meditative result forms, stating "It should be known that there are only manifest form characteristics, etc." Why does this contradict this text in saying there are supernatural power result fragrances? Moreover, the verse states: "In the Light-Sound and Universally Pure heavens, up to the peak of existence, initial birth and final departure, hearing fragrances they can know all." Initial birth and departure necessarily dwell in scattered mind. Why speak of fragrances transformed by meditative supernatural powers?
Regarding meditative result fragrances and tastes, see the second volume commentary of the Consciousness-Only treatise.
Explanation: The positions of death and birth have indefinite scope. If discussing extreme positions, there is only the eighth consciousness. If following adjacent sequences, it also extends to conscious mind. Birth and death are listed among the fifteen types of non-shared karma of the sixth consciousness. Based on this, those who attain parinirvāṇa at birth arise the path of elimination in the birth-existence. This is death of tri-nature mind. It is also discussed regarding the six consciousnesses. If so, why are there no meditative result form-objects in initial birth and departure? "Necessarily dwelling in scattered mind" clarifies the extreme position. The base treatise's "it should be known there are only manifest form characteristics, etc." - our school has explanations in various places that meditative result transformed objects extend to the five particles, which should be the correct interpretation. According to that meaning, the treatise simply explains this based on ordinary beings in the form realm and Perfection Vehicle śrāvakas in the formless realm, not explaining everything.
[Right Lower Section]
Question (from another angle): Regarding Light-Sound and Universally Pure, in initial birth and departure, hearing fragrances they can know all. Are the fragrances of initial birth and departure then transformed by bodhisattvas, or transformed by those various gods? If transformed by those various gods, that consciousness in the positions of departure and rebirth necessarily dwells in scattered mind is established by both Great and Small Vehicles. In those two positions, meditative supernatural consciousness does not arise. How could they transform supernatural result fragrance objects? If bodhisattvas themselves transform fragrances to know initial birth and departure, is this using self-transformed fragrances to know those matters? Therefore the Xuanzan states "This is based on supernatural power depending on forms." Since it speaks of form-dependent fragrances, it is known this means transformation by those gods. Also, the Sheshaku explains this passage: "This concerns arising supernatural power depending on actual bodies in the form realm to transform and produce fragrances, etc."
See Consciousness-Only Commentary, third volume.
Explanation: Regarding formless realm palace fragrances, bodhisattvas whose bodies are in the desire and form realms, within playful supernatural powers, transform and create palaces for formless realm beings, causing wonderful fragrances to exist in those palaces. Can consciousness issued by sutra-holders' nose faculties take those fragrances? People born in the formless realm, even if they are broad-wisdom śrāvakas, cannot produce fragrances and tastes. Because they don't borrow form realm meditation and don't arise lower meditative supernatural powers. Because formless realm meditation doesn't transform fragrances and tastes. It is known these are transformed by others. Also, sutra-holders don't themselves transform formless realm palace fragrances, etc. For ordinary-stage bodhisattvas, accomplishing this matter is difficult.
This matter is quite unclear and should be investigated and studied.
[Left Upper Section]
The Xuanzan states: "How does the form realm have fragrances? These are supernatural power result fragrances, not karmic results. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra states: 'The bodhisattva's nose faculty hears fragrances of formless palaces.' This is based on supernatural power transformations depending on forms. That is based on meditative power transformations resembling forms, so there is no contradiction."
It also states: "However, the Yogācāra states: 'Superior meditative result forms, it should be known, have only manifest form characteristics, etc., because the arising causes of those fragrances, etc. are lacking, and also because they are useless' - those who depend on the form realm as meditative substantial objects to transform meditative objects then have no fragrances or tastes. Depending on desire objects, there are some. Also, when preparatory mind is inferior, arising causes are lacking and absent. When causes are strong, then there are some. Bodhisattvas have them but Two Vehicle practitioners don't. Sages have them but ordinary beings don't. Buddha's disciples have them but outsiders, etc. don't, due to inferiority. However, the Yogācāra states: 'Superior meditative result forms achieve autonomy regarding all forms.' Therefore it is known that meditative supernatural results extend to everything."
The Kōso commentary is entirely the same.
The Kyōsui-shō states: "Saying 'because the arising causes of those fragrances, etc. hear' and below, there are two layers. Because the formless realm lacks actual form functions, there are no real fragrances but pseudo-fragrances exist. There are two arising causes: First, lacking fragrance-taste seeds, called lacking arising causes. Second, lacking preparatory mind to create fragrance-taste-touch. Since this mind is already absent, it's called lacking arising causes. 'Also because useless' means: Question: What is called useless? Answer: Formless realm people don't eat solid food. If eating solid food, they would need to obtain the three benefits of fragrance-taste-touch. Question: If Two Vehicle practitioners lack this, shouldn't they be non-sages? Answer: Among Two Vehicle practitioners, broad-wisdom śrāvakas have it, others don't. Saying 'Two Vehicle practitioners lack it' means non-broad-wisdom ones lack it. Among sages, bodhisattvas and broad-wisdom śrāvakas have it.
[Left Lower Section]
Others don't. 'Buddhas and bodhisattvas have it' means bodhisattvas depending on the formless realm can also transform and obtain fragrances and tastes."
Question: Regarding the merits of six pure faculties, does the pure tongue faculty take taste particles of the three-thousand-fold world from afar? Or what? If it takes them, taste particles are objects of contact-knowledge. Even with pure tongue faculties, why take distant objects of the great thousand-fold world separated from substance? Therefore, though the sutra explains not receiving evil, etc. superior functions, it doesn't say taking great thousand-fold world tastes. If taking through this, since the tongue faculty already possesses 1200 merits, why not take great thousand-fold world taste particles? The other five faculties all take distant objects. Why is the tongue faculty alone not thus? Therefore, the Xuanzan appears to see taking three-thousand taste particles. How is this?
Explanation: Pure tongue faculty people can take tastes of the three-thousand-fold world. The Xuanzan has two meanings in reconciling the sutra. Simply using verse text to explain "the tongue's functional sounds pervade the great thousand, etc." uses sound as metaphorical manifestation. Next, "fragrances can exist separated from substance but tastes immediately disappear when separated from substance" reconciles this based on the presence or absence of separated-substance functions. Both meanings are abbreviated and not explained.
According to the Kyōsui-shō, the commentary has three meanings. According to Master Kō, it's not made into a separate interpretation.
Investigation: How does the tongue faculty take distant taste particles? Answer: Knowing from afar through meditative wisdom. This can be understood through explanations of taking depending on the nose faculty. Sutra-holders, though dwelling in the southern continent, can know all tastes of grasses, trees, etc. in heaven and earth. Why not speak of tasting flavors? If not knowing, it wouldn't be the tongue faculty