Lankavatara Sutra 2:IV
English
Mahāmati asked the Buddha, “Honored One! How many types of arising, abiding, and cessation of consciousness are there?”
The Buddha answered Mahāmati, “Mahāmati! The arising, abiding, and cessation of consciousness cannot be understood through recursive thought.
Mahāmati, the various consciousnesses each have two types of arising, abiding, and ceasing. The two kinds of ceasing, abiding, and arising are: (1) cessation of characteristics, and (2) cessation of continuity.
Mahāmati! Consciousness has three types. Which three? The first, transformational characteristics. The second, karmic characteristics. The third, wisdom characteristics.
Mahāmati, there are eight kinds of consciousness, which are summarized in two categories. Which two? First, discriminating consciousness (perceiving). Second, conceptualizing consciousness (abstracting). Mahāmati! Like seeing many forms in a mirror, the discriminating consciousness perceives mirror-like appearances. Discriminating and conceptualizing consciousness have no distinguishing characteristics; each is the cause of the other in turn.
The discriminating consciousness is unfathomably perfumed (with latent karmic impressions). The conceptualizing consciousness discriminates and grasps at perceived objects.
From beginningless time, conceptual proliferation has perfumed the mind, Mahāmati. As the various perfumed tendencies of the ālaya-consciousness’s deluded distinctions are brought to cessation, the sense faculties likewise cease.
Mahāmati! This is called the cessation of characteristics.
Mahāmati, the cessation of continuity, occurs when the cause of continuity ceases. When both the cause and the conditions cease, continuity ceases. Mahāmati! This is what is meant by relying on dharmas and relying on conditions.
“Relying on dharmas” refers to the beginningless perfuming of the mind by conceptual proliferation and false ideation; “Relying on conditions” refers to one’s own mind-consciousness perceiving and discriminating the field of phenomena.
Mahāmati, for example, a lump of clay and fine dust particles are neither different nor not different. Gold and the ornaments made from it are likewise— neither different nor not different.
Mahāmati! If a lump of clay were truly different, it couldn’t give rise to the form—but it does, so it is not different. Yet, if it were not different, there would be no distinction between the lump and the dust.
Mahāmati, so too with the transforming consciousness and the ālaya-consciousness: if their characteristics were truly different, transformation could not arise from ālaya; but if they were not different, then when transformation ceases, ālaya should also cease. Yet in its own nature, ālaya does not cease.
Therefore, Mahāmati: the self-characteristics of the various consciousnesses cease. With the cessation of self-characteristics, karmic characteristics also cease. Likewise, if self-characteristics cease, the ālaya-consciousness should cease as well.
Mahāmati, if the ālaya-consciousness were to cease, this would be no different from the annihilationism of the heterodox schools. Mahāmati! Those teachers say: ‘When separated from all phenomenal objects, continuity-consciousness ceases; and with the cessation of continuity-consciousness, all consciousness is extinguished.’ But Mahāmati, if continuity-consciousness truly ceased, then the beginningless stream of all consciousnesses would already have ceased.
Mahāmati, the heterodox schools say that the continuity of consciousness arises from a creator. They do not claim that consciousness arises from the conjunction of eye, form, space, and clarity but instead assert the existence of a doer. Mahāmati, what do the heterodox mean by ‘creator’? A superior person, a sovereign, time, atoms—these, and others like them, are said to be the creators.
Chinese
爾時聖者大慧菩薩復白佛言：「世尊！諸識[16]有幾種生住滅？」佛告聖者大慧菩薩言：「[17]大慧！諸識生住滅，非思量者之所能知。大慧！諸識各有二種生住[18]滅。大慧！諸識[19]二種滅者：一者、相滅；二者、相續滅。[20]大慧！諸識又二種住：一者、相住；二者、相續住。大慧！諸識有二種[21]生：一者、相生；二者、相續[22]生。大慧！識有三種。何等三種？一者、轉相識；二者、業相識；三者、智相識。大慧！有八種識，略說有二種。何等為二？一者、了別識；二者、分別事識。大慧！如明鏡中見諸色像，大慧！了別識亦如是見種種鏡像。大慧！了別識、分別事識，彼二種識無差別相，迭共為因。大慧！了別識不可思議熏變因。大慧！分別事識分別取境界因。無始來戲論熏習，大慧！阿梨耶識虛妄分別，種種熏滅諸根亦滅。大慧！是名相滅。大慧！相續滅者，相續因滅則相續滅，因e滅緣滅則相續滅。大慧！所謂依法依緣。言依法者，謂無始戲論妄想熏習；言依緣者，謂自心識見境[1]界分別。大慧！譬如泥團微塵非異非不異，金莊嚴具亦[2]復如是，非異非不異。大慧！若泥團異者非彼所成，而實彼成，是故不異；若不異者，泥團微塵應無[3]差別。大慧！如是轉識阿梨耶識，若異相者，不從阿梨耶識生；若不異者，轉識滅阿梨耶識亦應滅，而自相阿梨耶識不滅。是故大慧！[4]諸識自相滅，自相滅者業相滅，若自相滅者阿梨耶識應滅。是故大慧！[4]諸識自相滅，自相滅者業相滅，若自相滅者阿梨耶識應滅。大慧！若阿梨耶識滅者，此不異外道斷見戲論。大慧！彼諸外道作如是說，所謂『離諸境界相續識滅，相續識滅已即滅諸識。』大慧！若相續識滅者，無始世來諸識應滅。大慧！諸外道說相續諸識從作者生，不說識依眼色空明和合而生，而說有作者。大慧！何者是外道作者？勝人、自在、時、微塵[5]等是能作者
INTERLINEAR
爾時聖者大慧菩薩復白佛言：「世尊！諸識[16]有幾種生住滅？」
Then , Mahamati asked the Buddha, “Honored One! How many types of arising, abiding, and cessation consciousness are there?
佛告聖者大慧菩薩言：「[17]大慧！諸識生住滅，非思量者之所能知。
Buddha answered Mahamati, “Mahamati! The arising, abiding, and ceasing consciousness cannot be understood through recursive thought.
大慧！諸識各有二種生住[18]滅。大慧！諸識[19]二種滅者：一者、相滅；二者、相續滅。[20]大慧！諸識又二種住：一者、相住；二者、相續住。大慧！諸識有二種[21]生：一者、相生；二者、相續[22]生。
Mahāmati, the various consciousnesses each have two types of arising, abiding, and ceasing. The two kinds of ceasing, abiding, and arising are: (1) cessation of characteristics and (2) cessation of continuity.
大慧！識有三種。何等三種？一者、轉相識；二者、業相識；三者、智相識。
Mahamati! Consciousness has 3 types. Which three types? The first, transformational characteristics. The second, karmic characteristics. The third, wisdom characteristics.
大慧！有八種識，略說有二種。何等為二？一者、了別識；二者、分別事識。大慧！如明鏡中見諸色像，大慧！了別識亦如是見種種鏡像。大慧！了別識、分別事識，彼二種識無差別相，迭共為因。
Mahamati! There are eight kinds of consciousness, which are summarised in two categories. Which two? First, discriminating consciousness (perceiving). Second, conceptualizing consciousness (abstracting). Mahamati! Like seeing many forms in a mirror, the discriminating consciousness perceives mirror-like appearances. Discriminating and conceptualizing consciousness have no distinguishing characteristics; each is the cause of the other in turn.
大慧！了別識不可思議熏變因。大慧！分別事識分別取境界因。
The discriminating consciousness is unfathomably perfumed (with latent karmic impressions). The conceptualizing consciousness discriminates and grasps at perceived objects.
無始來戲論熏習，大慧！阿梨耶識虛妄分別，種種熏滅諸根亦滅。
From beginningless time, conceptual proliferation has perfumed the mind, Mahāmati. As the various perfumed tendencies of the ālaya-consciousness’s deluded distinctions are brought to cessation, the sense faculties likewise cease.
大慧！是名相滅。
Mahamati! This is called the cessation of characteristics.
大慧！相續滅者，相續因滅則相續滅，因滅緣滅則相續滅。大慧！所謂依法依緣。
Mahāmati, the cessation of continuity, occurs when the cause of continuity ceases. When both the cause and the conditions cease, continuity ceases. Mahamati! This is what is meant by relying on dharmas and relying on conditions.
言依法者，謂無始戲論妄想熏習；言依緣者，謂自心識見境[1]界分別。
“Relying on dharmas” refers to the beginningless perfuming of the mind by conceptual proliferation and false ideation; “Relying on conditions” refers to one’s own mind-consciousness perceiving and discriminating the field of phenomena.
大慧！譬如泥團微塵非異非不異，金莊嚴具亦[2]復如是，非異非不異。
Mahāmati, for example, a lump of clay and fine dust particles are neither different nor not different. Gold and the ornaments made from it are also like this—neither different nor not different.
大慧！若泥團異者非彼所成，而實彼成，是故不異；若不異者，泥團微塵應無[3]差別。
Mahāmati! If a lump of clay were truly different, it couldn’t give rise to the form—but it does, so it is not different. Yet, if it were not different, there would be no distinction between the lump and the dust.
大慧！如是轉識阿梨耶識，若異相者，不從阿梨耶識生；若不異者，轉識滅阿梨耶識亦應滅，而自相阿梨耶識不滅。
Mahāmati, so too with the transforming consciousness and the ālaya-consciousness: if their characteristics were truly different, transformation could not arise from ālaya; but if they were not different, then when transformation ceases, ālaya should also cease. Yet in its own nature, ālaya does not cease.
是故大慧！[4]諸識自相滅，自相滅者業相滅，若自相滅者阿梨耶識應滅。
It is thus, Mahāmati: the self-characteristics of the various consciousnesses cease. With the cessation of self-characteristics, karmic characteristics also cease. Likewise, if self-characteristics cease, the ālaya-consciousness should cease as well.
大慧！若阿梨耶識滅者，此不異外道斷見戲論。大慧！彼諸外道作如是說，所謂『離諸境界相續識滅，相續識滅已即滅諸識。』大慧！若相續識滅者，無始世來諸識應滅。
Mahamati, if the ālaya-consciousness were to cease, this would be no different from the annihilationism of the heterodox schools. Mahamati! Those teachers say: ‘When separated from all phenomenal objects, continuity-consciousness ceases; and with the cessation of continuity-consciousness, all consciousness is extinguished.’ But Mahāmati, if continuity-consciousness truly ceased, then the beginningless world of consciousness would have to cease as well.
大慧！諸外道說相續諸識從作者生，不說識依眼色空明和合而生，而說有作者。大慧！何者是外道作者？勝人、自在、時、微塵[5]等是能作者。
Mahāmati, the heterodox schools say that continuity-consciousness arises from a creator. They do not claim that consciousness arises from the conjunction of eye, form, space, and clarity but instead assert the existence of a creator. Mahāmati, what do the heterodoxy regard as a creator? For some, a superior person, a sovereign, time, atoms—these, and others like them, are said to be the creators.