八識規矩直解
Direct Explanation of the Eight Consciousnesses
三藏法師 玄奘 作
Tripitaka Master Xuanzang
蕅益沙門 智旭 解
Master Ouyi, Monk Zhixu's Commentary
前五識頌
Verses on the First Five Consciousnesses
性境現量通三性
The nature of the perceived object, in direct perception, can be of three kinds.
統論所緣。凡有三境。一性境。二帶質境。三獨影境。一性境者。性是實義。謂相分色從相分種子所生。故名為實。此復有二。一無本質。二有本質。一無本質者。即第八心王所緣根身器界及諸種子。但是自變自緣。不假外質。然約器界及他人之浮塵根。既是共相識種所變。亦得說有外質也。根本智親證真如。雖不變為相分。亦名性境。二有本質者。即今五識所緣現在五塵。及明了意識初念并定中獨頭意識所緣定果色等。皆托第八識之相分以為本質。隨即變為自識相分而為所緣。猶如鏡中所現群像。雖約真諦言之則皆如幻如夢了無真實。而約俗諦言之則五塵即是五識相分。從種子生還熏成種。不同空華鏡像兔角龜毛。亦復不同過去未來之不可得。故名性境也。帶質．獨影二境下文方解。現量者。現謂顯現。量謂度量。五根對境分明顯現。依之發識緣慮度量。雖無隨念．計度二種分別。然有自性分別得彼性境不錯不謬。任運了別不帶名言也。三性者。善．惡．無記也。五識能助第六意識作善惡業。若與信等相應則善性攝。若與無慚等相應則惡性攝。俱不相應則屬無記性攝。故云通三性也。
In summary, there are three types of objects of cognition: 1. The realm of true nature 2. The realm of perceived reality 3. The realm of mental images
**1. The realm of true nature** "True nature" refers to what is real. It means that the perceived forms arise from their own seeds of perception, hence they are called real. This is further divided into two types: - Without an external basis - With an external basis
**Without an external basis** refers to the body, the material world, and all seeds perceived by the eighth consciousness. These are self-generated and self-perceived, without relying on an external basis. However, regarding the material world and the physical bodies of others, since they are produced from shared consciousness seeds, they can also be said to have an external basis. The fundamental wisdom directly realizes true suchness; although it does not transform into perceived forms, it is still called the realm of true nature.
**With an external basis** refers to the five sense objects perceived by the five senses, the initial moment of clear mental consciousness, and the objects perceived in meditative states. These all rely on the perceived forms of the eighth consciousness as their external basis, which are then transformed into the perceived forms of one's own consciousness as the objects of cognition. This is like images reflected in a mirror. From the perspective of ultimate truth, they are illusory and dreamlike, lacking true reality. Yet from the perspective of conventional truth, the five sense objects are the perceived forms of the five senses, arising from seeds and in turn giving rise to new seeds. They are not like imaginary flowers, mirror images, rabbit horns, or turtle fur, nor are they like the unattainable past or future. Hence, they are called the realm of true nature.
The realms of perceived reality and mental images will be explained later.
**Direct perception** "Direct" means manifesting clearly, and "perception" means measuring or discerning. When the five senses encounter objects, they manifest clearly, and based on this, consciousness arises to perceive and discern. Although there is no reflective or conceptual discrimination, there is innate discrimination that accurately apprehends the realm of true nature without error. It operates spontaneously, free from conceptual labels.
**The three natures** These are wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral. The five senses can assist the sixth consciousness in performing wholesome or unwholesome actions. If they are aligned with faith and other wholesome factors, they belong to the wholesome nature. If they are aligned with shamelessness and other unwholesome factors, they belong to the unwholesome nature. If neither applies, they belong to the neutral nature. Hence, they are said to encompass all three natures.
眼耳身三二地居
The eyes, ears, and body reside in the first two realms.
五根通于二界五地。惟無色四天乃無五根。今明五識則鼻．舌二識惟欲界得行。初禪以上無段食雜氣故不現行也。眼．耳．身三識唯欲界五趣雜居地及初禪離生喜樂地此二地中得行。若二禪內淨喜樂則無外色外聲外觸可緣。故并眼．耳．身之三識亦不起現行也。三禪已上不言可知。
The five sense faculties exist in the two realms and five stages. Only the four formless heavens lack the five sense faculties. Now, to clarify the five consciousnesses: the consciousnesses of smell and taste operate only in the desire realm. From the first dhyāna upward, there is no coarse food or mixed scents, so these consciousnesses do not manifest. The consciousnesses of sight, hearing, and touch operate only in the desire realm—specifically in the mixed dwelling of the five destinies—and in the first dhyāna, the stage of joy born of separation. In these two stages, these three consciousnesses can function. In the second dhyāna, where inner purity and joy prevail, there are no external sights, sounds, or touches to perceive. Therefore, the consciousnesses of sight, hearing, and touch also cease to manifest. As for the third dhyāna and beyond, it goes without saying.
徧行別境善十一 中二大八貪瞋癡
(Partial functioning universal, specific determiners, eleven wholesome states, Two intermediate, eight major, plus greed, hatred, and ignorance.)
此明五識但與三十四心所得相應也。徧行五心所。謂作意．觸．受．相．思。徧一切心決相應故。別境于心所謂欲．解．念．定．慧。由同時意識所引。亦得于別別境生欲等故。善十一謂信．慚．愧．無貪．無瞋．無癡．勤．安．不放逸．行捨．不害。欲界善。五識得與十善相應。但除輕安。初禪善眼．耳．身識并得有輕安故。中二隨煩惱。謂無慚．無愧。大八隨煩惱。謂掉舉．惛沉．不信．懈怠．放逸．失念．散亂．不正知。若惡心中定有此十。若有覆無記心中定有掉舉等八。故貪．瞋．癡者根本煩惱之三癡。即無明。徧與一切染心相應。五識緣欲界順情五塵有任運貪。若緣違情五塵有任運瞋。故外道凡夫入初禪時。眼．耳．身識唯有貪癡亦不名惡。但名有覆無記。若佛弟子入初禪者。有觀慧故。不味著故。并無根本癡．貪及大隨八。但名為善也。
This passage explains that the five sense-consciousnesses only correspond to thirty-four mental factors.
The five universal mental factors are: attention, contact, feeling, perception, and volition. They are called universal because they necessarily accompany every moment of consciousness.
The five particular mental factors are: aspiration, resolve, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. They arise in relation to specific objects and are also brought forth by the simultaneous functioning of mental consciousness.
The eleven wholesome mental factors are: faith, shame, embarrassment, non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion, diligence, tranquility, heedfulness, equanimity, and non-harming. In the desire realm, the five sense-consciousnesses can correspond to ten of these wholesome factors, excluding tranquility. In the first dhyāna, the eye, ear, and body consciousnesses also include tranquility.
The two intermediate unwholesome mental factors are: shamelessness and lack of embarrassment.
The eight major unwholesome mental factors are: agitation, dullness, lack of faith, laziness, heedlessness, forgetfulness, distraction, and incorrect knowing. In an unwholesome mind, these ten factors are definitely present. In a obscured neutral mind, the eight factors such as agitation are definitely present.
Greed, hatred, and delusion are three of the fundamental afflictions. Delusion, also called ignorance, accompanies all defiled states of mind.
The five sense-consciousnesses, when encountering agreeable objects of the five senses in the desire realm, give rise to spontaneous greed. When encountering disagreeable objects, they give rise to spontaneous hatred.
Thus, when ordinary people or non-Buddhists enter the first dhyāna, their eye, ear, and body consciousnesses may still contain greed and delusion, but this is not considered unwholesome—it is merely called obscured neutral.
However, when Buddhist practitioners enter the first dhyāna, because they possess contemplative wisdom and do not cling to experiences, they are free from fundamental delusion, greed, and the eight major unwholesome factors. Their state is therefore called wholesome.
五識同依淨色根 九緣七八好相隣
The five senses all rely on the pure sense faculties, With nine, eight, or seven conditions depending on each.
淨色根謂勝義五根。乃第八識所執受之相分。以能發識。比知是有。雖是色法。非外四大所造。亦非肉眼可見。故名為淨色根。依此五根乃發五識。此根即名增上緣。依眼識則更須空緣．明緣．境緣．作意緣．分別依緣．染淨依緣．根本依緣．種子依緣方得生起現行。故云眼識九緣生。耳識則除明緣。但須八緣。以闇中亦聞聲故。鼻．舌．身三識則并除空緣。但須七緣。以合時方知香．味．觸故。
The pure form faculties refer to the five faculties in the ultimate sense. They are the objective aspects grasped and sustained by the eighth consciousness. Because they can give rise to perception, we infer their existence. Although they are material phenomena, they are not formed by the four external elements, nor are they visible to the physical eye. Hence they are called the pure form faculties. Based on these five faculties, the five consciousnesses arise. These faculties are called the dominant condition.
For the eye consciousness to arise, it additionally requires the conditions of space, light, object, attention, the basis of discrimination, the basis of purity and impurity, the fundamental basis, and the seed basis. Thus it is said that the eye consciousness arises from nine conditions. For the ear consciousness, the light condition is omitted, requiring only eight conditions, as sound can be heard in darkness. For the nose, tongue, and body consciousnesses, the space condition is also omitted, requiring only seven conditions, as scents, tastes, and tactile sensations are known only upon direct contact.
合三離二觀塵世 愚者難分識與根
Observing the world, the three gather and the two separate; Fools find it hard to distinguish consciousness from the senses.
鼻．舌．身三。合中取境。眼．耳二種離中取境。故曰合三離二。觀塵世也。觀者能緣之見分。塵世者所緣之相分。五根對境無緣慮用。故大佛頂經云。但如鏡中。無別分析。圓覺經云。其光圓滿。得無憎愛。五識緣境則有自性分別。任運起貪．瞋．癡。然猶無有隨念．計度二種分別。所以不帶名言。不執為外。仍名現量。同時率爾意識亦復如是。直至尋求等流心起。方墮比．非二量之中。然此根識不同之。致惟有秉大乘教以智觀察乃能分之。若愚法聲聞則便難於分別。況凡外乎。
The nose, tongue, and body perceive objects through direct contact. The eyes and ears perceive objects from a distance. Hence it is said: “Three by contact, two by distance—observing the sensory world.”
“Observing” refers to the perceiving aspect, the subject that cognizes. “Sensory world” refers to the perceived aspect, the objects that are cognized.
The five sense faculties themselves, when encountering objects, do not engage in discrimination or reflection. As the *Śūraṅgama Sūtra* states: “They are like mirrors—simply reflecting, without further analysis.”
The *Perfect Enlightenment Sūtra* says: “Their light is complete and perfect, free from aversion or attachment.”
When the five sense-consciousnesses perceive objects, they engage in innate discrimination, spontaneously giving rise to greed, anger, and delusion. Yet they still lack the two kinds of discrimination: reflective recollection and conceptual evaluation. Therefore, they do not involve verbal labels, nor do they grasp objects as external. They are still considered direct perception.
The immediately following mental consciousness, arising together with them, is also like this. It is only when the mind enters into examining, comparing, and following thoughts that it falls into the realms of inference and misconception.
However, this distinction between sense faculties and consciousness can only be clearly discerned through the wisdom cultivated in the Mahāyāna teachings. Those who follow the Śrāvaka path without understanding the greater vehicle may find it difficult to distinguish, let alone ordinary people or those outside the Dharma.
變相觀空惟後得 果中猶自不詮真
圓明初發成無漏 三類分身息苦輪
Transforming appearances to contemplate emptiness is a later attainment; Even in its fruit, it still does not fully express the true nature.
When the luminous mind first awakens, it becomes undefiled; The three types of manifested bodies bring an end to the wheel of suffering.
此明五識至果位中轉為成所作智之時。猶自不能親證真如體性。但於自識變起真如相分以觀二空之理。故非根本智攝。惟是後得智攝也。未成佛前一向有漏。直俟金剛道後異熟識空。轉成大圓鏡智相應之菴摩羅識。名為圓明初發。爾時菴摩羅識所持五根成無漏故。依根所發五識亦成無漏。名為成所作智相應心品。能於盡未來時徧十方界示現三輪不思議化。度脫一切有情生死苦輪也。
This clarifies that when the five sense consciousnesses are transformed into the "Wisdom of Accomplishing All Actions" at the stage of fruition, they still cannot directly realize the true nature of reality (Tathatā). They can only observe the principle of the emptiness of self and phenomena through the aspect of reality (Tathatā) that appears within their own consciousness. Therefore, this is not the fundamental wisdom (根本智), but belongs to the subsequent attainment wisdom (後得智).
Before attaining Buddhahood, these consciousnesses are always tainted. It is only after the vajra-like path, when the storehouse consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) is emptied, that they are transformed into the "Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom" associated with the immaculate consciousness (amala-vijñāna). This is called the initial manifestation of perfect clarity.
At that time, because the five sense faculties supported by the amala-vijñāna become uncontaminated, the five sense consciousnesses arising from these faculties also become uncontaminated. They are then called the mental factors associated with the "Wisdom of Accomplishing All Actions."
From then on, throughout all future time and across all ten directions, they can manifest inconceivable displays of the three wheels (of action, teaching, and transformation) to liberate all sentient beings from the wheel of suffering in birth and death.