第六識頌
三性三量通三境 三界輪時易可知
三性即善．惡．無記。三量謂現量．比量．非量也。此識若與五識同起。率爾緣現在境。不帶名言。不執為外。則屬現量。若入禪定緣禪定境。亦屬現量。若入二空觀智。或根本智親證真如。或後得智變相觀空。亦皆現量。若籍眾緣而觀于義不倒不謬。如見烟知火。見角知牛等。則名比量。若顛倒推求虗妄計度不能如理而解。不能如事而和。無我計我。不淨謂淨等。又如見杌疑人。見繩疑蛇等。又如翳覩空華。捏觀二月等。皆名非量也。三境即性境．帶質境．獨影境。性境已如前釋。帶質復有二種。一者以心緣心。名真帶質。即第六識通緣一切心及心所。第七識單緣第八識之見分是也。二者以心緣色。名似帶質。謂帶彼相起。有似彼質。如依經作觀。非是五識所緣現境故也。獨影境亦有二種。一者無質獨影。如緣龜毛等。二者有質獨影。如依經作觀。雖似托彼為質。終是獨頭意識所現影故。今第六識最為明利。故能通緣三境。而於三界輪轉之時最易可知也。
The three natures are good, evil, and neutral. The three modes of cognition are direct perception, inference, and false cognition.
When this consciousness arises together with the five sense consciousnesses, it directly perceives the present object as it first appears. It does not apply verbal concepts, nor does it perceive it as external—this is direct perception.
When entering meditative absorption and experiencing the object of concentration, this is also direct perception.
When entering the wisdom of the twofold emptiness contemplation—either through fundamental wisdom directly realizing suchness, or through acquired wisdom transforming its image to contemplate emptiness—all these are also direct perception.
When relying on various conditions to observe meaning, without distortion or error—such as seeing smoke and knowing there is fire, or seeing horns and knowing it is an ox—this is called inference.
If one engages in distorted reasoning, false speculation, and cannot understand things as they are, nor accord with reality—such as clinging to a self where there is none, or regarding what is impure as pure; or like mistaking a stump for a person, or a rope for a snake; or like seeing flowers in the sky due to an eye condition, or seeing two moons by pressing on the eye—all these are called false cognition.
The three objects are: the nature-object, the qualified-object, and the mental-object.
The nature-object has already been explained above. The qualified-object has two kinds: First, when the mind takes the mind as its object, it is called true qualified-object. This occurs when the sixth consciousness generally takes all minds and mental factors as its object, or when the seventh consciousness exclusively takes the perception part of the eighth consciousness. Second, when the mind takes a form as its object, it is called quasi qualified-object. This means the mind brings forth an image that resembles that form—like making a visualization based on scripture, which is not the direct object of the five sense consciousnesses.
The mental-object also has two kinds: First, the mental-object without a basis—such as taking a turtle’s fur as an object. Second, the mental-object with a basis—like making a visualization based on scripture; although it seems to rely on that basis, ultimately it is only an image produced by the independent sixth consciousness.
Now, the sixth consciousness is the most sharp and active, so it can take all three objects as its domain. And during the cycle of rebirth in the three realms, it is the most noticeable and easy to understand.
相應心所五十一 善惡臨時別配之
謂此第六識心與五十一心所皆得相應。所謂徧行五．別境五．善十一．根本煩惱六．大隨八．中隨二．小隨十．不定四。隨其所起或多或少。初無一定。故須臨時別配。具如唯識論中諸門分別也。根本煩惱即貪．瞋．癡加慢．疑．邪見為六。小隨十謂忿．恨．覆．惱．嫉．慳．誑．諂．害．憍。不定四謂悔．眠．尋．伺。
This sixth consciousness—the mind consciousness—interacts with all fifty-one mental factors. These are: the five universal factors, the five specific factors, the eleven wholesome factors, the six root afflictions, the eight major secondary afflictions, the two medium secondary afflictions, the ten minor secondary afflictions, and the four indeterminate factors. Depending on the situation, any number of these factors may arise, with no fixed pattern. Therefore, they must be matched on a case-by-case basis, as explained in the various classifications of the Treatise on Consciousness-Only.
The six root afflictions are: greed, anger, ignorance, plus pride, doubt, and wrong views.
The ten minor secondary afflictions are: anger, resentment, concealment, agitation, jealousy, stinginess, deceit, flattery, harmfulness, and arrogance.
The four indeterminate factors are: regret, sleepiness, examination, and sustained attention.
性界受三恒轉易 根隨信等總相連
言此第六識心。或時與信等相連則為善性。或時與根隨煩惱相連則為惡性。或時不與善惡相連。但與遍行．別境等相連則便為無記性。故三性恒轉易也。或緣欲界。或緣色界。或復緣無色界。故三界恒轉易也。或時喜受。或時樂受。或時憂受。或時苦受。或時不苦不樂名為捨受。故五受恒轉易也。
This sixth consciousness sometimes connects with faith and other wholesome factors, becoming good in nature. Sometimes it connects with root and secondary afflictions, becoming evil in nature. Sometimes it connects only with universal and specific mental factors, without any wholesome or unwholesome association, and then becomes neutral in nature. Thus, the three natures constantly shift and change. Sometimes it takes the desire realm as its object, sometimes the form realm, and sometimes the formless realm. Thus, the three realms constantly shift and change. Sometimes it experiences joy, sometimes pleasure, sometimes sorrow, sometimes pain, and sometimes a state free from both pleasure and pain, called equanimity. Thus, the five feelings constantly shift and change.
動身發語獨為最 引滿能招業力牽
謂身．語二業皆由此第六識方能動發。由第六識與發業惑相應。能造善惡引業。此業雖謝。所熏種子至成熟時能招六道總報。由第六識與潤生惑相應。能造善惡滿業。此業雖謝。所熏種子至成熟位能招六道別報。所招總報名真異熟。所招別報名異熟生。若總若別苦樂萬狀。皆第六識造業所牽感也。
Both bodily and verbal actions are set in motion through the sixth consciousness alone. When the sixth consciousness aligns with the mental afflictions that trigger karma, it generates the guiding actions (leading karma) that produce good or evil results. Even after this karma fades, the seeds it has planted, when they reach maturity, bring about the general retribution experienced across the six realms of rebirth. When the sixth consciousness aligns with the mental afflictions that nurture rebirth, it generates the completing actions (fulfilling karma) that produce good or evil results. Even after this karma fades, the seeds it has planted, when they reach maturity, bring about the specific retribution experienced within each realm. The general retribution is called “true maturation,” while the specific retribution is called “maturation-born.” Whether general or specific, the myriad forms of pleasure and pain are all drawn forth by the karma created by the sixth
發起初心歡喜地 俱生猶自現纏眠
發起初心者謂妙觀察智。相應心品初發起時。在于菩薩初歡喜地也。蓋由資糧．加行位中用有漏聞思修慧。漸伏我法二執現行。亦復助黑無漏智種令其漸漸成熟。故至初歡喜地頓斷分別我法二執種子。得與妙觀察智相應。然其俱生我法二執之現行纏繞及隨眠種子尚自未斷。猶須數數修習之力乃能伏斷也。
The initial arising of wonderful observing wisdom occurs when the mind and its associated mental factors first awaken at the Bodhisattva’s first stage, the Stage of Joy. During the preceding stages of accumulation and preparation, practitioners use impure learning, reflection, and cultivation to gradually subdue the manifest activity of attachment to self and to phenomena. This also nourishes the seeds of undefiled wisdom, helping them mature step by step. Thus, upon reaching the Stage of Joy, they abruptly cut off the seeds of discriminative attachment to self and phenomena, and for the first time become aligned with wonderful observing wisdom. However, the manifest entanglements and dormant seeds of innate attachment to self and phenomena remain unsevered; they must still be subdued and eradicated through repeated practice and cultivation.
遠行地後純無漏 觀察圓明照大千
此明菩薩第七地後俱生我執永伏。雖有俱生微細法執。或時現起而非有漏。故能觀察諸法圓滿明淨。普照大千世界機緣。隨應說法化度也。