八識規矩通說
Comprehensive Explanation of the Eight Consciousnesses
唐三藏法師 玄奘 集
Tripitaka Master Xuanzang
明憨山沙門 德清 述
Commentary by Ming Hanshan, Monk Deqing
八識規矩者。初玄奘法師。糅成唯識論就。窺基法師。因見本論十卷。文廣義幽。乃請法師集此要義。將八識分為四章。每章作頌一十二句。將五十一心所。各派本識位下。有多寡之不同。條然不紊。故稱規矩。然論雖十卷。其義盡此四十八句。包括無遺。可謂最簡最要。為一大藏教之關鑰。不唯講者不明難通教綱。即參禪之士。若不明此。亦不知自心起滅頭數。所謂佛法之精髓也。但窺基舊解。以論釋之。學者難明。故但執相。不能會歸唯心之旨。予因居雙徑寂照。適澹居鎧公。請益性相二宗之旨。予不揣固陋。先依起信會通百法。復據論義以此方文勢消歸於頌。使學者一覽了然易見。而參禪之士不假廣涉教義。即此可以印心。以證悟入之淺深。至於日用見聞覺知。亦能洞察生滅心數。但此頌近解已多。皆得其宗。但就機宜。或以此為一助。以隨文難明。故先提大綱于前。使知綱要。則於頌文不勞細解。亦易會矣。
The "Eight Consciousnesses in Verse" was originally compiled by Master Xuanzang in his *Compendium of the Treatise on Consciousness-Only*. Master Kuiji, finding the ten-volume original treatise too extensive and its meaning too profound, requested the master to condense its essential teachings. He divided the eight consciousnesses into four chapters, each composed of twelve verses. The fifty-one mental factors were distributed among the fundamental consciousnesses, varying in number yet remaining orderly and without confusion—hence the name "in verse." Although the treatise spans ten volumes, its entire meaning is encapsulated in these forty-eight verses, leaving nothing out. It can be said to be the most concise and essential key to the entire Buddhist canon. Without understanding this, not only would lecturers struggle to grasp the teachings, but even meditation practitioners would fail to recognize the arising and ceasing of their own minds—truly the essence of the Dharma.
However, Kuiji’s original commentary, based on the treatise, was difficult for learners to comprehend, leading them to cling to appearances without realizing the mind-only principle. While residing at Shuangjing Jizhao Temple, I was asked by Danju Kaigong about the tenets of the Nature and Characteristics schools. Despite my limitations, I first harmonized the *Awakening of Faith* with the *Hundred Dharmas*, then adapted the treatise’s meaning into these verses according to our literary style, making them clear and accessible at a glance. This allows meditation practitioners to verify their understanding without extensive study of the teachings, and to discern the depth of their realization. Even in daily seeing, hearing, and knowing, one can observe the arising and ceasing of mental states.
Although many recent explanations of these verses capture their essence, I offer this as an aid for those who find the text difficult. By outlining the main points first, the essentials become clear, making detailed explanations of the verses unnecessary and easier to grasp.
大綱者。謂一真法界圓明妙心。本無一物了無身。心世界之相。又何有根境對待。妄想分別之緣影乎。原此心境。皆因無明不覺。迷一心而為識。唯識變起見相二分。故見為心。相為境。故緣塵分別好醜取捨者。皆妄識耳。若了心境唯識。則分別不生。分別不生。則一心圓明。永離諸相矣。今以未悟一心。故須先了唯識心境。生滅心行則當下消亡。一心可入。故唯識必須先知大綱。方可安心入觀耳。此頌大綱單舉八識心王。緣境之時。境有好醜。故心所從之執取。起憎愛取捨。故作善作惡。善惡為因。故感苦樂二報。則業力牽引受苦受樂。眾生生死之法。唯此而已。此中開列八識各具心所多寡之不同。造業有強弱之不一。分別皎然。使學者究心。了知起滅下落。易於調治。不致盲修瞎練。不是徒知名相而已。眾生日用見聞覺知。不離心境。其能緣之心。具有三量。量者量度。揀非真智。今妄識對境。便有量度。故心有三量。謂現量。比量。非量以第一念現前明了。不起分別。不帶名言。無籌度心。如鏡現像名為現量。若同時率爾意識。隨見隨即分別。名為比量。比度不著名為非量。此三量。乃能緣之心也。而所緣之境。亦有三。謂性境。帶質境。獨影境。現量緣性境。性者。實也。謂根塵實法。本是真如妙性。無美無惡。以心無分別。故境無美惡。是為性境。帶質境者。比量所緣。若比度不著。則為非量。其帶質境。有真有似。以六七二識。各有所緣故。若六識外緣五塵比度長短方圓美惡等相。屬第二念意識分別。故為比量。此長短等相。是帶彼外境本質而起。名似帶質。以是假故。其意識緣五塵過去落謝影子。亦名有質獨影。乃意識所變。故云以心緣色似帶質。中間相分一頭生。謂單從能緣見分起故。若緣空華兔角等事。名無質獨影。若散心所緣。又有夢中境界。及病中狂亂所見。皆是非量。并定中觀魚米肉山等事皆現量。明了意識雖通三量。現多比非少也。若七識緣八識見分為我。中間相分兩頭生。以能所同一見分所變。故名真帶質境。此心境之辨也。以心境對待。境有逆順好醜則能緣心。依之而起憎愛取捨等見。故起惑造業。染成善惡二性。故感將來受苦樂二報。故心王有苦受樂受。若不起善惡。屬無記性。則平平受。因此受亦有三。所以三界眾生上下升沉輪迴苦樂不忘者。皆由唯識內習熏變。發起心境。故三量三境三性三受。由是不能出離生死。皆心意識之過也。故論云。眾生依心意意識轉。今唯識宗。因凡夫日用不知苦樂誰作誰受。外道妄立神我。二乘心外取法。故佛說萬法唯識。使知唯識。則知不出自心。以心不見心。無相可得。故參禪做工夫。教人離心意識參。離妄想境界求。正是要人直達自心本無此事耳。今八識頌而稱規矩者。只是發明心境。其所作善作惡。皆是心所助成。以各具多寡之不一。故力有強弱之不等耳。此唯識之大綱也。其心所法。已見百法。今預列心境則臨文不必繁解。恐礙觀心耳。參禪若了妄心妄境皆唯識所現。則用功之時。內外根境一齊放下。不逐緣影。能所兩忘。絕無對待。單提一念。攝歸自心。則一切境量分別。皆剩法矣。
**The Outline.** It refers to the perfectly bright, wondrous mind of the One True Dharma Realm. Originally, there is not a single thing; it is utterly devoid of any characteristics of body, mind, or world. How could there even be the dualistic opposition of sense faculties and objects, or the shadowy reflections of deluded discrimination? Tracing this mind and its objects (境) to their source, they all arise from fundamental ignorance and lack of awakening. Deluding the One Mind gives rise to consciousness. It is only due to consciousness that the two divisions of perceiver (見分) and perceived (相分) appear. Thus, the perceiver is taken as the mind, and the perceived as the external world. Therefore, all discrimination based on sensory data, judging things as beautiful or ugly, grasping or rejecting—these are all the workings of deluded consciousness. If one realizes that both mind and its objects are merely consciousness, then discrimination ceases to arise. When discrimination ceases, the One Mind becomes perfectly bright, forever free from all characteristics.
Now, because we have not yet awakened to the One Mind, we must first understand that mind and its objects are merely consciousness. Then, the arising and ceasing mental activities of the conditioned mind will immediately vanish, and entry into the One Mind becomes possible. Therefore, to study Consciousness-Only, one must first grasp this outline before one can settle the mind and enter contemplation. This verse on the outline specifically enumerates the eight consciousnesses as the sovereigns of mind (心王). When they engage with objects, and those objects have qualities of beauty or ugliness, the associated mental factors (心所) follow along, grasping them, giving rise to aversion, attachment, acceptance, and rejection. Thus, one performs good and evil deeds. Good and evil become causes, which consequently bring about the two retributions of suffering and happiness. Then, the force of karma pulls one along to experience suffering and pleasure. The entire process of sentient beings' birth and death is nothing more than this.
Here, the eight consciousnesses are listed, each possessing a different number of associated mental factors. The karma they create varies in strength and weakness. These distinctions are made clear so that students can investigate the mind, understand the origin, cessation, and trajectory of these mental events, making them easier to regulate and treat. This prevents blind, aimless practice; it is not merely about learning names and concepts.
In the daily functioning of sentient beings—seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing—they never depart from mind and its objects. The mind that can perceive (能緣之心) possesses three types of discernment (量). "Discernment" here means measuring and judging; it is distinct from true wisdom. When deluded consciousness encounters an object, this act of measuring/judging occurs. Hence, the mind has three discernments: Direct Perception (現量), Inference (比量), and Erroneous Discernment (非量).
1. **Direct Perception (現量)**: The first moment of clear, immediate awareness before any discrimination arises, free from conceptual labels and analytical thought. Like a mirror simply reflecting an image. 2. **Inference (比量)**: When the immediate, spontaneous mental consciousness (率爾意識) follows perception and immediately begins to discriminate and compare. 3. **Erroneous Discernment (非量)**: When this process of inference/comparison misses the mark or is incorrect.
These three "discernments" belong to the perceiving mind. The objects that are perceived (所緣之境) also have three categories: Objective Reality (性境), Reality-tinged Image (帶質境), and Mere Mental Image (獨影境).
* **Direct Perception (現量)** perceives **Objective Reality (性境)**. "Objective" here means real. It refers to the actual dharmas of sense faculties and their objects. These are originally the wondrous nature of Suchness (真如), without inherent beauty or ugliness. Because the mind does not discriminate, the object is perceived without qualities of beauty or ugliness. This is Objective Reality. * **Reality-tinged Image (帶質境)** is perceived by **Inference (比量)**. If the inference is incorrect, it falls under **Erroneous Discernment (非量)**. Reality-tinged Images can be "true" or "seeming." * The 6th and 7th consciousnesses each have their own objects of perception. * When the 6th consciousness externally perceives the five sense objects (色聲香味觸) and infers characteristics like long/short, square/round, beautiful/ugly, etc., this belongs to the discriminatory activity of the mental consciousness in the second moment. Hence it is Inference. These characteristics of long/short, etc., arise tinged by the essential nature of that external object, so they are called "seeming" reality-tinged images, because they are constructed. * When the mental consciousness perceives the past, faded impressions (落謝影子) of the five sense objects, this is also called a "substantiated mere mental image" (有質獨影), as it is a transformation of consciousness. Thus it is said: "When the mind perceives form, it seems like a reality-tinged image; the intermediate perceived aspect arises from one end (the perceiver)." This means it arises solely from the perceiving aspect (見分) of the mind. * **Mere Mental Image (獨影境)**: When perceiving things like "sky-flowers" or "hare's horns" (i.e., non-existent things), it is called an "unsubstantiated mere mental image" (無質獨影). Images perceived in scattered mind, dream states, or the delirious visions of illness all belong to **Erroneous Discernment (非量)**. Conversely, visions of fish, rice, or mountains of flesh observed in meditative concentration (定中) are all **Direct Perception (現量)**, as they are clearly perceived. The functioning mental consciousness, while capable of all three discernments, operates mostly in Direct Perception, with less Inference and Erroneous Discernment.
When the 7th consciousness (manas) perceives the perceiving aspect (見分) of the 8th consciousness (ālaya) as a "self," the intermediate perceived aspect arises from "both ends" (the perceiver and the perceived basis), because both the perceiving and the basis for perception are transformations of the same perceiving aspect. Hence this is called the "true reality-tinged image" (真帶質境).
This is the distinction between mind and its objects. Because mind and objects are in opposition, when objects have agreeable/disagreeable, beautiful/ugly qualities, the perceiving mind, relying on them, gives rise to views of aversion, attachment, acceptance, and rejection. Thus, afflictions arise and karma is created, staining the nature into good and evil. Consequently, this causes the future retributions of suffering and happiness. Therefore, the mind-sovereign (心王) experiences feelings of suffering and happiness. If no good or evil is activated, it belongs to the neutral, indeterminate nature (無記性), and experience is simply neutral. Hence, feelings (受) also have three types.
The reason sentient beings within the Three Realms rise and fall, cycle in rebirth, and cannot escape suffering and happiness is entirely due to the internal habituation and transformation within Consciousness-Only, which gives rise to mind and its objects. Thus, the three discernments, the three types of objects, the three natures (good, evil, neutral), and the three feelings—because of these, one cannot transcend birth and death. All are the fault of mind, intellect, and consciousness (心意識). Therefore, the treatise says, "Sentient beings revolve based on mind, intellect, and consciousness."
The Consciousness-Only school exists because ordinary people, in their daily functioning, do not know who creates and who experiences suffering and happiness. Outsiders (外道) falsely posit an eternal soul (神我). The Two Vehicles seek the Dharma outside the mind. Therefore, the Buddha taught that all dharmas are merely consciousness, so that by knowing "mere consciousness," one knows it does not go beyond one's own mind. Because the mind cannot see itself, no characteristic can be apprehended. Therefore, in the practice of Chan meditation, people are taught to "investigate apart from mind, intellect, and consciousness" and to "seek apart from the realm of deluded thoughts." This is precisely to guide people to directly realize that their own fundamental mind originally has no such affairs.
Now, these verses on the eight consciousnesses, termed "the standard," merely elucidate mind and its objects. The good and evil deeds performed are all accomplished with the aid of the mental factors (心所). Because each consciousness possesses a different number of these factors, their influencing power varies in strength and weakness. This is the outline of Consciousness-Only.
The detailed mental factors have already been covered in the *Hundred Dharmas* treatise. By pre-listing the framework of mind and objects here, there is no need for verbose explanations later, lest they hinder the contemplation of mind. In Chan practice, if one realizes that both deluded mind and deluded objects are merely manifestations of consciousness, then during the application of effort, one can put down both internal faculties and external objects all at once, not chasing after shadowy reflections of conditions, forgetting both perceiver and perceived, utterly transcending duality. Single-mindedly holding to that one thought, gathering it back into one's own mind—then all discriminations based on objects and discernments become superfluous dharmas.