○八識頌
Eight Consciousness Verses
性唯無覆五徧行 界地隨他業力生
二乘不了因迷執 由此能興論主諍
The fundamental nature is unobstructed, comprising only the five ever-present mental factors. Its existence arises across all realms and planes, driven by the karmic force of others.
Followers of the Two Vehicles fail to grasp this truth and become confused by attachment; This is precisely what sparks debate among the masters of the Treatises.
此頌八識行相也。此識唯一精明。本無善惡。故四性中唯無覆無記。諸心所中。唯與徧行五法相應。以有微細流注生滅故。三界九地。乃生死六道。此識為總報主。當體雖無善惡。而被他六識業力牽引而生。前六識頌引滿能招業力牽者。此也。以此識深細。世尊尋常不說。故云陀那微細識。習氣成瀑流。真非真恐迷。我常不開演。向為二乘。但說六識建立染淨根本。二乘一向未聞。故不了耳。又云。阿陀那識甚深細。習氣種子成瀑流。我於凡愚不開演。恐彼分別執為我。故云因迷執。以小乘不知。故不信有此識。是故大乘論師。引大小乘三經四頌。五教十理。證有此識。故云由此能興論主諍。十證之義。論中廣明。
This verse describes the characteristics of the eighth consciousness. This consciousness is purely a form of luminous awareness, inherently free from good or evil. Therefore, among the four natures, it belongs solely to the undefiled neutral. Among all mental factors, it corresponds only to the five universal mental activities. Because it has subtle, flowing arisings and cessations, in the three realms and nine stages, which constitute the six paths of birth and death, this consciousness serves as the primary bearer of collective karmic results. Although in itself it is without good or evil, it is driven and reborn by the force of karma from the other six consciousnesses. The earlier verse on the first six consciousnesses mentioned "the force that attracts and completes karmic results"—this is referring to that. Because this consciousness is so deep and subtle, the World-Honored One did not commonly teach it. Thus it is said: "The Alaya consciousness is subtle and deep; habitual tendencies become a rushing torrent. Fearing confusion between the true and the not-true, I do not always expound it." Previously, for the two vehicles, only the six consciousnesses were taught to establish the root of purity and defilement. The two vehicles had never heard of it, so they could not understand. It is also said: "The Adana consciousness is extremely deep and subtle; the seeds of habitual tendencies form a rushing torrent. I do not expound it to ordinary beings and the ignorant, fearing they will discriminate and grasp it as a self." Therefore, it is due to confusion and attachment. Since the small vehicles did not know, they did not believe in the existence of this consciousness. Thus, the great vehicle masters cited three sutras and four verses, along with five teachings and ten rational arguments from both great and small vehicles, to prove the existence of this consciousness. Hence it is said: "This gives rise to arguments among treatise masters." The meaning of the ten proofs is extensively explained in the treatises.
浩浩三藏不可窮 淵深七浪境為風
受熏持種根身器 去後來先作主公
The vast scripture store is inexhaustible, Deep as the ocean, stirred by seven waves of sense, The outer world becomes the wind. It receives impressions, holds seeds, through sense organs and the world, Coming last, going first, it acts as master.
此頌八識體相力用也。浩浩者。廣大無涯之貌。謂藏識性海。不思議熏變而為業海。故此識體廣大無涯。以具三藏義故。名為藏識。三藏者。能藏所藏。我愛執藏。以前七識。無量劫來善惡業行種子習氣。唯此識能藏。前七識所作異熟果報。唯八識是所藏之處。由第七識執此為我。故云我愛執藏。論云。諸法於識藏。識於諸法爾。更互為果性。亦常為因性。積劫因果不失不壞。故云不可窮。本是湛淵之心。為境風鼓動。故起七識波浪。造種種業。經云。藏識海常住。境界風所動。洪波鼓冥壑。無有斷絕時。故云淵深七浪境為風。前七現行。返熏此識。以其體有堅住可熏性。故云受熏。前七善惡種子唯此識能持。又能持根身器界。一期令不散壞者。以是此相分。乃所緣之境故。以為三界總報主。故死時後去。投胎先來。為眾生之命根。故云作主公。其實不知不死不生法身常住也。故經云。識藏如來藏所謂如來藏轉三十二相入一切眾生身中。故如來藏有恒沙稱性淨妙功德。豈生死耶。今迷而為藏識。亦具恒沙染緣力用。能一念轉變。則妙性功德。本自圓成。以真妄覿體。故頌四句歎其力用廣大也。
This verse describes the substance, characteristics, and functions of the eight consciousnesses. "Vast and boundless" depicts an infinite scope. The storehouse consciousness is like a sea of essential nature; through inconceivable perfuming and transformation, it becomes a sea of karma. Therefore, the substance of this consciousness is vast and limitless. Because it has the three meanings of "store," it is called the storehouse consciousness. The three stores are: the store of what is contained, the place where it is stored, and the attachment to self as its owner. Over countless eons, the seeds and habitual energies of good and evil actions from the first seven consciousnesses are stored exclusively in this consciousness. The ripened retributions produced by the first seven consciousnesses are exclusively stored in this eighth consciousness. Because the seventh consciousness grasps this as a self, it is called "attachment to self as owner." The treatise says: "All phenomena are in the consciousness-store, and the consciousness-store is likewise for all phenomena. They act as each other's effect and are always each other's cause." Accumulated eons of cause and effect do not decay or disappear, so it is described as inexhaustible. Originally, it is a profound and still mind, but stirred by the wind of conditions, it gives rise to the seven consciousnesses like waves, creating various kinds of karma. The sutra says: "The sea of the storehouse consciousness is ever-present, stirred by the wind of objects. Great waves surge in the dark abyss, never ceasing." Hence it says: "Deep and profound, the seven waves have objects as their wind." The manifest activities of the first seven consciousnesses perfuse this consciousness in return. Since its substance has the quality of stability and can be perfumed, it is described as receiving such perfuming. The seeds of good and evil from the first seven are held exclusively by this consciousness. It also sustains the physical body and the material world, keeping them from disintegrating throughout a lifetime. This is because these are its perceived objects. Thus, it is the ultimate owner of the three realms. At death, it departs last; at rebirth, it arrives first. It becomes the life-force of sentient beings, so it is called the master. In truth, it does not know the unborn, undying Dharma body that is everlasting. Therefore, the sutra says: "The consciousness-store is the Tathagata-store, and the Tathagata-store transforms into the thirty-two marks and enters the bodies of all sentient beings." Thus, the Tathagata-store possesses countless pure and wondrous virtues inherent in its nature—how could it be subject to birth and death? Now, obscured as the storehouse consciousness, it also possesses countless conditional forces. With a single thought of transformation, its wondrous virtues are inherently complete. Because truth and delusion are of the same substance, this four-line verse praises its vast and great power and function.
不動地前纔捨藏 金剛道後異熟空
大圓無垢同時發 普照十方塵剎中
Before the Unmovable Ground, the Storehouse Consciousness is finally shed; After the Vajra Path, the Fruit of Recompense is emptied.
Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom and Undefiled Consciousness arise together, Illuminating all realms in the ten directions, within worlds as numerous as dust.
此頌轉成大圓鏡智也。謂此識因七識執為我。故從無始時來相續長劫。沉淪生死。圓教菩薩從初發心修行。漸斷習氣。歷過三賢登地以去。至第七地破俱生我執。此識方得捨藏識名。顯過最重。故云不動地前纔捨藏。以微細法執。及有漏善種間起。尚引後果。名異熟識。至金剛心後。證解脫道。異熟方空。故云爾也。異熟若空。則超因果。方才轉成大圓鏡智。言無垢同時。發者。以佛果位中。名無垢識。乃清淨真如。謂鏡智相應法身顯現。圓明普照十方塵剎。故結云普照十方塵剎中。以理智一如。方證究竟一心之體。此唯識之極則。乃如來之極果也。諦觀此識深潛難破。此識絲毫未透。終在生死岸頭。古德諸祖未有不破此識而有超佛越祖之談。今人生滅未忘。心地雜染種子。未淨纖毫。便稱悟道。豈非未得謂得。未證謂證。可不懼哉。
This verse is about the transformation into the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. This consciousness, because the seventh consciousness clings to it as a self, has been continuously flowing through countless eons from beginningless time, sinking in the cycle of birth and death. Bodhisattvas of the Perfect Teaching, from their initial awakening and cultivation, gradually cut through habitual tendencies. After progressing through the three worthy stages and entering the grounds, by the seventh ground they break through the co-arising attachment to self. Only then does this consciousness lose its name of "store-consciousness," revealing that its faults are the most severe. Thus it is said, "Only before the Ground of Non-movement is the store-consciousness abandoned."
Because subtle attachment to phenomena and seeds of contaminated goodness occasionally arise, still leading to further results, it is called the "ripening consciousness." Only after the vajra-like mind and the realization of the path of liberation does the ripening consciousness become empty. That is why it is said so. When the ripening consciousness is empty, one transcends cause and effect, and only then does it transform into the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom.
Saying it "arises simultaneously with the Stainless Consciousness" means that at the stage of Buddhahood, it is called the Stainless Consciousness, which is pure thusness. This is the manifestation of the Dharma-body corresponding to Mirror Wisdom—perfectly bright, universally shining upon the countless worlds in all directions. Therefore, the verse concludes: "Universally shining upon the countless worlds in all directions." When principle and wisdom become one, one realizes the ultimate essence of the one mind. This is the ultimate principle of Consciousness-Only, the supreme fruit of Buddhahood.
Observe this consciousness carefully: it is deeply hidden and hard to break through. If even a trace of this consciousness remains unpenetrated, one will still end up on the shore of birth and death. The ancient masters and patriarchs all had to break through this consciousness before they could speak of transcending Buddhahood and surpassing the patriarchs. Nowadays, people whose arising and ceasing have not ceased, whose mental ground has not been purified of even a speck of contaminated seeds, still claim to have realized the Way. Is this not "claiming to have attained what one has not attained, claiming to have realized what one has not realized"? How can one not be afraid?
此論古存一解。今人解者甚多。但委細分別名相。轉見難入。而修行之士未親教者。望崖而退。即久依講席罷學參禪者。但勘話頭一著。而心地生滅頭數。亦沒奈何。此論雖云相宗。但顯唯心之相。若不知此。亦難究心。不免得少為足。故予此解雖未盡依論文。唯取其義而變其語。使學者一覽便見。正要因此悟心。不是專為分別名相也。若責予杜撰荒邈之罪。固不敢辭。而為修行者未必無功。幸高明達士。得意遺言。是所望也。
This treatise has only one ancient commentary, but in modern times many have offered their own interpretations. However, when one tries to meticulously dissect its terms and concepts, it becomes increasingly difficult to enter into its meaning. Those who practice but have not personally studied the scriptures often retreat in despair at the sheer difficulty. Even those who have long attended lectures and then abandoned study to pursue Chan meditation find themselves unable to deal with the arising and ceasing of mental activity when examining their meditation topic. Although this treatise is classified as a text on the characteristics of phenomena, it actually reveals the characteristics of mind-only. If one does not understand this, it is also difficult to investigate the mind, and one may easily fall into a state of complacency with partial understanding. Therefore, although my commentary here does not entirely follow the structure of the original text, I have only taken its essential meaning and transformed its language, so that students can see clearly at a glance. The purpose is precisely to awaken understanding through this, not merely to discriminate terms and concepts. If one accuses me of carelessly fabricating and overstepping the bounds of the original, I certainly cannot decline such a charge. Yet for practitioners, this may not be without benefit. It is my hope that wise and accomplished readers will grasp the meaning and let go of the words — that is what I look for.