---
title: "太虛大師全書．第六編　法相唯識學 · 開題"
description: "太虚大师是民国时期佛教改革领袖，本书为《太虚大师全书》第六编，系统阐述法相唯识学。成书于二十世纪上半叶，正值佛教复兴与中西思想碰撞之际。主要内容包括对唯识经典的系统解读、八识理论、种子与现行关系、转识成智的修行次第，以及唯识观在现实生活中的应用。该书是太虚大师佛学思想的核心部分，以现代学术方法整理传统唯识教义，强调理性分析与实证修持并重，对现代唯识学研究具有重要奠基作用，被视为中国近代唯识宗复兴的权威代表作之一。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmpjjc5he02o1t10n4unrjh9z"
---

### 開　題

> Opening the Topic

八識規矩頌，將八識分成四類說明：第一類是前五識，第二類是第六識，第三類是第七識，第四類是第八識。每一類用三頌說明，共有十二頌。在每類三頌中，又前二頌明有漏雜染識，後一頌明無漏清淨識。這次不依以上原有的程序講，另成一種組織來說明。先將十二頌分成兩大分：一、順轉雜染分，有八頌；二、逆轉清淨分，有四頌。先明順轉雜染分中，第一類明第六識，第二類明前五識，第三類明第八識，第四類明第七識。為什麼要依這種程序講呢？因為人類平常能覺察得到的識，多半是第六識，如各種思想、感情等心理作用，這都是第六識的功用；這不只是佛法能說明，就是世間學術，也都能說到，但不能完全說明就是了。若單講第六識，於事實還有講不通的，因為不是有了意識分別，就有一切所分別的境的。如第六識能分別青、黃、赤、白等，但若盲人，眼根已壞，不發眼識，就不能見青、黃、赤、白，那麼意識就不能分別青等色了，所以第二類要明前五識。要前五識與第六意識，俱時生起現行，才能了別五塵境：如眼識與意識同時現行，就能了色塵相；耳識與意識同時現行，就能了聲塵相；乃至身識與意識同時現行，才能了觸塵相。但這所分別的五塵境，不是可以憑空造出的，要真有所對的境，才有所分別的相的。如我們現在都能見這個蒲團是方的，這是形色，是黃色的，這是顯色，要在這個處所，真有這個蒲團，這時眼識和意識生起現行，才能分別；並且這所見的蒲團，是大家都能見到的，所以這不是憑個人識現的。前五識與第六識俱時所了別的六境相，既不是憑空而有的，那麼若不許在識外有境，這境又是依何識而有的呢？所以進一層的推論，要說到第八識。前五識所緣的器世間相，既不是前五識單獨變起的，也不是心外的法，就是第八識所變的，所謂內變根身，外變器界，都是第八識變緣的相分。若能明白這識變的道理，知道無始時來，依業力引第八識，在業力的軌範中，現成一期的根身器界；那麼世間所謂「自然界的一切萬有」的論調，就推翻了——因為萬有是業引識變的業果，而不是自然。從第八識的變現上說，本交互相遍，同類相似的；如現在我們同得人的第八識，於是我們大眾能同見一種色，同聞一種聲，不過雖同見色，同聞聲，但甲所領受的境，未必恰是乙所領受的，只是相似變就是了。第八識既交互相遍，同類相似，所以沒有顯然自他、物我的隔別。但在有情的心境，卻恰成反例，顯然有自他、物我的隔別；有了自他，於是就要以自我為中心，要求自我的保存，自我的發展，自我的殊勝，自我要駕乎他人之上，人人都這樣，於是鬥爭不已。若單從第八識上說，既是交互相遍的，為什麼又有自他的隔別呢？所以第四類要說到第七識的功能。有情生命的成立，自我的發展，人格的表現，都從第七識中可充分說明。

> The Verses on the Eight Consciousnesses are typically organized into four categories: the first five consciousnesses, the sixth consciousness, the seventh consciousness, and the eighth consciousness. Each category is explained in three verses, making twelve verses in total. In each set of three, the first two verses describe the defiled, unawakened consciousness, while the last verse describes the pure, awakened consciousness. However, this teaching will not follow that traditional structure. Instead, I will present a new organization that divides the twelve verses into two major sections: first, eight verses on the arising of defilement; second, four verses on the reversal toward purity. Within the first section on the arising of defilement, I will discuss: first, the sixth consciousness; second, the first five consciousnesses; third, the eighth consciousness; and fourth, the seventh consciousness. Why this order? Because in everyday life, people are most aware of the sixth consciousness—the stream of thoughts, feelings, and mental activities. This is not only recognized in Buddhism; secular scholarship also acknowledges it, though it cannot fully explain it. But if we only discuss the sixth consciousness, we reach a dead end. For example, the sixth consciousness can discriminate colors like blue, yellow, red, or white. Yet, if a blind person has damaged eye organs and the eye consciousness does not arise, they cannot see those colors—so the sixth consciousness also cannot discriminate them. Therefore, we need the first five consciousnesses. Only when the first five consciousnesses arise together with the sixth consciousness can we perceive the five sense objects: eye and mind consciousness together perceive form; ear and mind together perceive sound; body and mind together perceive touch. But the objects we perceive are not conjured out of thin air. There must be a real object before us for a perception to occur. For instance, right now we can all see this round cushion, its shape, its yellow color—this requires a real cushion here, with the eye and mind consciousnesses arising together. And since everyone present can see it, it is not something merely created by one person's mind. Given that the sense objects perceived by the first five and sixth consciousnesses are not illusions, if we do not allow for an external world, what consciousness creates them? This leads us to the eighth consciousness. The physical world perceived by the senses is not produced by the five senses alone, nor is it separate from mind—it is manifested by the eighth consciousness. The so-called "inner body and outer world" are both appearances of the eighth consciousness. Once we understand this principle, we see that, since beginningless time, karmic forces have driven the eighth consciousness, shaping a temporary body and world within the boundaries of karmic patterns. This overturns the common view of "nature" as an independent reality: the phenomenal world is not spontaneous nature but the result of karma and consciousness. From the perspective of the eighth consciousness, it is interpenetrating and shared by beings of the same kind. Since we all have a human eighth consciousness, we can see the same colors and hear the same sounds—though what each person experiences may be slightly different, only similar, not identical. Because the eighth consciousness is interpenetrating and alike among beings, there is no inherent boundary between self and other, or between subject and object. But in lived experience, we do perceive a sharp distinction: we see ourselves as separate from others, we take the self as the center, and we struggle to preserve, advance, and elevate ourselves above others. Since everyone does this, conflict is endless. If the eighth consciousness is fundamentally interpenetrating, why does this separation feel so real? This is where the seventh consciousness comes in. The sense of self, the drive for self-preservation and self-development, personal identity—all of this can be fully explained by the functioning of the seventh consciousness.

以上所說識的四種分類，在世間科學、哲學，也有說到的。如哲學的素樸實在論，這是常識的，反對這常識而成自我唯心論。他們這派的立論，說是一切境相都是由我的分別所現。這在佛法上說，也不過只依第六識一部分的功能而立。到科學發達，趨重實驗而斥破憑空玄想，要有確實的根據，真切的證明，才能存在，所以自然科學和哲學的新實在論，已是從第六識推到前五識了；自我唯心論，已被打破。但說到、不拘前六識起不起現行境相都存在的理，那就不是世間科學、哲學所容易推想到的了，這就要說到第八識所變的本質境，並說這本質境就是識的相分。這種深奧難知的理，正是世人難知的，也正是世人所迷的。因為不明第八識，於是有說客觀的宇宙唯心論的，宗教家則說是神。客觀唯心論，說宇宙現起，是客觀存在的精神所造成；宗教家說宇宙是唯一的神所造。這兩種所說，都是不曾將八識完全說明了的迷執。若說只是普遍的精神，唯一的神，但怎樣一切有情眾生又有各個自我精神的差別？而在這各個自我精神差別中，又有各個不同的宇宙呢？從事實上看起來，他們都說不通，所以非說到第八識，不能說明宇宙。也非說到第七識，不能說明有各個自我和自他隔礙的分別。若說有情的自我，是由神分開而成的；這樣，那不是「神」已分成各個「眾生」而沒有所崇拜的神了嗎！？其實、這就是佛法中說的第七識的功能。從現代一般的科學、哲學、宗教上看，第八識、第七識大抵尚迷而不知，只於前六識說到一部分。在前六識中，第六識又比較容易觀察；而他們迷而不知的那八、七二識，也正是最重要的。要明宇宙觀，非明第八識不可，要明人生觀，非明第七識不可。但因這兩種微細難知，所以這次所講的程序，不依原有的次序，只就凡夫雜染心上，順凡夫的心理，以粗顯易知的為出發點，然後一層深進一層，說到深奧微細難知的，所以名順轉雜染分。

> The four classifications of consciousness mentioned above are also discussed in worldly science and philosophy. For instance, philosophical naïve realism is based on common sense, while self-centric idealism opposes this common-sense view. The latter school argues that all external phenomena arise from one's own mental discrimination. In Buddhism, this is merely an understanding based on a function of the sixth consciousness. As science advanced and emphasized empirical evidence over idle speculation, requiring solid grounds and concrete proof for validity, natural science and the new realism in philosophy shifted from the sixth consciousness to the first five consciousnesses, breaking down self-centric idealism. However, the principle that external phenomena exist regardless of whether the first six consciousnesses are active or not is not something worldly science or philosophy can easily infer. This requires discussing the essential objects transformed by the eighth consciousness and recognizing these essential objects as the cognitive aspect of consciousness. This profound and difficult-to-comprehend principle is precisely what ordinary people struggle to understand and are confused about. Because they fail to recognize the eighth consciousness, some propose objective cosmic idealism, while religionists attribute it to a deity. Objective cosmic idealism claims the universe arises from an objectively existing spirit, and religionists claim the universe is created by a single god. Both views stem from a deluded attachment that fails to fully explain the eight consciousnesses. If there is only a universal spirit or a single god, then how do all sentient beings have distinct individual selves? And within these distinct selves, how do they experience different universes? From a factual perspective, these views are untenable; without the eighth consciousness, the universe cannot be explained. Similarly, without the seventh consciousness, the distinctions between individual selves and the barriers between self and others cannot be explained. If one claims that the individual self of sentient beings is divided from a deity, then the deity would be fragmented into various sentient beings, leaving no deity to worship! In truth, this is the function of the seventh consciousness in Buddhism. From the perspectives of modern science, philosophy, and religion, the eighth and seventh consciousnesses remain largely unknown, with only partial understanding of the first six. Among the first six, the sixth is comparatively easier to observe. Yet, the eighth and seventh, which they fail to recognize, are precisely the most crucial. To understand the cosmic view, one must understand the eighth consciousness; to understand the view of life, one must understand the seventh consciousness. Since these two are subtle and difficult to grasp, the sequence of this teaching does not follow the original order. Instead, it starts from the ordinary defiled mind, following ordinary psychology, using what is gross and easily understood as a starting point, then progressing layer by layer into the profound and subtle. Hence, it is called "turning along the defiled aspect."