Cheng Weishi Lun (Treatise on the Establishment of Consciousness-Only), Volume 4
又色等境，非色、似色，非外、似外，如夢所緣，不可執為是實外色。
Moreover, objects such as form are not form but resemble form, not external but resemble the external, like objects taken in a dream, and cannot be clung to as truly existing external form.
若覺時，色皆如夢境不離識者，如從夢覺知彼唯心，何故覺時於自色境不知唯識？
If, when awake, all form is like a dream object not apart from consciousness, then just as upon waking from a dream one knows those are mind only, why, when awake, does one not know that its own objects of form are consciousness only?
如夢未覺不能自知，要至覺時方能追覺，覺時境色應知亦爾，未真覺位不能自知，至真覺時亦能追覺。未得真覺恆處夢中，故佛說為生死長夜，由斯未了色境唯識。
Just as while one has not awakened from a dream one cannot know this oneself, and only when awake can one realize it afterward, so one should know that awake objects of form are the same: in the stage not yet truly awakened one cannot know it oneself, and only on truly awakening can one realize it afterward. Not yet having attained true awakening, one is always in a dream, and so the Buddha says it is the long night of birth and death, and thus one has not understood that objects of form are consciousness only.
外色實無，可非內識境；他心實有，寧非自所緣？
External form is truly nonexistent, which may not be an object of inner consciousness; but others' minds truly exist, so how are they not objects of one's own?
誰說他心非自識境？但不說彼是親所緣。
Who says others' minds are not objects of one's own consciousness? But we do not say they are directly taken objects.
謂識生時無實作用，非如手等親執外物，日等舒光親照外境；但如鏡等似外境現，名「了他心」，非「親能了」。親所了者，謂自所變。
That is, when consciousness arises it has no real function, unlike hands and so on that directly grasp external things or the sun and so on that spread light and directly illuminate external objects; it is only like a mirror that appears like an external object, and is called "understanding another's mind," not "directly able to understand." What it directly understands is, that is, what it itself transforms.
故契經言：無有少法能取餘法，但識生時，似彼相現，名取彼物。
So the sutra says: there is no dharma that can grasp another dharma, but when consciousness arises, it appears as that aspect, and is called grasping that thing.
如緣他心，色等亦爾。
As in taking another's mind, so form and the like are also the same.
既有異境，何名唯識？
Since there are different objects, how is it called consciousness-only?
奇哉！固執觸處生疑！豈唯識教但說一識？
Strange! Stubbornly doubting at every touch! Does the teaching of consciousness-only speak of only one consciousness?
不爾，如何？
It is not so; what then?
汝應諦聽：若唯一識，寧有十方凡聖、尊卑、因果等別？誰為誰說？何法何求？故「唯識」言有深意趣。「識」言總顯一切有情各有八識、六位心所，所變相、見、分位差別及彼空理所顯真如。識自相故，識相應故，二所變故，三分位故，四實性故，如是諸法皆不離識，總立識名。「唯」言，但遮愚夫所執定離諸識實有色等。
Listen carefully: if there were only one consciousness, how could there be distinctions of the ten directions, ordinary and holy, honored and lowly, cause and effect? Who would speak for whom? What dharma would be sought? So the words "consciousness-only" have a deep meaning. The word "consciousness" shows in general that all sentient beings each have eight consciousnesses and six categories of mental factors, the transformed image, seeing, distinctions of state, and the true suchness revealed by the principle of their emptiness. Because it is the self-nature of consciousness, because it corresponds with consciousness, because it is what the two transform, because it is the three distinctions of state, and because it is the real nature, in this way all dharmas are not apart from consciousness, and the name consciousness is established in general. The word "only" merely denies that real form and the like clung to by fools are definitely apart from the consciousnesses.
若如是知唯識教意，便能無倒善備資糧速入法空，證無上覺，救拔含識生死輪迴；非全撥無惡取空者，違背教理能成是事，故定應信一切唯識。
If one knows the meaning of the teaching of consciousness-only in this way, one can without inversion well prepare the provisions, quickly enter the emptiness of dharmas, realize unsurpassed awakening, and rescue sentient beings from the wheel of birth and death; those who wrongly grasp emptiness and deny everything cannot accomplish this by going against the teaching and reasoning, so one should definitely believe that everything is consciousness only.
若唯有識都無外緣，由何而生種種分別？
If there is only consciousness and no external conditions, by what do the various discriminations arise?
頌曰：
The verse says:
１８由一切種識，如是如是變，
18 By the all-seeds consciousness, transforming in such and such ways,
以展轉力故，彼彼分別生。
Because of the force of mutual interaction, this and that discrimination arise.
論曰：「一切種識」謂本識中能生自果功能差別，此生等流、異熟、士用、增上果故，名一切種，除離繫者，非種生故，彼雖可證，而非種果，要現起道，斷結得故，有展轉義，非此所說，此說能生分別種故。此識為體，故立識名，種離本識無別性故。「種識」二言，簡非種識；有識非種；種非識故。又「種識」言，顯識中種，非持種識，後當說故。
The treatise says: "All-seeds consciousness" means the differences of capacity in the root consciousness that can produce their own effects; it produces the fruits of equal outflow, maturation, human effort and dominance, so it is called all seeds, except for the effect of separation, which is not produced by seeds, since although it can be realized, it is not the fruit of a seed, and it must be manifested by the path and attained by cutting off the bonds, having a meaning of mutual interaction, which is not what is spoken of here, because here it speaks of seeds that can produce discrimination. This consciousness is the substance, so the name consciousness is established, as seeds have no separate nature apart from the root consciousness. The two words "seed-consciousness" distinguish what is not seed-consciousness; there is consciousness that is not seed; there is seed that is not consciousness. Also the words "seed-consciousness" show the seeds in consciousness, not the consciousness that holds the seeds, which will be discussed later.
此識中種餘緣助故，即便如是如是轉變，謂從生位轉至熟時。顯變種多，重言「如是」。謂一切種攝三燻習，共、不共等識種盡故。
The seeds in this consciousness are aided by other conditions, and so transform in such and such ways, that is, from the stage of production to the time of ripening. To show that there are many transformations of seeds, the word "such" is repeated. All seeds include the three kinds of perfuming, and the seeds of common and uncommon consciousnesses and so on are exhausted.
「展轉力」者，謂八現識及彼相應相、見分等，彼皆互有相助力故。
"The force of mutual interaction" means the eight manifest consciousnesses and their corresponding image part, seeing part and so on, since they have the power of mutually assisting each other.
即現識等，總名「分別」，虛妄分別為自性故，「分別」類多，故言「彼彼」。
The manifest consciousnesses and so on are in general called "discrimination," because false discrimination is their nature; since there are many kinds of discrimination, it is said "this and that."
此頌意說：雖無外緣，由本識中有一切種轉變差別，及以現行八種識等展轉力故，彼彼分別而亦得生，何假外緣方起分別？
The meaning of this verse is: although there are no external conditions, because in the root consciousness there are the transformations and differences of all the seeds, and because of the force of mutual interaction of the eight consciousnesses in actual operation and so on, this and that discrimination can arise; what need is there for external conditions to give rise to discrimination?
諸淨法起應知亦然，淨種現行為緣生故。
The arising of pure dharmas should be known to be the same, since they arise with pure seeds and their manifest operation as conditions.
所說種、現緣生分別，云何應知此緣生相？
Concerning the discriminations said to arise from seeds and manifest operation as conditions, how is one to know the aspect of this conditioned arising?
緣且有四。
There are four kinds of conditions.
一、因緣：謂有為法親辦自果。
First, the causal condition: conditioned dharmas that directly produce their own effects.
此體有二：一、種子；二、現行。種子者，謂本識中善、染、無記、諸界、地等功能差別，能引次後自類功能及起同時自類現果，此唯望彼是因緣性。現行者，謂七轉識及彼相應所變相、見、性、界、地等，除佛果善、極劣無記，餘燻本識生自類種，此唯望彼是因緣性。
This substance has two kinds: first, seeds; second, manifest operation. Seeds: the differences of capacity in the root consciousness, whether good, defiled or indeterminate, and in the various realms and levels, which can bring forth the next capacity of their own kind and give rise to a simultaneous effect of their own kind; this is the causal condition only in relation to those. Manifest operation: the seven evolving consciousnesses and their corresponding transformed image, seeing, nature, realm, level and so on, except for the good of the Buddha fruit and the extremely weak indeterminate, the rest perfume the root consciousness and produce seeds of their own kind; this is the causal condition only in relation to those.
第八心品無所燻故，非簡所依獨能燻故，極微、圓故，不燻成種。現行同類展轉相望皆非因緣，自種生故；一切異類展轉相望亦非因緣，不親生故。
The eighth mind-group has nothing perfumed by it, so it is not just that it picks out the support and alone can perfume, because it is extremely subtle and perfect, and does not perfume to make seeds. Manifest operations of the same kind in mutual relation are all not causal conditions, because they are produced by their own seeds; all mutual relations among different kinds are also not causal conditions, because they do not directly produce.
有說異類、同類現行展轉相望為因緣者，應知假說，或隨轉門。有唯說種是因緣性，彼依顯勝，非盡理說，聖說轉識與阿賴耶展轉相望為因緣故。
Some say that the mutual relations of manifest operations of the same or different kinds are causal conditions; one should know this is a provisional statement or follows a transformed mode. Some say only seeds are the causal condition; they rely on showing the most prominent, and do not say it fully, because the sage says that the evolving consciousnesses and alaya consciousness in mutual relation are causal conditions.
二、等無間緣，謂八現識及彼心所前聚於後自類無間，等而開導，令彼定生。
Second, the immediately preceding condition: the earlier group of the eight manifest consciousnesses and their mental factors, for those of its own kind afterward, without interval, equally leads and opens the way so that they definitely arise.
多同類種俱時轉故，如不相應非此緣攝，由斯八識非互為緣。心所與心雖恆俱轉，而相應故，和合似一，不可施設離別殊異，故得互作等無間緣。入無餘心最極微劣，無開導用，又無當起等無間法，故非此緣。云何知然？論有誠說：若此識等無間，彼識等決定生，即說此是彼等無間緣故。
Because many seeds of the same kind operate together, non-corresponding ones are not included in this condition, so the eight consciousnesses are not conditions for each other. The mental factors and the mind, though always operating together, correspond, and are united and seem like one, and cannot be set up as separate and distinct, so they can mutually be immediately preceding conditions. The mind entering the state without remainder is extremely subtle and weak and has no function of leading, and also has no immediately following dharma to arise next, so it is not this condition. How do we know this? The treatise has a true statement: if this consciousness is immediately preceding, that consciousness definitely arises, and this is said to be that one's immediately preceding condition.
即依此義，應作是說：阿陀那識三界九地皆容互作等無間緣，下、上，死、生相開導故，有漏無間有無漏生；無漏定無生有漏者，鏡智起已必無、斷故，善與無記相望亦然。
Based on this meaning, it should be said: the adana consciousness, in the nine levels of the three realms, may mutually serve as immediately preceding conditions, with the lower and upper, death and birth leading one another; with outflows immediately followed by flawless arising; but the flawless never gives rise to the outflowing, because after the mirror-like wisdom arises it is surely absent and cut off; good and indeterminate in relation are also like this.
此何界後引生無漏？
From which realm does this later lead to the flawless?
或從色界，或欲界後。
Either from the form realm, or from the desire realm.
謂諸異生求佛果者，定色界後引生無漏，彼必生在淨居天上大自在宮得菩提故。
That is, ordinary beings who seek the Buddha fruit definitely lead to the flawless after the form realm, because they are surely born in the Pure Abode heavens in the palace of Great Freedom and attain bodhi there.
二乘迴趣大菩提者，定欲界後引生無漏，迴趣留身唯欲界故，彼雖必往大自在宮方得成佛，而本願力所留生身是欲界故。
Those of the two vehicles who turn toward great bodhi definitely lead to the flawless after the desire realm, because in turning toward and remaining in body it is only in the desire realm; although they must go to the palace of Great Freedom to become Buddhas, the body of birth retained by the power of their original vow is in the desire realm.
有義：色界亦有聲聞迴趣大乘願留身者，既與教理俱不相違，是故聲聞第八無漏色界心後亦得現前。然五淨居無迴趣者，經不說彼發大心故。
One view holds: in the form realm too there are shravakas who vow to remain in body and turn toward the Great Vehicle, and since this does not contradict teaching or reasoning, the shravakas' eighth flawless mind of the form realm can also manifest afterward. But in the five Pure Abodes none turn toward it, because the sutras do not say that they give rise to the great mind.
第七轉識三界九地亦容互作等無間緣，隨第八識生處繫故。有漏、無漏容互相生，十地位中得相引故。善與無記相望亦然，於無記中，染與不染亦相開導，生空智果前、後位中得相引故。此欲、色界有漏得與無漏相生，非無色界，地上菩薩不生彼故。
The seventh evolving consciousness, in the nine levels of the three realms, may also mutually serve as immediately preceding conditions, since it is bound to where the eighth consciousness is born. With outflows and flawless may arise from each other, because in the ten grounds they can lead each other. Good and indeterminate are also like this; among indeterminate, defiled and non-defiled also lead each other, because in the stages before and after the fruit of the wisdom of emptiness of self they can lead each other. This is the desire and form realms, where outflowing can arise with flawless, and not the formless realm, because Bodhisattvas on the grounds are not born there.
第六轉識三界九地有漏無漏、善不善等，各容互作等無間緣，潤生位等更相引故，初起無漏唯色界後，決擇分善唯色界故。
The sixth evolving consciousness, in the nine levels of the three realms, with outflows and flawless, good and not good and so on, may each mutually serve as immediately preceding conditions, since they lead each other in the stage of moistening rebirth and so on; the first arising of the flawless is only after the form realm, since the good of the section of determination is only in the form realm.
眼、耳、身識二界二地，鼻、舌兩識一界一地，自類互作等無間緣，善等相望應知亦爾。
The eye, ear and body consciousnesses in two realms and two levels, and the nose and tongue consciousnesses in one realm and one level, of their own kinds mutually serve as immediately preceding conditions; good and so on in relation should be known to be the same.
有義：五識有漏、無漏自類互作等無間緣，未成佛時容互起故。
One view holds: the five consciousnesses with outflows and flawless of their own kind mutually serve as immediately preceding conditions, because before becoming a Buddha they may arise from each other.
有義：無漏有漏後起，非無漏後容起有漏。無漏五識非佛無故；彼五色根定有漏故；是異熟識相分攝故；有漏不共必俱同境根發無漏識，理不相應故；此二於境明、昧異故。
Another view holds: the flawless arises after the outflowing, but it is not that after the flawless the outflowing may arise. The five flawless consciousnesses do not exist except in a Buddha; those five material faculties are definitely with outflows; they are included in the image part of the maturation consciousness; the uncommon outflowing faculty that is necessarily together with the same object cannot give rise to flawless consciousness, since in principle they do not correspond; and these two differ in the clarity or dimness of the object.
三、所緣緣：謂若有法是帶己相心或相應所慮、所託。
Third, the object-condition: any dharma that is the mind or corresponding factors bearing its own aspect, contemplated and relied upon.
此體有二：一、親；二、疎。若與能緣體不相離，是見分等內所慮託，應知彼是親所緣緣；若與能緣體雖相離，為質能起內所慮託，應知彼是疎所緣緣。
This substance has two kinds: first, direct; second, remote. If it is not separate from the substance of the one who takes it as object, and is what the seeing part and the like inwardly contemplate and rely upon, one should know these are direct object-conditions; if, though separate from the substance of the one who takes it, it serves as a basis and can give rise to what is inwardly contemplated and relied upon, one should know these are remote object-conditions.
親所緣緣能緣皆有，離內所慮託必不生故。疎所緣緣能緣或有，離外所慮託亦得生故。
The direct object-condition always exists for what takes it, because apart from what is inwardly contemplated and relied upon it certainly does not arise. The remote object-condition may or may not exist for what takes it, because it can also arise without what is outwardly contemplated and relied upon.
第八心品：有義：唯有親所緣緣，隨業因力任運變故。
The eighth mind-group: one view holds that there is only the direct object-condition, because it transforms spontaneously by the power of its karmic cause.
有義：亦定有疎所緣緣，要仗他變質自方變故。
Another view holds: there is also definitely a remote object-condition, because it must rely on what others transform before it can itself transform.
有義：二說俱不應理。自、他身、土可互受用，他所變者為自質故。自種於他無受用理，他變為此不應理故，非諸有情種皆等故，應說此品疎所緣緣，一切位中有、無不定。
Another view holds: both views are unreasonable. Self and others' bodies and lands can be mutually enjoyed, and what others transform is the basis of one's own; but one's own seeds have no principle of being enjoyed by others, and it would be unreasonable for others to transform it as this one's; since not all beings' seeds are equal, it should be said that this group has the remote object-condition, which in all stages is indefinite as to presence or absence.
第七心品未轉依位是俱生故，必仗外質，故亦定有疎所緣緣；已轉依位此非定有，緣真如等無外質故。
The seventh mind-group, in the state before the change of support, is innate, and must rely on an external basis, so it also definitely has a remote object-condition; in the state after the change of support, this is not definite, because it takes suchness and so on as object, with no external basis.
第六心品行相猛利，於一切位能自在轉，所仗外質或有、或無，疎所緣緣有、無不定。
The sixth mind-group has a fierce and sharp mode of appearance and can operate freely in all stages; the external basis it relies on may or may not exist, and the remote object-condition is indefinite as to presence or absence.
前五心品未轉依位，麁、鈍、劣故，必仗外質，故亦定有疎所緣緣；已轉依位此非定有，緣過、未等，無外質故。
The first five mind-groups, in the state before the change of support, are coarse, dull and weak, so they must rely on an external basis and also definitely have a remote object-condition; in the state after the change of support, this is not definite, because they take the past, future and so on as objects, with no external basis.
四、增上緣：謂若有法有勝勢用，能於餘法或順、或違。雖前三緣亦是增上，而今第四除彼取餘，為顯諸緣差別相故。
Fourth, the dominant condition: any dharma that has supreme power and function, and can accord with or go against other dharmas. Although the first three conditions are also dominant, here the fourth excludes them and takes the others, in order to show the distinguishing aspects of the conditions.
此順、違用於四處轉：生、住、成、得四事別故。
These functions of according and opposing operate in four places: because the four matters of arising, abiding, accomplishing and attaining are distinguished.
然增上用隨事雖多，而勝顯者唯二十二，應知即是二十二根。
But although the dominant functions are many according to the matter, the supreme and prominent are only twenty-two, which should be known as the twenty-two faculties.
前五色根以本識等所變眼等淨色為性；男女二根，身根所攝故，即以彼少分為性；命根但依本識親種分位假立，非別有性；意根總以八識為性；五受根如應，各自受為性；信等五根即以信等及善念等而為自性。
The first five material faculties have as their nature the pure form of the eye and the like transformed by the root consciousness and so on; the two faculties of male and female are included in the body faculty, so they take a small part of it as their nature; the life faculty is only provisionally established based on the distinctions of state of the direct seed of the root consciousness and is not a separate nature; the mind faculty takes the eight consciousnesses together as its nature; the five faculties of feeling, as appropriate, each take feeling as their nature; the five faculties of faith and so on take faith and so on and good thoughts and so on as their own nature.
未知當知根，體位有三種：一、根本位，謂在見道，除後剎那，無所未知可當知故。二、加行位，謂煖、頂、忍、世第一法，近能引發根本位故。三、資糧位，謂從為得諦現觀故，發起決定勝善法欲，乃至未得順決擇分所有善根名資糧位，能遠資生根本位故。
The faculty of coming to know what is not yet known has three kinds of stages: first, the root stage, that is, in the path of seeing, except for the last moment, because there is nothing unknown left to be known. Second, the stage of preparatory practice, that is, warmth, peak, patience and the highest worldly dharma, because they come near and can bring forth the root stage. Third, the stage of provision, that is, from the desire to attain the truths by direct realization one gives rise to the resolve and desire for the supreme good dharmas, up to the good roots before attaining the factors favorable to penetration, which are called the stage of provision, because they provide from afar for the root stage.
於此三位，信等五根、意、喜、樂、捨為此根性，加行等位於後勝法求證愁慼亦有憂根，非正善根，故多不說。
In these three stages, the five faculties of faith and so on, the faculty of mind, joy, pleasure and equanimity are the nature of this faculty; in the preparatory stages and so on, there is also the faculty of sorrow in seeking and realizing later supreme dharmas with anxiety and grief, but it is not the right good faculty, so it is mostly not mentioned.
前三無色有此根者，有勝見道傍修得故，或二乘位迴趣大者，為證法空，地前亦起九地所攝生空無漏，彼皆菩薩，此根攝故。
The first three formless realms have this faculty, because they gain it by incidental cultivation of the supreme path of seeing, or those of the two vehicles who turn toward the Great Vehicle, in order to realize the emptiness of dharmas, also arouse before the grounds the flawless emptiness of self included in the nine levels; those are all Bodhisattvas, and are included in this faculty.
菩薩見道亦有此根，但說地前，以時促故。
The Bodhisattva path of seeing also has this faculty, but it is spoken of only before the grounds, because the time is short.
始從見道最後剎那乃至金剛喻定，所有信等無漏九根皆是已知根性。未離欲者，於上解脫求證愁慼，亦有憂根，非正善根，故多不說。
From the last moment of the path of seeing up to the vajra-like concentration, all the nine flawless faculties of faith and so on are the nature of the faculty of already knowing. Those who have not left desire, in seeking and realizing higher liberation with anxiety and grief, also have the faculty of sorrow, but it is not the right good faculty, so it is mostly not mentioned.