问：“性、识、意、心，有什么分别？”

Q: What are the differences between the nature, the consciousness, the intent, and the mind?

答：小孩子刚生出来时，活活泼泼的，无人、无我、无众生、无寿者，这时可说是“性”。一知道吃奶了，“识”就增加。吃奶之后，又懂得穿衣服，不穿就会冷，不穿就觉得羞耻；知道饥渴寒暑，这就是“意”了。等到长大，想要这个，想要那个，这就是有“心”了。本来这是四种心，可是也可说是一个，互相有连带关系，不可分开，是同一家。虽说有四个名词，但是它本性是一样的，它根本的罪魁就是“业”。  

A: Newborn babies are active and lively, and they have no concept of self, others, living beings, or a life span. You could call what they have the "nature." As soon as they start to nurse, their "consciousness" increases. After learning to nurse, they learn to wear clothes, because without clothes they feel cold and they feel embarrassed. When they become aware of hunger, thirst, cold, and heat, that's the "intent." Then when they grow up and start wanting this and wanting that, they have a "mind." These are basically four kinds of minds, but they could also be said to be one, because they are interrelated and cannot be separated. They are the same family. Although there are four names, their fundamental nature is the same. Their basic defiled cause is "karma."

再扩大来说，什么叫“佛”？我们的“性”叫佛。什么叫神？“识”是神。“意”是分别心，“心”是尽打妄想。再说，“性”本是圆陀陀、光灼灼，无人、无我，不落二三。但一有“识”，就落二落三，有所分别。“意”也是有分别，又叫第六识，比较混浊。而第七、第八识则比较清净。识有八种，眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意六识，加第七、第八识。识本非有八识，而是名词上有八个，但总机关是一，而有八个岗位。虽然有八个岗位，可是都由识来支配控制，八而一，一而八；八不碍一，一不碍八。从一可生八，从八又可回到一，这是识。

To expand upon this, what is the "Buddha"? Our "nature" is the Buddha. What is the spirit? The "consciousness" is the spirit. The "intent" is the discriminating mind, and the "mind" is what constantly engages in idle thinking. Further, the "nature" is originally perfect and bright, with no concept of self or others, and no falling into a second or third level of truth. But as soon as there is "consciousness," one falls into a second or third level of truth, and one makes discriminations. The "intent" also makes discriminations, and it is also called the sixth consciousness. It is relatively turbid, while the seventh and eighth consciousnesses are more pure. There are eight kinds of consciousness: the six consciousnesses of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and intent, and the seventh and eighth consciousnesses. Fundamentally, consciousness is not of eight kinds, although there are eight kinds in name. We could say that there is a single headquarters with eight departments under it. Although there are eight departments, they are controlled by the headquarters. The eight are one, and the one is eight. The eight don't contradict the one, and the one doesn't contradict the eight. From the one, the eight come forth. From eight, they can also return to one. That's the consciousness.

“意”就是分别心，也就是第六意识。“心”不单有分别，而且又妄想纷飞。至于六识，可以说是一种知觉性，就是从六根：眼耳鼻舌身意，发出见闻嗅尝觉知。人造罪业也是在六根门头，修行也是在六根门头。若能不被外边境界所转，那就是修行；若被外边境界转，就是堕落。

The "intent" is the discriminating mind, the sixth consciousness. Not only does the "mind" make discriminations, it is filled with idle thoughts. The six consciousnesses can also be said to be a perceptive nature. That is, from the six sense organs--eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and intent--the functions of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, and knowing arise. When people commit offenses, they do it with the six sense organs. When they cultivate, they also do it with the six sense organs. If you can remain unperturbed by external states, then you are cultivating. If you are turned by external states, then you will fall.