文義
第一章：頌前五識「性境現量通三性，」
所有分別意識的最基本特徵，在於能分別與所分別。能分別又有三種，即所謂的三量。第一量是現量，其他兩量是比量與非量。非量包括夢覺與幻覺。前五識中只有現量。
同樣地，境界是指識的所分別。所分別可歸類為「三境」之一。此三境為：（一）性境、（二）獨影境、（三）帶質境。性境是指識之實境，即不因人我執與法執而扭曲的境界。此性境是不為心理因素所左右的。
第二類是獨影境，不依實相，純以第六識的想像而成的，諸如本屬子虛烏有的龜毛、兔角。
第三類是帶質境，是被妄想心－－歸根究底為被我相－－歪曲過的境界。此三境中只有第一類「性境」與前五識有關。
識在念念中都有道德性，又分三方面。所謂的「三性」分為善性、惡性、無記性。善性識趨向於造善業；惡性識則趨向於造惡業；無記性識則屬中性，非善非惡。因為前五識不能獨立作道德上的分別，所以就屬無記性。
因為五識總是隨第六識而昇起；而第六識即刻分別善惡。因為五識與第六識緊密相關，所以此五識兼涉「三性」。五識最初一動，第六識即刻分別好壞、善惡。前五識若離了第六識，則與其五境（色、聲、香、味、觸）的因果關係只與性境有關。
「眼耳身三二地居。」
現在我們分析所謂的「垂直」方向，以描述五識之生起，及其在有為世界中的定位。這裡的「二地」是指「九地」的前兩地。這「九」地分別是：
A.第一地是欲界：涵蓋五趣－－地獄、餓鬼、畜生、阿修羅、人－－以及天界之六欲天。
B.二、三、四、五地是四種禪天。
C.六、七、八、九地是四種空處。
九地
無色界（亦稱四空處天）
（九）非想非非想處
（八）無所有處
（七）識無邊處地
（六）空無邊處地
色界
（五）四禪天（捨念清淨地）
（四）三禪天（離喜妙樂地）
（三）二禪天（定生喜樂地）
（二）初禪天（離生喜樂地）
欲界
（一）地獄、餓鬼、畜生、阿修羅、人、六欲天。
待續 |
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The Text
Part One: The First Five Consciousnesses
‘The direct, veridical perception of natural states can
involve any of the Three Natures’
All distinction-making consciousness, has as its most basic distinction that of subject and object. The functioning of the subject-component of consciousness is also of three types, known as the Three Modes of Knowledge. Direct, veridical perception is the first. The others are inference and fallacy. Fallacy includes dreams and hallucinations. Only veridical perception functions within the fields of the five consciousnesses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching).
Likewise, a state refers to the object-component of consciousness. The object component is classified as being one of the Three Kinds of States:
1) natural state,
2) state of solitary impressions,
3) state of transposed substance.
The natural state refers to states—the perceived aspects of consciousness—as they really are, that is, undistorted by the attachment to self and other or by attachment to dharmas. The natural state is unconditioned by mental causation.
The second kind, solitary impressions, has no basis in the states as they really are, but consists of imagined categories of the sixth consciousness such as the hair of a turtle or the horns of a rabbit. The third, the state of transposed substance, refers to states that are distorted by false thinking and ultimately by the mark of a self. Only the first of the Three Kinds of States, the natural state, occurs in relation to the five consciousnesses.
Every moment of consciousness can also be characterized as having a moral nature. Again the analysis is threefold. The Three Natures are the wholesome, the unwholesome, and the indeterminate. Consciousness characterized by a wholesome nature tends towards the creation of good karma, whereas that of an unwholesome nature tends to create evil karma. The indeterminate nature is neutral, neither good nor evil. Since the five consciousnesses do not contain the potential for making moral distinctions, by themselves they are only indeterminate in nature.
Because the five consciousnesses always arise together with the sixth consciousness, which does distinguish good and evil, the five consciousnesses do partake of all three natures insofar as they are intimately connected with the sixth consciousness. As the first five consciousnesses function, the sixth consciousness simultaneously makes moral determinations of their contents. Apart from the activity of the sixth consciousness, the causal relationship of the first five consciousnesses to their states—sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile objects—is exclusively in terms of direct veridical perception.
‘Three consciousnesses—eyes, ears, and body—occupy two grounds.’
The analysis now moves to what we might call the "vertical" dimension and informs about the levels of the conditioned world on which the five consciousnesses arise. The "two grounds" refer to the first two of the Nine Grounds. The Nine Grounds are as follows:
a) the first ground is comprised of the realm of desire, which includes the five destinies of hell-beings, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, and humans, and the Six Desire Heavens portion of the destiny of the gods;
b) the second, third, fourth, and fifth grounds are the Four Dhyana Heavens; and
c) the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grounds are the Four Stations of Emptiness.
The Nine Grounds
The Formless Realms (also known as the Four Stations of Emptiness)
9. Neither Cognition nor Non-cognition
8. Nothing Whatsoever
7. Infinite Consciousness
6. Infinite Space
The Realm of Form
5. Fourth Dhyana (Stage of Renouncing Thought)
4. Third Dhyana (Stage of the Wonderful Bliss of Being Apart from Joy)
3. Second Dhyana (Joyful Stage of the Arising of Samadhi)
2. First Dhyana (Joyful Stage of Leaving Production)
The Realm of Desire
1. Six Desire Heavens and the destinies of humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-dwellers.
To be continued |
