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第四章：頌第八識
性唯無覆五偏行，
在轉識成智以前，第八識總是與第七識以及「五遍行法」一起生起。「五遍行法」是：作意、觸、受、想、思。第八識屬無覆性，因為它不覆真如；其性不被一起生起的「心所法」所覆蔽。它是無記性的，因為它是被動的，對於善惡等任何境界均不加分別。
第八識含有所造前業的業因種子。當受前七識的業行所「熏」時，此種子成熟，轉成現行的法。這裡以一個芝麻種子作譬喻；種子不管是受芝麻花香之薰染，還是其他任何一種香之薰染，都會沾染上那一種香的香味。
界地隨他業力生。
雖然第八識不造業，但是在功用上來說，它是完全被動的。它所含藏的種子一旦成熟，便會產生三界與九地的種種實法。（在前五識的偈頌第二行中，我們已對九地加以解釋過了。）
二乘不了因迷執，由此能興論主正諍。
第八識的境界極微細，只有佛菩薩才能夠直覺到，因此二乘之人否定它的存在。『成唯識論』參照大小乘經典，極有邏輯地證明了第八識存在的必然性。
浩浩三藏不可窮，
阿賴耶是「含藏」的意思。因為它是個含藏「種子」的倉庫。藏識是第八識的別名之一。「三藏」指第八識的三個方面：持種、被薰、第七識執之為我。
淵深七浪境為風。
「淵深」是指第八識的涵攝，有如海洋。前七識之生於第八識，有如水面之波浪生於大海。風指「境」，識生起的因緣。這一因綠「薰染」第八識內的種子，使其發芽，變成實法。前七識與其心所法都依於第八識所藏的種子而現起。
受熏持種根身器，
俱備感官的身體，與整個物質世界都來自第八識所持的種子。
去後來先作主公。
人死時，前七識首先被攝入第八識。受生時，它們又分散為諸識。「去後來先」是指生前死後的中陰狀態。在中陰階段，第八識是作主的。這一行也可以理解為死時第八識是最後離開身體的；生時它又是第一個開始起作用的。
不動地前纔捨藏，
不動地是第八地。在第八地前的第七地上，第七識捨去對藏識的我執。這是在第七識轉成平等性智時發生的。
金剛道後異熟空。
金剛道，即「不可壞之道」，指八地以上，至十地以及「等覺地」。因為菩薩已證無我並且在此時照見人空與法空，故再無新生之污染業，但是「異熟果」仍然還繼續存在：以前種下的種子現在繼續成為現實的果報。然而在佛地上，八識中未來的異熟種子已經最後空了。換一句話說，心裡已不能產生未來有漏不淨的種子了。
大圓無垢同時發，
在佛地上，轉八識成大圓鏡智已經圓滿，此時可以說已無染，成為淨識，稱之為真如。
普照十方塵剎中。
佛的法身放智慧光，普照十方。十方是：上、下、東、西、南、北、東南、東北、西南、西北。佛剎指佛所居之剎土，此剎土是佛為教化眾生和度眾生入佛地而以大悲力而生的。
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Part Four: The Eighth Consciousness
Its nature is exclusively the non-obscuring indeterminate, and it interacts with the Five Universally Interactive Dharmas.
Before its transformation into wisdom, the eighth consciousness always arises together with the seventh consciousness and the Five Universally Interactive Dharmas: attention, contact, feeling, conceptualization, and deliberation. The nature of the eighth consciousness is said to be "non-obscuring" because it does not obscure True Thusness.
The eighth consciousness can also be said to be "unobscured" because its own nature is not obscured by the mind-dependent dharmas that arise with it. It is indeterminate because, being passive, it does not make the distinctions of wholesome and unwholesome or any other distinctions.
The eighth consciousness contains seeds, karmic potentials created by previous karmic activities. The seeds ripen and become actual dharmas as they are "perfumed" by the karmic activity of the first seven consciousnesses. The image here is built on an analogy with of sesame seeds, which take on the fragrance of the sesame plant's flowers or any fragrance with which they come into contact.
The Three Realms with their Nine Grounds come into being in accord with the power of karma.
Although the eighth consciousness does not create karma because it is totally passive in function, the seeds stored within it ripen to create actual dharmas that are the Three Realms and the Nine Grounds. [TheNine Grounds are explained above in the explanation of the second line of the verse describing the first five consciousnesses.]
Because of their confused attachments, those of the Two Vehicles don't comprehend it; and based upon those attachments, there arise the disputes of the Shastra masters.
Only the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are capable of direct awareness of the eighth consciousness, because its states are so subtle. That is why those of the Hinayana vehicles deny its existence. The Treatise on Consciousness-Only gives scriptural references to it from both Mahayana and Hinayana scriptures together with logical arguments for the necessity of its existence.
How vast and unfathomable is the threefold alaya!
Alaya means "storehouse". Because it is a "storehouse" of seeds, storehouse consciousness (alayavijnana) is one of the names by which the eighth consciousness is known. "Threefold" refers to three aspects of the eighth consciousness: it contains seeds, it is 'perfumed', and the seventh consciousness takes it to be the self.
Generated by the winds of states, seven waves arise from its depths.
"Its depths" refers to the extent of the eighth consciousness, which is compared to the ocean. The first seven consciousnesses arise from the eighth consciousness in the same manner as waves arise on the surface of the sea. The wind represents "states", the causes and conditions for the consciousnesses arising. The causes and conditions "perfume" seeds in the eighth consciousness, causing them to sprout, to become actual dharmas. The first seven consciousnesses and the Dharmas Interactive with the Mind associated with them all come into being from seeds stored in the eighth consciousness.
It undergoes perfuming and contains the seeds both of the body with its organs and of the material world.
The body with its perceptual organs and the entire physical world also arise from seeds contained in the eighth consciousness.
After going and before coming, it's in control.
At death the first seven consciousnesses are reabsorbed into the eighth consciousness. At birth they are regenerated as separate consciousnesses. "After going and before coming" refers to the intermediate state between death and rebirth. During that period the eighth consciousness is "in control."The line could also be interpreted as meaning that at death the eighth consciousness is the last to leave the old body, and at birth it is the first to begin functioning.
Before the Unmoving Ground, attachment to the storehouse is finally relinquished.
The Unmoving Ground is the Eighth Ground. Prior to the eighth ground, that is, on the seventh ground, the seventh consciousness relinquishes its innate attachment to the eighth or storehouse consciousness being the self. This takes place as the seventh consciousness transforms itself into the Wisdom Whose Nature Is Equality.
Upon completion of the Vajra Path, it is empty of the ripening of results.
The Vajra Path, "the Path of indestructible substance", refers to the Eighth through Tenth Grounds and, in addition, the stage of Equal Enlightenment. Due to the absence of self and because the Bodhisattva contemplates the emptiness of both self and dharmas during this period, no fresh defiling karma is created, but "the ripening of results" continues: seeds planted in the past continue to ripen into actual karmic retribution.
However, at Buddhahood, the eighth consciousness is finally emptied of ripening seeds of future karma. In other words, no seeds remain in the mind that could give rise to future outflows or impurities.
The Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom and the undefiled consciousness are produced at the same time,
At Buddhahood the transformation of the eighth consciousness into the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom is complete, and consciousness can be said to be totally undefiled. It is this pure "consciousness" that is called True Thusness.
And in the ten directions universally illuminate Buddha-fields as countless as motes of dust.
The light of wisdom emitted from the Dharma Body of the Buddha illuminates everywhere.
The ten directions are north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, above, and below.
A Buddha-field or Buddhaland refers to where a Buddha resides, a "land" created by the power of great compassion to aid in teaching living beings and in taking them across to Buddhahood.
The End
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