Introduction to Yogacara Buddhism:
Asanga, Vasubandhu and Hsuan -Tsang
by Thomas Tam
[June 4, 2004]
The Vijnaptimatratasiddhi-Trimsika 1
By Vasuhandhu 2
Translated by Wei Tat 3
21
The self-nature which results from dependence on others
Consists of discriminations produced by causes and conditions.
The difference between the nature of Ultimate Reality and the nature of dependence on others
Is that the former is eternally free from the parikalpita-nature (conception by the imagination) of the latter, that is, the dependence on others for manifestation 28.
22
Thus, the nature of Ultimate Reality and the nature of dependence on others
Are neither different nor non-different,
Just as impermanence is neither different nor non-different from impermanent dharmas.
One does not perceive the nature of dependence on others as long as one has not perceived that of Ultimate Reality 29.
23
On the basis of the three natures of existence 30
Are established the three natures of non-existence.
For this reason the Buddha preached, with a secret intention,
That all dharmas have no nature of their own 31.
24
The first is non-existence as regards characteristics [since they are but products of the imagination].
The second is non-existence as regards innate nature or origination [since it is the result of discrimination].
The last is non-existence as regards the supreme truth about all dharmas which is far removed from the first ‘nature of mere-imagination’,
In which things are believed to be a real Atman and real dharmas 32.
25
The supreme truth about all dharmas.
Is also Bhutatathata (chen-ju, genuine thusness, absolute reality),
Because it is immutable, remaining constantly thus in its nature.
This is the true nature of Mere-consciousness.
26
As long as the consciousness (of wisdom) has not arisen
To seek to abide in the state of Vijnaptimatrata,
The ‘attachment’ and ‘drowsiness 33’ arising from the two ‘apprehensions’
Cannot, as yet, be suppressed and obliterated.
27
As long as one places something before himself and, taking it as an object,
Declares that it is the nature of Mere-consciousness,
He is really not residing in the state of Mere-consciousness,
Because he is in possession of something.
28
If, in perceiving the sphere of objects,
Wisdom no longer conceives any idea of the object,
Then that wisdom is in the state of Vijnaptimatrata,
Because both the object to be apprehended and the act of apprehending by consciousness are absent.
29
Without perception 34, inconceivable and incomprehensible,
This is transcendental supramundane wisdom,
Because of the abandonment of the crude dross of the two barriers 35,
Inner transformation into perfect wisdom is achieved.
30
This is the Pure 36 Dhatu (the undefiled storehouse realm)
Which is inconceivable and incomprehensible, good and eternal,
Where one is in a state of blissfulness with one’s emancipated body;
This is the Law of “Great Silence” (mahamuni), the Dharmakaya, realized by the great Buddha, Sakyamuni.
Notes: (The Vijnaptimatratasiddhi-Trimsika, written by Vasubandhu around the fourth century, is a central text for Yogacara Buddhism, which was started by his brother, Asanga. Commentaries written by ten of Vasubandhu’s disciples were merged and translated in a book, Ch’eng Wei-Shih Lun, by Hsuan Chuang after he came back from India to China in the T’ang dynasty. Some of the following notes come from Rev. Tai Hsu’s lectures on the Vijnaptimatratasiddhi-Trimsika. The responsibility of all misinterpretations must be borne by the presenter, Thomas Tam, alone.)
- The thirty stanzas on mere consciousness.
- Author of the thirty stanzas, and brother of Asanga, who lived around the fourth century.
- From his translation of Hsuan Chuang’s Doctrine of Mere Consciousness.
- Meaning self.
- Meaning things, events, ideas, etc.
- The most fundamental consciousness, where everything resides. Like the Sanskrit word for Himalaya, where snow resides.
- The consciousness that differentiates constantly. It grabs onto the store consciousness and considers it to be the self.
- The consciousness that differentiates, but not constantly, for example, good or bad, beautiful or ugly.
- Meaning the consciousness of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
- Roughly meaning consequences.
- Roughly meaning causes.
- A mental attribute is the result of the manifestation of a seed in our store consciousness.
- The consciousness where there is no sense of suffering or enjoyment.
- The consciousness that contains all seeds, which cannot be classified as good or evil.
- The state of sainthood where troubles cease to arise.
- Nirvana does not mean death. It means peace from the liberation of self.
- The consideration made by the mind which can result in future consequences.
- Different levels of existence: human, animal, hell, heaven, etc.
- The wisdom that transcend the ordinary world we live in.
- That is, sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mind.
- Remorse and drowsiness is of one kind; reflection and investigation refers to another kind.
- Name of inhabitants of such a world.
- A permanent self or thing does not exist. The self or thing exists only as perception or objects of perception, both manifestations of consciousness.
- The seeds that reside in the store consciousness, seem to be inert, before manifestation. It is changing and growing at every instant, nevertheless. The manifestation of every seed, is also dependent on the cooperation or interaction of other seeds.
- Habit energy means permeation or impregnation. Thich Nhat Hanh explained it thus: “If you want to make jasmine tea, you pick jasmine flowers, put them in a box together with the tea, close it tightly, and leave it for several weeks. The fragrant jasmine penetrates deeply into the tea leaves. The tea will then smell of jasmine, because it has absorbed the perfume of the jasmine blossoms. Our store consciousness also has a strong capacity to receive and absorb “fragrances” or “scents”.
- The two apprehensions refer to the insistent grabbing of the self and of appearances.
- It is the inability to give up the self and appearances, plus the influences from previous seeds, that the cycle of birth and death continues.
- The nature of ultimate reality refers to the giving up of insistent grabbing of the self and appearances.
- Without experiencing and understanding the nature of ultimate reality, there cannot be an understanding of the nature of dependence on others. In other words, without giving up the self and appearances, one cannot see through the appearance of things and self.
- The three natures of existence refer to: 1) what is conceived by imagination; 2) dependence on others; 3) ultimate reality.
- This refers to Buddha’s understanding that people in the world insistently grab onto some permanent nature in the things they encountered.
- The three non-existences refer to the impermanent nature of appearance; the inability to reduce something to a first cause; and the unreality of ultimate reality.
- The apprehensions refer to the insistent grabbing of the self and appearances. The two terms ‘attachment’ and ‘drowsiness’ in this stanza, however, should be more appropriately translated as ‘dormant’.
- Here, ‘perception’ should be replaced by ‘possession’.
- The two dross barriers refer to ‘knowledge’ and ‘afflictions’.
- It is also known as Pure Consciousness, when it is realized that store consciousness is no longer subject to afflictions, and afflictions are no other than enlightenment. (from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Transformation at the Base: Fifty Verses on The Nature of Consciousness).
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