English
English version: The arising of all destinies (various forms of life) is due to the existence of this eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna, storehouse consciousness). It upholds all the laws that accord with the cycle of birth and death, causing all sentient beings to transmigrate in saṃsāra. Although delusion and karma are both causes of transmigration, 'destinies' are the ultimate result, so they are specifically mentioned. Alternatively, 'destinies' can encompass both what leads to transmigration and what results from it. This eighth consciousness serves as the basis for transmigration. And the attainment of nirvāṇa is also due to the existence of this consciousness. It upholds all the laws that accord with cessation (liberation from the cycle of birth and death), enabling practitioners to attain nirvāṇa. Here, only the ability to attain nirvāṇa is mentioned, because the principle of nirvāṇa and nirvāṇa itself do not depend on this consciousness for their existence. Or, it can be said that it is the nirvāṇa that is attained, because this is the true goal pursued by practitioners. Or, both the ability to attain and what is attained are mentioned here, because they both belong to the category of cessation. The *Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra* further states in a verse: 'Because it stores all dharmas, the consciousness of all seeds, is called ālaya. The Victorious One reveals this.' This means that this fundamental consciousness possesses various seeds, so it can store all defiled dharmas. Based on this consciousness, the name ālaya is established. This consciousness, from beginningless time until the immovable ground (an advanced stage of practice), when there is no self-grasping, is called ālaya, translated as storehouse consciousness. So it is named based on its function. The *Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra* says: 'The ādanavijñāna is very deep and subtle, all seeds are like a torrential flow. I do not reveal it to ordinary fools, lest they discriminate and grasp it as self.' Ādana, translated into Chinese, means upholding, which is the eighth consciousness. Because it can uphold the seeds, the sense organs and body, and the world, it is the meaning of initial arising. This consciousness can uphold the seeds of various dharmas, preventing them from being scattered; and it can uphold the basis of the sense organs; it can also grasp the connection of rebirth. Possessing these three meanings, this name is established. Non-self (a philosophical view) cannot fully understand it, so it is said to be 'very deep.' The pursuit of quiescence cannot penetrate it, so it is said to be 'very subtle.' Even the real seeds of all dharmas, when struck by conditions, will arise, and the waves of the transforming consciousness (the first six consciousnesses) are constantly uninterrupted, so it is said to be 'like a torrential flow.' Fearing that those ordinary fools will generate discrimination and attachment to this, fall into various evil destinies, and obstruct the arising of the holy path, the World-Honored One does not reveal it to them, but only reveals it to Mahāyāna Bodhisattvas. This verse also proves the meaning of upholding seeds, which the first six transforming consciousnesses do not possess. The *Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra* says: 'Like the sea encountering favorable winds, it raises various waves, the present function transforms, without' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
间断时(此喻)。藏识海亦然。境界风所击。恒起诸识浪现前作用转(法也)。此颂第八非转识有此义也。既言藏识海。又云。恒起诸识浪。岂前六生灭之识得与于是哉。此上所引。乃大乘四颂。总释十证颂持种心义。又大众部阿笈么中。密意说此名根本识。是转识所依止故。又上座部经分别论。俱密意说此名有分识。有乃三有。分乃因义。唯此第八恒遍三界为三有因。又化地部说穷生死蕴。盖离此第八无别蕴法。穷生死际无间断时。又说一切有部增壹经。亦密说名阿赖耶。谓爱阿赖耶等。由彼说阿赖耶名定此第八识。上引小乘四教宛然有此第八。何以坚执唯前六识耶。又契经说。杂染清净诸法种子之所集起故名为心。若无此识。彼持种心不应有故。谓诸转识在灭定等有间断故。根境作意善等类别易脱起故。不坚住故非可熏习不能持种。唯此第八一类恒无间断。如茞胜等坚住可熏。当彼契经所说心义。此亦证第八名心。符合十证颂初句之持种心也。又云。有异熟心善恶业感。若无此识。彼异熟心不应有故。唯真异熟心酬牵引业遍而无断。彼异熟心即第八识。此心字通于持种异熟四字之义也。此上已释十证颂初句之义。又云。有情流转五趣四生。若无此第八。彼趣生体不应有故。谓要实有恒遍无杂。具此四义方可立正实 趣生。若前五识业所感者。不遍趣生。以无色界中全无此故。意识业感虽遍趣生。而不恒有唯异熟心及彼心所。具四义故。是正趣生此心及所。离第八识理不得成。此释趣生二字。以证第八为趣生体也。又契经说。有色根身是有执受。若无此识。彼能执受不应有故。此能执受心唯异熟心。眼等转识无如是义。又契经说。寿暖识三更互依持得相续住。若无此识。能持寿暖令久住识不应有故。谓转识有间有转。如声风等无恒持用。不可立为持寿暖识故。唯异熟有恒持用故。可立为持寿暖识。此释识字之义。通上众义以释次句。趣生有受识也。此下释生死缘依食之句。契经云。诸有情类受生命终。必住散心非无心定。若无此识。生死时心不应有故。谓生死时身心惛昧。如睡无梦极闷绝时。明了意识必不现前。六种转识行相所缘必不可知。是散有心名生死心。亦有余部执生死位别有一类微细意识。行相所缘俱不可了。应知即是此第八识。又将死时。由善恶业下上身分冷触渐起。若无此识彼事不成。转识不能执受身故。此证生死时心即第八也。又说。识缘名色。名色缘识。如是二法展转相依。譬如束芦俱时而转。若无此识。彼识自体不应有故。又诸转识有间转故。无力恒时执持名色恒与名色为缘。故彼识言显是第八。此释缘字也 现代汉语译本： 趣生（指轮回）。如果前五识（眼、耳、鼻、舌、身五种感觉器官的意识）的业力所感，则不能普遍地引起轮回，因为在中阴身（死亡和投胎之间的过渡状态）中完全没有这些。意识的业力所感虽然普遍地引起轮回，但不是恒常存在的，只有异熟心（第八识，又称阿赖耶识，储存业种的心识）以及与它相应的心所（心理活动），具备四种意义，才是真正引起轮回的。这个心和心所，离开第八识的道理是不能成立的。这解释了‘趣生’二字，以证明第八识是轮回的主体。 又，契经（佛经）说，有色根身（具有感觉功能的身体）是有执受（被掌握和控制）的。如果没有这个识（第八识），那么能执受就不应该存在。这个能执受的心，唯有异熟心（第八识）才能做到，眼等转识（前六识）没有这样的能力。 又，契经说，寿（寿命）、暖（体温）、识（意识）三者互相依存，才能持续存在。如果没有这个识（第八识），能保持寿命和体温长久存在的识就不应该存在。因为转识（前六识）是有间断、有变化的，就像声音和风一样，没有恒常保持的作用，不能被认为是保持寿命和体温的识。只有异熟心（第八识）具有恒常保持的作用，才能被认为是保持寿命和体温的识。这解释了‘识’字的意义，综合以上各种意义来解释下一句，‘趣生有受识’。 这下面解释‘生死缘依食’的句子。契经说，所有有情众生在接受生命和结束生命时，必定处于散乱的心态，而不是无心定（没有意识的禅定）的状态。如果没有这个识（第八识），生死时候的心就不应该存在。因为生死时候身心昏昧，就像睡眠没有做梦，或者极度闷绝的时候，明了的意识一定不会显现。六种转识（前六识）的行相（活动状态）和所缘（认识对象）必定无法得知。这种散乱有心的状态，就叫做生死心。也有其他部派认为，在生死之际，存在另一种微细的意识，它的行相和所缘都无法了解，应该知道这就是第八识。 又，将要死亡的时候，由于善恶业力的作用，身体下部或上部的冷触逐渐产生。如果没有这个识（第八识），这件事就不能成立，因为转识（前六识）不能执受身体。 这证明了生死时候的心就是第八识。又说，识缘名色（意识是名色的缘），名色缘识（名色是意识的缘），像这样两种法互相依赖，就像两束芦苇同时互相依靠而转动。如果没有这个识（第八识），那个识（指名色所缘的识）的自体就不应该存在。 又，各种转识（前六识）是有间断地运转的，没有力量恒常地执持名色，恒常地与名色作为缘。所以那个‘识’字，显示的就是第八识。这解释了‘缘’字。
English
English version: ‘Qusheng’ (趣生, referring to reincarnation). If it is the karma perceived by the first five consciousnesses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body consciousnesses), it cannot universally cause reincarnation, because these are completely absent in the ‘Zhongyin’ (中阴, the intermediate state between death and rebirth). Although the karma perceived by the ‘Yishi’ (意识, the sixth consciousness, mind consciousness) universally causes reincarnation, it is not constantly present; only the ‘Yishu Xin’ (异熟心, the eighth consciousness, also known as Alaya consciousness, the storehouse consciousness that stores karmic seeds) and its associated ‘Xin Suo’ (心所, mental activities) possess four meanings, and are the true cause of reincarnation. This mind and its mental activities cannot be established without the principle of the eighth consciousness. This explains the two words ‘Qusheng’, to prove that the eighth consciousness is the entity of reincarnation. Furthermore, the ‘Qiejing’ (契经, Buddhist scriptures) say that the ‘Youse Genshen’ (有色根身, the body with sensory functions) is ‘You Zhishou’ (有执受, possessed and controlled). If there were no such consciousness (the eighth consciousness), then the ability to possess should not exist. This mind that can possess is only the ‘Yishu Xin’ (异熟心, the eighth consciousness); the ‘Zhuanshi’ (转识, the first six consciousnesses) such as eye consciousness do not have such ability. Furthermore, the scriptures say that ‘Shou’ (寿, lifespan), ‘Nuan’ (暖, warmth), and ‘Shi’ (识, consciousness) rely on each other to maintain continuity. If there were no such consciousness (the eighth consciousness), the consciousness that can maintain lifespan and warmth for a long time should not exist. Because the ‘Zhuanshi’ (转识, the first six consciousnesses) are intermittent and changing, like sound and wind, they do not have a constant maintaining function and cannot be considered the consciousness that maintains lifespan and warmth. Only the ‘Yishu Xin’ (异熟心, the eighth consciousness) has a constant maintaining function and can be considered the consciousness that maintains lifespan and warmth. This explains the meaning of the word ‘Shi’ (识, consciousness), and combines the above meanings to explain the next sentence, ‘Qusheng You Shou Shi’ (趣生有受识, reincarnation has a consciousness that receives). The following explains the sentence ‘Shengsi Yuan Yi Shi’ (生死缘依食, birth and death depend on food). The scriptures say that all sentient beings are in a scattered state of mind when accepting life and ending life, not in a state of ‘Wu Xin Ding’ (无心定, samadhi without consciousness). If there were no such consciousness (the eighth consciousness), the mind at the time of birth and death should not exist. Because the body and mind are confused at the time of birth and death, like sleeping without dreaming, or in a state of extreme suffocation, the clear consciousness will definitely not appear. The ‘Xingxiang’ (行相, activity state) and ‘Suoyuan’ (所缘, object of cognition) of the six ‘Zhuanshi’ (转识, the first six consciousnesses) will definitely not be known. This scattered and conscious state is called the ‘Shengsi Xin’ (生死心, the mind of birth and death). There are also other schools that believe that there is another subtle consciousness at the time of birth and death, whose ‘Xingxiang’ (行相, activity state) and ‘Suoyuan’ (所缘, object of cognition) cannot be understood; it should be known that this is the eighth consciousness. Furthermore, when one is about to die, due to the effects of good and bad karma, cold touch gradually arises in the lower or upper parts of the body. If there were no such consciousness (the eighth consciousness), this event could not be established, because the ‘Zhuanshi’ (转识, the first six consciousnesses) cannot possess the body. This proves that the mind at the time of birth and death is the eighth consciousness. It is also said that ‘Shi Yuan Mingse’ (识缘名色, consciousness is the condition for name and form), ‘Mingse Yuan Shi’ (名色缘识, name and form are the condition for consciousness), these two dharmas rely on each other, like two bundles of reeds relying on each other and turning at the same time. If there were no such consciousness (the eighth consciousness), the self-nature of that consciousness (referring to the consciousness conditioned by name and form) should not exist. Furthermore, the various ‘Zhuanshi’ (转识, the first six consciousnesses) operate intermittently, and do not have the power to constantly hold onto name and form, and constantly act as a condition for name and form. Therefore, that word ‘Shi’ (识, consciousness) indicates the eighth consciousness. This explains the word ‘Yuan’ (缘, condition). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------