Selected Lectures on the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra

Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume Fourteen

Original Text: Furthermore, there are three kinds of affliction-tendencies that cause sentient beings to revolve in the cycle of birth and death. Namely, aspiration and craving for superior sensual pleasures constitutes the first affliction-tendency. Aspiration and craving for superior states of existence within the form realm and formless realm constitutes the second affliction-tendency. Aspiration and craving for erroneous liberation constitutes the third affliction-tendency.

Explanation: There are also three approaches oriented towards afflictions that cause sentient beings to revolve in the cycle of birth and death. The first is that sentient beings, due to the wholesome aspiration for Dharma, are bound by this wholesome aspiration and cannot transcend the Three Realms. They will inevitably pursue the Buddha Dharma life after life within the Three Realms until attaining Buddhahood. This is the wholesome aspiration of Bodhisattvas who have aroused the great resolve. Because they do not transcend the Three Realms, they experience the sufferings within them, including subtle suffering. This is the first affliction-tendency.

The second is that sentient beings, by developing an aspiration and craving for the superior karmic retribution of the form realm and formless realm, become bound in birth and death, unable to attain liberation. Beings in the form and formless realms possess bodies and states of existence superior to those in the desire realm, enjoying superior karmic retribution. However, because sentient beings crave this superior karmic retribution, the meditative absorptions (dhyāna) of the form and formless realms, and the enjoyment of blessings therein, they become bound by the karmic retribution of these realms and cannot transcend the Three Realms, thus experiencing the suffering of birth and death within them. This is the second affliction-tendency sought by sentient beings.

The third is that sentient beings develop an aspiration for erroneous liberation. Due to erroneous views and improper cultivation methods, not only do they fail to attain liberation, but they sink deeper into the abyss of birth and death. They have the desire for liberation but have not encountered the true Dharma of liberation. Instead, they encounter non-Buddhist paths, practice non-Buddhist methods, and seek liberation through improper non-Buddhist practices. Consequently, they become bound by the wrong views of non-Buddhist paths and cannot attain liberation. This is the third affliction-tendency.

Whether it is the aspiration for the true Dharma or for erroneous teachings, the ultimate aspiration originates from the mental faculty (manas). Initially, it is aroused by the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) through contact with these two kinds of Dharma, gradually influencing the mental faculty. Only then does one begin to diligently cultivate the true Dharma or erroneous teachings, ultimately leading either to liberation or to deeper bondage within birth and death.

Original Text: Furthermore, there are three kinds of sentient beings who, taking desire as the fundamental basis, undertake practices and methods. Firstly, for attaining superior sensual pleasures. Secondly, for attaining a superior state of existence. Thirdly, for realizing the superior path of liberation.

Explanation: Furthermore, there are three kinds of sentient beings who, taking desire as their fundamental starting point, adopt various methods for cultivation, aiming to achieve the goal of liberation. The first desire is that sentient beings cultivate practice in order to attain the most superior karmic retribution, to realize the Mahāyāna Bodhisattva fruit and achieve Buddhahood. This is the supreme, incomparable aspiration, called the unsurpassed Dharma, bearing the unsurpassed fruit.

The second desire is that sentient beings cultivate practice in order to obtain more superior sensual pleasures and greater blessings. As a result, they may be reborn in the heavens to enjoy blessings, but when the blessings are exhausted, they fall again. They seek the physical retribution of attaining a heavenly body and state of existence, which also results in bondage to birth and death.

The third desire is that sentient beings, through cultivation, ultimately wish to attain the superior karmic retribution of liberation transcending the Three Realms. As a result, they can transcend the Three Realms and attain temporary liberation, but not the ultimate liberation of Buddhahood.

Desire is the cause of birth and death. However, the aspiration for the Mahāyāna path to Buddhahood can lead to not entering the remainderless Nirvāṇa (anupādhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), instead remaining forever within the Three Realms to broadly benefit sentient beings. The six consciousnesses have desires, but the mental faculty has even stronger desires. It is primarily due to the desires of the mental faculty that birth and death are continuous and saṃsāra does not cease. If only the six consciousnesses had desires but the mental faculty did not, the desires of the six consciousnesses would be ineffective; they would arise and cease immediately, and birth and death would inevitably end. If only the six consciousnesses abandon desire but the mental faculty does not abandon desire, the mental faculty, being the master, will inevitably have cravings, the six consciousnesses will inevitably create karmas of greed, birth and death will inevitably not cease, and saṃsāra will inevitably not end. If the mental faculty has desire for the Three Realms, it will inevitably be unable to abandon attachment to them and will inevitably be unable to transcend them.

Arhats, because they have eradicated the self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi) of the mental faculty, abandon attachment to the Three Realms, meaning they abandon desire for the Three Realms, and thus can transcend them and enter the remainderless Nirvāṇa. If an Arhat turns his mind towards the Mahāyāna, because he develops a fondness and aspiration for the Mahāyāna Dharma, his mental faculty becomes bound by this aspiration. At the end of his life, he will inevitably not enter the remainderless Nirvāṇa but will possess a desire-realm body with five aggregates to continue cultivating the Mahāyāna path, seeking to realize the mind's nature and attain Buddhahood. This is the wholesome aspiration of the Bodhisattvas of the Pervasive Teaching (通教). If only the mental consciousness has this wholesome aspiration but the mental faculty does not, then the mental faculty is not bound by the wholesome aspiration, has no desire or craving for the dharmas of the Three Realms, and at the end of life will inevitably enter the remainderless Nirvāṇa.

If the mental faculty has already abandoned the desire for food and drink, even if the mental consciousness pays extra attention to or looks repeatedly at delicious food in the desire realm, the mental faculty will not give rise to greed nor crave to eat the delicious food; it merely follows conditions. If the mental faculty has already abandoned sexual desire, even if the mental consciousness looks repeatedly at the opposite sex, there will be no subsequent mental activity because the mental faculty, as the master, does not grasp or crave, and thus the mental consciousness cannot have superfluous thoughts or desires.

If the mental faculty has already abandoned greed, having no craving for food, clothing, shelter, or possessions, then even if the mental consciousness encounters a luxurious living environment, it will not give rise to greed. Its habits regarding food, clothing, shelter, and possessions will still follow its former tendencies. These are the habitual tendencies of the mental faculty. The physical, verbal, and mental actions concerning food, clothing, shelter, and possessions are governed by the mental faculty and will inevitably conform to its tendencies.

The aspiration to attain Buddhahood is a superior desire; the aspiration to realize the mind's nature is a superior desire; the aspiration to eradicate the view of self and realize the fruit of liberation is a superior desire. If only the mental consciousness has this superior desire but the mental faculty does not, then the mental faculty will not take the initiative to diligently cultivate practice, will not actively practice the threefold training in the outflows (tri-vidyā), will not actively uphold precepts, will not actively cultivate concentration, will not actively read sūtras and contemplate, much less engage in analytical meditation (觀行) or investigate the meaning of Dharma. Similarly, it will not be constantly focused on cultivation day and night. Only if the mental faculty has the superior desire can it actively prompt the six consciousnesses to cultivate, keep the mental consciousness constantly focused on learning and practicing Buddhism, and enable the mental consciousness to find ways to eliminate all disturbances and obstacles for diligent cultivation.

After learning Buddhism, the mental consciousness subdues the craving for meat, knowing that eating meat creates negative karmic connections with sentient beings and has karmic consequences. However, if the mental faculty has not subdued the craving for meat, when encountering meat, the mental consciousness knows it should not be eaten, but the mental faculty slightly craves to eat it. The mental consciousness then advises the mental faculty, saying it cannot eat meat and should be vegetarian. The mental faculty temporarily endures. But after a while, if the mental consciousness stops advising and becomes inattentive, the mental faculty decides to take a bite to satisfy the craving, and thus eats a piece of meat. The mental consciousness acquiesces to the mental faculty, relaxes its vigilance, and the mental faculty decides to take another bite. If the mental consciousness does not reprimand the mental faculty, the mental faculty will indulge itself and keep eating. Finally, the mental consciousness can no longer control the mental faculty and simply gives in, thinking, "Since I've already eaten, I might as well continue." The failure to quit smoking follows the same principle; likewise for quitting gambling or drugs. The mental consciousness truly cannot manage the mental faculty anymore; the habits of the mental faculty far outweigh the reasoning of the mental consciousness, so the mental consciousness simply follows the mental faculty.

Therefore, if only the mental consciousness cultivates and the mental consciousness abandons defilements, but the mental faculty does not abandon defilements, it is not true abandonment of defilements. If the mental consciousness eradicates the view of self but the mental faculty does not eradicate the view of self, it is not true eradication of the view of self. If the mental consciousness understands the principle but the mental faculty does not, it is not true understanding. One cannot walk with only one leg. Both legs, the mental consciousness and the mental faculty, must move synchronously, or one following the other, to walk properly. People inclined towards goodness almost all have the experience of the mental consciousness guiding and persuading the mental faculty. Because the mental faculty cannot think and discern good from bad, it requires the mental consciousness to do the work, to frequently guide the mental faculty towards goodness. Only then can physical, verbal, and mental actions be good. The very fact that the mental faculty possesses the decisive authority as the master demonstrates its powerful function.

Judging from various examples, if the mental faculty has no aspiration, no desire, all dharmas cease to exist and must disappear, abiding inevitably in the remainderless Nirvāṇa.

Original Text: Furthermore, there are three causes of outflowing (sāsrava) dharmas born from causes. If one does not cultivate the means (upāya) in accordance with the true principle regarding these, they can give rise to all sufferings. If one cultivates the means in accordance with the principle, one can know and abandon both the suffering and its cause. Namely, defiled craving for dharmas pertaining to the desire realm; likewise for dharmas pertaining to the form realm and formless realm.

Explanation: Furthermore, there are three kinds of causes that generate outflowing dharmas, preventing the accomplishment of the non-outflowing state. These three causes are: 1. Defiled craving, arising from aspiration and desire for the dharmas pertaining to the desire realm that bind the mind, preventing liberation; attachment to the dharmas of the desire realm prevents transcendence. 2. Defiled craving, arising from aspiration and desire for the dharmas pertaining to the form realm that bind the mind, preventing liberation; attachment to the form realm prevents transcendence. 3. Defiled craving, arising from aspiration and desire for the dharmas pertaining to the formless realm that bind the mind, preventing liberation; attachment to the formless realm prevents transcendence.

Regarding these three causes that generate outflowing dharmas, if during cultivation one does not properly contemplate their faults and lacks corresponding methods to counteract them, they will ultimately produce suffering and the calamities of birth and death. If during the cultivation process one can properly contemplate their faults and has corresponding skillful means to counteract them, abandoning the aspiration and desire for the Three Realms, understanding the causes of suffering within them, one can abandon the suffering and calamities of birth and death.

Superficially, the mundane dharmas of the Three Realms appear to bind the six consciousnesses. In reality, they primarily bind the mental faculty. It is the mental faculty's attachment to the dharmas of the Three Realms that causes the five aggregates to be born, exist, and revolve within the Three Realms. If the mental faculty is not attached to the dharmas of the Three Realms, the greed of the six consciousnesses becomes ineffective. Moreover, the six consciousnesses are impermanent dharmas, ceasing at the time of rebirth.

Due to the mental faculty's craving and grasping, karmic seeds are stored in the ālaya-vijñāna (storehouse consciousness). In the next life, based on the mental faculty's craving and grasping and the karmic seeds, one is reborn within the Three Realms. If the mental faculty craves and grasps the desire realm, it is bound by the desire realm; if it craves and grasps the form realm, it is bound by the form realm; if it craves and grasps the formless realm, it is bound by the formless realm. If the mental faculty craves and grasps the desire realm as well as the form and formless realms, it cannot be reborn into the form or formless realms but will inevitably be bound by the lowest level of craving and grasping.

Therefore, within the desire realm, to abandon desire, it cannot be merely the superficial abandonment by the mental consciousness; the innermost mental faculty must also abandon desire. Otherwise, one will inevitably be unable to attain the first dhyāna (meditative absorption) or transcend the desire realm to be reborn in the form or formless realms. The same principle applies to attachment to the form and formless realms.