Brief Discussion on Material Elements (Draft)

IV. The Implicated Realm (带质境)

Question: "带" (carrying) has two meanings, namely "transformed carrying" (变带， carrying-similarity) and "implicated carrying" (挟带). Implicated carrying means that the perceiving mind implicates its own mind, or its associated mental factors, or the perceiving-aspect perceiving the object-aspect, with the self-cognition and self-validating cognition mutually perceiving one another, and so forth; or that fundamental wisdom can arise implicating the mark of suchness, and the mark resembling an external realm can also be called implicated carrying. This is spoken of from the perspective of the self-witnessing substance of consciousness: the object-aspect that is perceived, being carried forth by the self-witnessing substance of consciousness, is called implicated carrying.

Explanation: Transformed carrying refers to the mark resembling an external realm, also called "the contemplated." This carries the meaning of "object of perception (ālambana)." This is spoken of from the perspective of there being an external underlying substance: the mark resembling an external realm is called transformed carrying, or carrying-similarity. Transformed carrying is carried over from the external object-aspect, which is a real realm (性境); it is manifested in dependence on the external object-aspect, resembles the external object-aspect, and is the inner object-aspect (内相分) that the seventh consciousness perceives and contemplates.

Implicated carrying means that the perceiving mind implicates its own mind, or its associated mental factors, or the perceiving-aspect perceiving the object-aspect, with the self-cognition and self-validating cognition mutually perceiving one another, and so forth; or that fundamental wisdom can arise implicating the mark of suchness, and the mark resembling an external realm can also be called implicated carrying. This is spoken of from the perspective of the self-witnessing substance of consciousness: the object-aspect that is perceived, being carried forth by the self-witnessing substance of consciousness, is called implicated carrying.

Implicated carrying refers to the perceiving mind of the seven consciousnesses, mainly referring to the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, with the sixth consciousness as the primary one, implicating its own mark (that is, the meaning of introspecting upon oneself), or its own mental factors (introspecting upon one's own mental factors), or referring to the perceiving-aspect of the seventh consciousness (the seeing nature) perceiving the object-aspect (the conscious mind seeing sense objects), or the perceiving-aspect perceiving the self-cognition, the perceiving-aspect perceiving the self-validating cognition, and so forth. Alternatively, it refers to the wise mind consciousness that has already realized the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, being able to perceive the true and suchlike characteristics (真如行相) of the eighth consciousness. The mind consciousness can observe the true and suchlike nature of the eighth consciousness, and its capacity to become a Buddha.

Implicated carrying is a mode of perceiving dharmas that differs from transformed carrying of the real realm of the external object-aspect. The mark of what seems to be a realm, discerned within the minds of the seven consciousnesses, is also carried forth by the seven consciousnesses. The subjectively imagined realm is entirely carried forth by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, and does not exist in dependence on the external object-aspect. When the mind consciousness observes its own mental activities—your mental activities and mental factors—these are carried forth by the mind consciousness. When the mind consciousness observes the eighth consciousness, observes the five consciousnesses, observes the seventh consciousness, or when the mind consciousness observes itself, the objects observed are all carried forth by the mind consciousness. When our eyes see a cup and the mind consciousness also thinks about the cup, this realm-mark is an implicated realm, existing in dependence on the external object-aspect of the cup. When one is away from home and, with eyes closed, the face of one's parents appears in the mind, this is a subjectively imagined realm, carried forth by the mind consciousness.