How to Correctly Understand the Aggregate of Consciousness (II)

Original text of the Lokadharaparipṛcchā:智者正观察选择通达。非阴是识阴。凡夫于非识阴生识阴相，以觉观分别忆想。颠倒相应。虚妄所缚。强名为识阴。贪着是识阴。依止所识。依止识种种示思惟故。生起识阴。是人种种分别。贪着内识。贪着外识。贪着内外识。贪着远识。贪着近识。以识相故。分别起识阴。

Explanation: A person of wisdom should correctly observe, discern, and penetrate [the truth], namely that the aggregate of consciousness (vijñāna) originally has no self-nature or characteristics of an aggregate; there is no aggregate of consciousness, yet it is provisionally named the aggregate of consciousness. But ordinary beings give rise to the appearance of the aggregate of consciousness from dharmas that are not the aggregate of consciousness, using their initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra), recollection, and discrimination, in correspondence with deluded minds, bound by falsity, forcibly naming it the aggregate of consciousness. They crave and cling to this aggregate of consciousness, rely upon what is cognized, and rely upon consciousness; because they manifest in various ways the deliberative functions of consciousness, they give rise to the aggregate of consciousness.

Ordinary beings discriminate in various ways: they crave and cling to the inner consciousness that cognizes sense-objects within the body, crave and cling to the outer consciousness that cognizes sense-objects outside the body, crave and cling to both inner and outer consciousness, crave and cling to the distant consciousness of past and future, and crave and cling to the near consciousness present before their eyes. Because of the characteristics of consciousness, they discriminate and give rise to the aggregate of consciousness.

Original text of the Lokadharaparipṛcchā:是人以忆想分别。若心若意若识。假借强名是心是意是识。如是知种种心相生。是凡夫贪着识阴。为识阴所缚。心意识合故。起种种识阴。分别虚妄事故。以一相故。以决定相故。能得是心是意是识。能得分别爱着。

Explanation: Ordinary beings, relying on recollection and discrimination, say "this is mind, this is manas, this is consciousness," borrowing the characteristics of the cognizing mind and forcibly naming it mind, manas, and consciousness. After such discrimination, the various characteristics of the cognizing mind arise in the mind. Because ordinary beings crave and cling to the aggregate of consciousness, they are bound by it; it is only when mind, manas, and consciousness combine together that the aggregate of consciousness manifests, and thus the characteristics of the aggregate of consciousness arise in the mind. Because the aggregate of consciousness can falsely discriminate the various characteristics of phenomena, because one falsely perceives the combined characteristics of the aggregate of consciousness, and because the mind firmly determines that the aggregate of consciousness has characteristics, ordinary beings grasp at it as mind, manas, and consciousness, and discriminate and cling to it.

Original text of the Lokadharaparipṛcchā:是人依止识阴。深贪识故。亦得过去识阴。贪着念有。亦得未来识阴。贪着念有。亦得现在识阴。贪着念有。诸凡夫于见闻觉知法中。计得识阴。贪着念有。是人贪着见闻觉知法。为识阴所缚。贵其所知。以心意识合系故。驰走往来。所谓从此世至彼世。从彼世至此世。皆识阴所缚故。不能如实知识阴。

Explanation: Ordinary beings rely upon the aggregate of consciousness; because they deeply crave and cling to the aggregate of consciousness, they also grasp at the past aggregate of consciousness. Because they crave the aggregate of consciousness and hold that it truly exists, they then grasp at the future aggregate of consciousness; because they crave the aggregate of consciousness and believe it truly exists, they also cling to the present aggregate of consciousness.

Because they crave the aggregate of consciousness and take it to be a truly existent dharma, ordinary beings, amid all dharmas of seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing, reckon and grasp at them as the functions of the aggregate of consciousness. Because they crave and reckon the aggregate of consciousness as existent, ordinary beings cling to the dharmas of seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing, and are bound by the aggregate of consciousness, treasuring and cherishing what they can know and perceive. Because mind, manas, and consciousness combine together to bind the mind, ordinary beings transmigrate ceaselessly through birth and death within the six realms of existence, coming and going—passing from this life to future lives, and from past lives to this life. All of this is because they are bound by the aggregate of consciousness, and thus they cannot truly understand the aggregate of consciousness or see through it.