The Practice of the Four Right Efforts (4)

Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume Twenty-Nine (4)

Original text: 又或有恶不善法。唯由分别力生。非境界力。或有恶不善法。由分别力生。亦境界力。唯由分别力生。非境界力者。谓于住时。思惟过去未来境界。而生于彼。由思惟力生。亦境界力者。谓于行时。缘现在境界而生于彼。当于尔时。决定亦有非理分别。当知此中。恶不善法唯由分别力生。非境界力者。彼若未生。能令不生。生已能断。是名策励。若由分别力生。亦境界力者。彼若未生。能令不生。生已能断。是名发勤精进。

Explanation: Some evil and unwholesome dharmas arise solely through the power of discrimination, not through the power of sense objects. The power of discrimination is the discriminating nature of the mind consciousness, and it is also the result of following the habitual tendencies of the manas; it is not influenced by the conditioning of the presently manifest six sense objects, and the sense objects lack the power to push evil and unwholesome dharmas that have already arisen, because the inherent power of the manas' habitual tendencies is great. Some evil and unwholesome dharmas are not only produced by the discriminating power of the mind consciousness, but are also produced by the power of conditioning from the six sense objects.

Evil and unwholesome dharmas that are produced solely by the power of discrimination and not by the conditioning of sense objects refer to dwelling amid presently manifest dharmas while deliberating on past and future sense objects, whereby evil and unwholesome dharmas arise. Such evil and unwholesome dharmas are mainly produced by the afflictive habitual tendencies of the manas. Evil and unwholesome dharmas that are produced not only by the power of discrimination but also by the conditioning of sense objects refer to when, during the operation of body, speech, and mind, one takes presently manifest sense objects as an object and thereby produces evil and unwholesome dharmas. When body, speech, and mind are operating, there is not only the discriminating power of the six consciousnesses, but also the conditioning of presently manifest sense objects. Because at that time, not only do the sense objects exert a pushing influence, there is certainly also non-accordant discrimination. These are evil and unwholesome dharmas jointly produced by the afflictive habitual tendencies of the manas and the conditioning of presently manifest sense objects.

From this we can know that for evil and unwholesome dharmas produced solely by the power of discrimination and not influenced by the conditioning power of sense objects, if they have not yet arisen, one can prevent them from arising; after they have arisen, one can make them cease. This is called exertion (prahāṇa). As for evil and unwholesome dharmas that arise through the power of discrimination and are at the same time produced by the conditioning power of sense objects, if these dharmas have not yet arisen, one can prevent them from arising; even after they have arisen, one can still eliminate them. This is called the arousal of vigorous effort (vīryārambha).