Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Metaphor 38: The Eight Aspects of Consciousness
One might lament, “I don’t normally feel like I have any worries or delusions; but, once I concentrate on reciting the Name of Amitabha Buddha, my mind races with all sorts of thoughts.”
This is quite normal. Previously, we talked about the eight aspects of consciousness. They are the eight different functions of the mind. A verse describes them as follows:
There are these eight brothers: One is a fool, rather dim-witted. Five do business at the front door. One commands from home, and one looks after money matters.
The “eight brothers” refers to the eight aspects of consciousness. Although they are inseparable, these eight types work in different ways, each with a function and effect of its own.
Which type does the so-called “foolish, dim-witted” brother represent? It is the eighth consciousness (aka the Alaya or Storehouse Consciousness). This part of the mind works like a warehouse, storing everything it receives, good or bad, without selection or rejection. Such an indiscriminate nature is personified as “a dim-witted fool”.
The five brothers busy trading at the front door refer to the five sensory faculties - the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body. Without their effective functioning, one would not be able to see, hear, smell, taste, or touch to perceive the outer world. Only by means of the effective performance of the roles of these five types of consciousness can the sixth type work.
The brother who commands from home refers to the sixth consciousness (aka the “Mental Consciousness”). It enables us to memorize, distinguish, deliberate, and decide to do something or not. This is why it is compared to the general manager of a business entity.
The brother who acts like a financial controller refers to the seventh consciousness (aka the “Mano Consciousness”). The main working of this consciousness is the passionate attachment to the ego. After the sixth consciousness (i.e. the general manager brother) has assembled the input from the five sensory faculties into a coherent whole, the Mano Consciousness (the financial controller brother) stores
it in the warehouse of the Alaya Consciousness (the dim-witted brother), without discrimination.
If the Mano Consciousness is compared to the general manager of a company, then the Alaya Consciousness can be likened to the chairman of the board of directors. It is responsible for the ultimate direction of the company. If this part of the mind turns the afflicted consciousnesses into wisdom and purity, all defilements will become superior merit and virtue. The mind will attain perfect enlightenment. On the other hand, if the Alaya Consciousness lets the defilements remain, it will be stuck in the six realms, reincarnating endlessly.
(to be continued tomorrow)
38. 八識喻
慧淨法師
有人感嘆說：「我平常不覺得有什麼煩惱、有什麼妄想雜念，可是，不念佛 便罷，一旦想靜下心來念佛，妄想雜念就特別多。」
其實這是很正常的。
剛剛講，我們的心有八識，就是有八種功能，這八種功能，有一首偈是這 樣描述的：
兄弟八個一個呆，
五個門前做買賣，
一個在家出主意，
一個司帳管錢財。
兄弟八個是指八識，因為八識是一體的，是一個心分為八種功能和作用。 一個呆是哪一識呢？就是第八識。第八「阿賴耶識」，也叫做「藏識」，這個倉 庫本身是不選擇的，人家搬好的進來，或是搬不好的進來，倉庫通通接受，不 會分別好壞，所以「兄弟八個一個呆」。
五個門前做買賣⇒ 這五個就是眼、耳、鼻、舌、身。我們沒有眼睛，就不能 看外面的色（也就是境界）；沒有耳朵，就不能聽聲音；沒有鼻子，就不能嗅氣味；沒有舌頭，就不能嚐味道。透過這五識，第六識才能產生它的作用，所以 說「五個門前做買賣」。
一個在家出主意⇒ 這是第幾識？就是第六「意識」。可以說，這八識當中， 第六識是總經理，它在家出主意呀！所以，第六識能夠有什麼？有記憶、有 分別、有思惟、有判斷（要與不要）等等這些功能，所以，它是總經理。
一個司帳管錢財⇒ 這就是第七「末那識」。末那識就是執著、執取，把倉庫 當作自己的身心性命。什麼都為這個身心性命設想，愈多愈好，只怕少，不怕 多。所以，凡是前面五識 — 這五個兄弟所做的買賣，經過第六識這個總經理 的收納之後，末那識通通把它們 — 點點滴滴，不管是好是壞，都沒有推拒地 收在阿賴耶識裏面。
可說阿賴耶識是董事長，它要負最後的責任，它如果轉識成智，通通是妙 善的功德，它就能成佛；如果是粗惡的話，它就永遠六道輪迴。
Namo Amituofo!
