《辯中邊論》之識顯現與轉依=The Representation and Transformation of the Basis of Consciousness in the Madhyāntavibhāgabhāṣya (Distinguishing the Middle From the Extreme)
The concept of the representation of consciousness is not often used in the Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra and Yogacarabhūmi. It becomes, however, a crucial idea in the Madhyāntavibhāgabhāṣya. The represtation of consciousness talks about the existences and knowings of the body and mind of sentient beings. The representation of consciousness is closely related to the theory of three natures of consciousness-only. Transformation of the basis (āśraya-parāvṛtti) is very important for the Yogacara practitioners. The present paper is focusing on one of the three natures, nature of dependent arising, as the central point of the transformation of the basis, to explain the representation and the transformation of basis of consciousness. The function of the representation of consciousness is to turn non-existent objects into existent objects. It is called the Fourfold Object (artha). The Fourfold Objects consists of grasper and grasped that is incorrectly viewed in terms of subject-object duality. Referential objects and sentient beings are the grasped, consciousness of self and representation are the grasper. The original nature of subject-object duality is emptiness. The dependent nature that is consciousness's representation is the ontological basis of the other two natures. So I should take the dependent nature as the center of the point of transformation, when the dependent nature is constructed in terms of language and conceptualization, this false vision of reality is referred as the imagined nature. But when one shifts from the imagined mode to perfect mode, when one leaves subject-object duality behind, then one will see things as they really are: reality will be viewed without the superimposed matrix of language and conceptualization. When knowing the way things really are, that is transformation of the basis. There are two Sanskrit terms of transformation of the basis. These are “āśrayaparāvṛtt” and “āśraya-parivṛtti.” Both of them share the similar meaning of the changing of the basis. The basis means the body and mind of sentient beings who depends upon them. From the school of consciousness-only points of view, the basis of sentient beings is the ālaya-vijñāna. When the ālaya-vijñāna representate, it become consciousness's representation that is the dependent nature. If one could transform from the afflicted consciousness to the purified one, that means the causes and conditions of the body and mind of the sentient being are transformed from afflicted contiunity to purified contiunity. This is the transformation of the basis. Although there are six kinds of transformation of the basis, the practice of the non-characteristic, and the transformation of the basis in the path of seeing are discussed here only. There are two aspects of the explanation of the relation between representation of consciousness and transformation of the basis. One is epistemological, and the other is in terms of the three natures. Fir