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四心

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: four states of mind

Senses:

  • (Also written 四種心) (Skt. catvāri cittāni, catvāro nikāyāḥ) . The four boundless states of mind of kindness 慈, pity 悲, joy 喜, and indifference 捨; see 四無量心. [Charles Muller; source(s): Nakamura]
  • Four states of mind taught in the Sukhāvatīvyūha-upadeśa: mind of wisdom 智慧心, mind of skillful means 方便心, unobstructed mind 無障心, and supremely real mind 勝眞心. 〔淨土論 T 1524.26.233a10〕 [Charles Muller; source(s): Nakamura]
  • As used in Zongmiʼs 宗密 Chan Chart 禪源諸詮集都序 (T 2015.48.401c23) the four kinds of mind of (1) physical heart 肉團心 (Skt. hṛdaya), (2) referent-apprehending mind 緣慮心 (the eight consciousnesses 八識), (3) the collectively arising mind 集起心 (eighth consciousness 第八識), and (4) intrinsic mind 堅實心 (thusness mind 眞如心). [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui]
  • Unwholesome state of mind 惡心, avariciousness 貪心, anger 瞋心, confusion 癡心, equanimity 等心. [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui]
  • Used by Vasubandhu in his commentary to the Diamond Sutra (T 1511.25.781c-782a) to outline Section Two, dividing it into four distinct passages (T 236.8.753a). The title of each of the four thoughts is extracted from a verse of Asaṅgaʼs Ode to the Diamond Sutra (T 1514), of which the Vasubandhu commentary is an annotation. This exegetical scheme used by Vasubandhu is usually found summarized in the Chinese exegetical texts. The four thoughts, and the passages they refer to are (using Bodhiruciʼs translation, (T 236):
    1. The 'extensive mind'  廣大心. Corresponds to: 「諸菩薩生如是心。所有一切衆生衆生所攝...」 to 「...所有衆生界衆生所攝。」 (T 236.8.753a1–4)
    2. The 'supreme mind'  第一心. Corresponds to: 「我皆令入無餘涅槃而滅度之。」 (T 236.8.753a4–5)
    3. The 'eternal mind'  常心. Corresponds to: 「 是滅度無量無邊衆生實無衆生得滅度者。何以故。 須菩提。若菩薩有衆生相卽非菩薩。」 (T 236.8.753a1–7) Vasubandhu comments that the living beings are not different from the bodhisattvaʼs own self, and so if a bodhisattva conceives of the living beings as being separate from himself then he is not a bodhisattva. "Thusly apprehending the myriad beings as his own body, the eternal is not abandoned." (T 1511.25.782a)
    4. The 'undeluded thought' (不顚倒). Corresponds to: 「何以故非。須菩提。若菩薩起衆生相人相壽者相。 則不名菩薩。」 (T 236.8.753a7–8) Vasubandhu comments: "This makes plain the distant separation [of the bodhisattva] from, and accordingly the cessation of, a self which views the images of myriad beings, etc." (T 1511.25.782) It should be noted that one must use a translation of the Diamond Sutra other than Kumārajīvaʼs to follow the fourfold division, as Kumārajīva does not include the final conclusion to this section of the sutra. The commentary by Vasubandhu was translated into Chinese by Bodhiruci 菩提流支 (T 1511 金剛般若波羅蜜經論) and Yijing 義淨 (T 1513 能斷金剛般若波羅蜜多經論釋), and those two versions of the Diamond Sutra are used in each respectively. Yijing also extracted Asaṅgaʼs Ode from a separate text (T 1514).
    [Charles Patton; source(s): Ui, Nakamura, Hirakawa]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 412

    Bulgyo sajeon 373a

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 524d

    Fo Guang Dictionary 1670

    Ding Fubao

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 0279

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 716-1

    (Soothill's) Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms 175

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 1997-09-15

    Updated: 2018-03-30