妙法蓮華經玄贊 4.46

4.46

Explaining the names: 'Defilement' (kaṣāya) has the meaning of dregs and impurity; like dregs and impurity in food, which are base, vile, and foul, it is called defilement. The intent of this statement is: during the kalpa of increase, the three calamities gradually lighten and afflictions become thinner; sentient beings tend toward good, evil views become slight, the life-faculty grows longer, and gradually tends toward superiority; being superior, fine, and worthy of delight, it is called purity. When sentient beings are free from suffering, transformation buddhas do not appear in the world. When transformation buddhas appear in the world, it must tend toward the kalpa of decrease: minor calamities gradually arise, afflictions become thicker, sentient beings tend toward evil, defiled views become rife, the life-faculty becomes shorter, and gradually tends toward inferiority, baseness, and vileness, worthy of aversion; therefore, the name 'defilement' is established. 'Five' is a number, an analysis with an appended numeral (dvigu-samāsa). In explaining the individual names, they are all appositional compounds (karmadhāraya-samāsa); or, distinguishing the particular from the general, they are also determinative compounds (tatpuruṣa-samāsa).