大般涅槃經義記 10.142

10.142

上來一段通釋九法，下次別解根、因及增三法差別。以此三義麁況相似，故須辨異，先問、後辨。辨中五番：初番直就起因辨異。「根即初發」，「因即相似」續生似前，「增減相似生相似」者，捨前自分更起勝進。二就起因得果辨異。「根即是作」，初作因也。「因即果」者，由前作因牽生當果，所生當果與後現時果用為本，故名當果。以之為因，彼果現用，說之為「增」。下重顯之，「未來之果以未受故名之為因，受時名增」。三就增因、得果、起用三義辨異。「根即求」者，造因求果。「得即因」者，所得之果能為用本，故名為因。「用即增」者，依果起用說之為增。四約位辨異。「根即見道，因即修道，增即無學」。五緣正二因得果辨異。「根即正因」如世種子，「因即方便」如世水土，得果名「增」。

The passage above generally explains the nine dharmas; next, he distinctively explains the differences among the three dharmas of root, cause, and increase. Because the rough analogies of these three meanings are similar, it is necessary to distinguish their differences: first a question, then the discrimination. Within the discrimination, there are five rounds: The first round distinguishes their differences directly in terms of initiating causes: 'the root is the initial arising,' 'the cause is the similarity' continuing to arise similar to what came before, and 'increase is abandoning the similar and giving rise to the similar' means abandoning one's previous level to further give rise to superior advancement. The second distinguishes their differences in terms of initiating causes and attaining fruits: 'the root is precisely the action'—the initial making of the cause; 'the cause is precisely the fruit' means that due to the previous action of the cause, it pulls and produces the future fruit, and the future fruit produced serves as the basis for the fruit's later actual functioning, hence it is termed the future fruit; taking it as the cause, that fruit's actual functioning is spoken of as 'increase.' Below, he clarifies it again: 'The future fruit, because it has not yet been experienced, is termed cause; at the time of experiencing, it is termed increase.' The third distinguishes their differences in terms of the three meanings of increasing the cause, attaining the fruit, and initiating functioning: 'the root is precisely seeking' means creating the cause to seek the fruit; 'attaining is precisely the cause' means the attained fruit can serve as the basis of functioning, hence it is termed cause; 'functioning is precisely increase' means initiating functioning based on the fruit is spoken of as increase. The fourth distinguishes their differences in terms of stages: 'the root is the path of vision, the cause is the path of cultivation, and increase is the stage of no-further-learning.' The fifth distinguishes their differences in terms of the two causes—circumstantial and direct—attaining the fruit: 'the root is precisely the direct cause,' like a worldly seed; 'the cause is precisely the expedient condition,' like worldly water and soil; attaining the fruit is termed 'increase.'