俱舍論記 2.183

2.183

「眼根極微至形如指鞜」者，答。眼微二說，前說似勝，不言有說故。耳根如卷樺皮，西方國俗初穿耳時，多卷樺皮內於孔中欲令漸大，由近耳相似，故以為喻。准此，耳中有孔通於腦中。有說耳根猶如燈器者，亦據四脣，非取其底。鼻微可知。此初三根，若約根體處無高下，若據所依即有高下。故前卷云「或隨處次第」。舌微可知，於舌根中如毛端量。無舌根者，雖無經論文說，西方古德相傳解云：醫方家說，於舌根中如毛端量無舌根處，是末磨死節。若針刺著，其人即死。舌中法爾有斯空處。又解：於人腦中有極臭穢不淨腦垢，若見飲食腦垢流出渧此空處。若無此處承此腦垢，觸著舌根令人歐吐不能飲食。因解身根，剩明男、女二根。餘文可知。

Regarding the passage from "The atoms of the visual faculty" up to "shaped like a sewing thimble": the answer. There are two explanations for the visual atoms; the former explanation seems superior, because it does not say "some say". The auditory faculty is like rolled birch bark. In the customs of the Western countries, when ears are first pierced, they mostly roll birch bark and insert it into the hole wishing to make it gradually larger; because it resembles the vicinity of the ear, it is used as an analogy. According to this, there is an opening in the ear that connects into the brain. Some say the auditory faculty is like an oil-lamp vessel; this is also based on its four rims, not taking its base. The olfactory atoms are understandable. These first three faculties, if considered in terms of the faculty's substance, have no high or low location; if considered based on their physical supports, they do have high and low locations. Hence the previous fascicle says: "Or following the sequence of their locations." The gustatory atoms are understandable: in the center of the gustatory faculty, there is an area the size of a hair's tip without any gustatory faculty. Although no sūtra or treatise text speaks of this, ancient masters of the Western regions handed down the explanation: Medical doctors say that within the gustatory faculty, an area the size of a hair's tip without the gustatory faculty is a vital spot (marman). If pierced with a needle, the person immediately dies. By nature there is such an empty spot in the tongue. Another explanation: in the human brain there is extremely foul and impure brain phlegm; when one sees food and drink, this brain phlegm flows out and drips into this empty spot. If there were not this place to receive this brain phlegm, touching the gustatory faculty would make the person vomit and unable to eat or drink. By way of explaining the bodily faculty, the male and female faculties are additionally clarified. The remaining text is understandable.